Some Social Media Practitioners Killing Journalism Profession, Osinbajo Alerts Editors

May 4, 2019

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has alerted editors under the umbrella of Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), over what he called basterdisation of the journalism profession even as he urged them to rise up to save the profession from goimg umder.

Professor Osinbajo, represented by his spokesman, Laolu Akande, at the 2019 Biennial convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Lagos today, Saturday, called on professionals to evolve strategies to take back the media space infiltrated by unethical practices with the advent of the social media.

He said that the advent of the new media had increased misinformation through the spread of fake news and other negative reports that often caused confusion, disaffection and disunity.

He called on editors to evolve strategies that would keep journalism in its place as the digital media appeared to be moving away from the newsroom to the clouds.

Osinbajo said that the role of newspaper was gradually being usurped as the print media continued in its pursuit of traffic rather than accuracy.

“Fake news will make media practice lose its appeal, it will challenge the credibility which is the base of our practice.”

He called on editors to consciously take back the space by infusing online media practice with traditional and professional competence; and also challenge the wrongs in the industry.

“Some people must take up the role of speaking against the bastardisation of journalism by the new media. And it is better that some of our leaders in the profession should take on that responsibility.”

The Vice president called for resuscitation of investigative journalism to tackle most of the challenges the country was facing and help the government plan better and media stakeholders to equip newsrooms with gadgets and technologies that could detect and remove fake images from news items.

He commended the efforts of past veterans who made a mark in the field of journalism, even as he urged today’s journalists to ensure accurate, fair, balanced and objective reportage at all times.

He called for adherence to ethical standards, adding that the NGE represented the place of mentorship for journalists.

He charged the NGE and media owners to review remuneration of journalists to enhance their welfare and efficiency.

The vice president noted that the survival of the media was systematically dependent on continuous entrenchment of democracy.

He called for support of the media in publishing progresses recorded by the Buhari-led administration.

Source: NAN

Corruption Is Fighting Back At Nigeria Export Promotion Bank – Investigation

Editorial staff

May 4, 2019

Forensic audit that was commissioned by the new Board of Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank) has triggered a call by what is believed to be faceless group, known as Awareness for Good Governance Group (AGGG) for the removal of the bank’s chairman, Dr. Okwu Joseph Nnanna over trumped up of fraud.

Investigation revealed that the forensic exposed different levels of procedural abuse fraught with high level of fraud in the disbursement of the loans by the former management.

Findings from sources within the Bank and those close to the audit firm, Price Waterhouse and Coopers (PwC) indicated that there were several violations of laid down procedures, which increased the risk burden of the bank to the extent that non-performing loans (NPLs) of NEXIM rose to about 91 percent of loans granted by the bank.

According to the source, prior to Nnanna’s assumption of office as chairman in March 2018, the NPL of the bank stood at about N48.9 billion out of a total loan portfolio of N53 billion, which negated the corporate pursuit of the bank to have NPLs at a maximum level of 10 percent.

The sources, who alleged wrong doings by a former company secretary of NEXIM, further revealed that about 181 out of 191 loans granted before the assumption of the Nnanna board were non-performing, adding that as many as a third of the documents also did not have supporting or verifiable documents to justify the loan applications and subsequent disbursements.

“That level of fraud within the system is perhaps why the CBN is yet to activate the N500 billion Export Stimulation Fund which was set up to promote non-oil exports in Nigeria.”

A statement by the bank , dismissed the allegations by the AGGG, describing them as misleading and targeted at tarnishing “the reputation of Dr. Nnanna as well as diverting attention from the on-going efforts by the board to address cases of gross mismanagement and poor state of affairs of the Bank under the old management which had since been sacked by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Meanwhile, the Management of NEXIM has scheduled Monday, May 6 to brief the media on the situation.

JAMB Moves To Publish Names Of Top Politicians, Others Who Did Not Write Its Exams

Greenbarge Reporters

May 3, 2019

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has promised to publish the names of top politicians and civil servants who did not write its exams but claimed to have gone through university education.

JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, who spoke at the 23rd annual seminar of the Nigerian Academy of Education under the topic: “Admissions into tertiary educational institutions in Nigeria,” said that the board has discovered that some prominent Nigerians occupying high positions in the society today did not take its examination themselves.

He said that although the board may not be able to punish these persons because they had already left the system, but it would go ahead to publish their names to shame them.

“If I were to be punishing every staff of JAMB that is committing infractions, I will not focus on the assignment.

“I will be going from one disciplinary committee to the other and my attention will be diverted.

“And that is why I go for the shortest route; once you are caught to have committed one infraction, you will not be assigned with examination duties again.

“It is a privilege, which I can withdraw. If you are that bad that I don’t want to see your face around me, I will transfer you to another place.

“If we have to take disciplinary action against all of them; look at it, today we have 100 people not less than 100 in police cells across the country who were caught for examination malpractices.

“I have appointed a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who is a former Solicitor-General to help me oversee all these so that the suspects can be brought to book.

“And my Director of Legal asked me, what offences should we charge these people for; for multiple registrations? And I said why can’t we go to the Examination Malpractice Act?

“So, my problem has started by having to draft the charges, despite the fact that we have evidences against them. That is the beginning of the problem.

“I will now ask to be paying my staff to travel out of Abuja to be testifying in court as they are adjourning month after month the cases and we will be wasting money and time on transport.

“So even now, what we have seen, I tell people that I am more tolerant of corruption in JAMB than when I was as a vice-chancellor at the University of Ilorin.”

According to the Professor, the board has de-listed no fewer than 76 Computer-Based Test Centres for various infractions in the recently concluded unified tertiary matriculation examination.

Man Allegedly Using Lady’s Voice On Internet To Defraud Faces The Law

Editorial staff

May 3, 2019

A young man, who claimed to be a student of Polytechnic, Ibadan, Akeredolu Oluwafemi Temidayo (a.k.a. Susan Henderson) has been charged to court for defrauding various unsuspecting people through internet.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan zonal office, which charged Temidayo before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court 2, sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, said that the suspect has made a total of $600 through such fraudulent internet activities.

EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade in a statement today, Friday, said that the suspect was arraigned on a three-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence, possession of fraudulent documents and forgery.

Orilade explained that Temidayo allegedly contravened Sections 1, 2 and 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, as well as Section 1 (2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17. Laws of the Federation, 2004.

“The EFCC got wind of Temidayo’s alleged fraudulent activities through an intelligence report detailing his involvement in internet fraud.

“Investigations revealed that he had been posing online as Susan Henderson (a woman) through which he fraudulently obtained gift cards worth $300 USD (Three Hundred United States of American Dollars) from one Ross Kirkley.

“Further investigations also showed that he had obtained sundry amounts netting about $600 (Six Thousand United States of American Dollars) from other unsuspecting victims using the same gimmick.”

Temidayo reportedly pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to him.

Nigerian Army Vows To Flush Out Bandits Soon, Reorganizes ExerciseHarbin Kunama

Editorial staff

May 3, 2019

The Nigerian Army has made it clear that it would soon flush out bandits, kidnappers and cattle-rustlers ravaging the Northwest with the re-organized operations of Exercise Harbin KunamaIII.

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja at the Army Headquarters today, Friday, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, said that the reorganization was necessary considering the resurgence of bandits, kidnappers and other criminals in the zone.

Buratai commended the Governors of the Northwest for the support they gave the army and its personnel in the past few months, even as he called on residents to be patient with the military as they prepare to flush out remnants of bandits and other criminals.

The Army Chief, who was represented by the Chief of Training and Operations, Major General Lamid Adeosun said: “I am pleased to inform you all that the exercise has so far achieved tremendous successes within the past one month.

“Several bandits and criminal elements have been captured and killed while some camps, hideouts and equipment of the criminals have been destroyed.

“It has however been observed that there appear to be a resurgence of their activities in other contiguous States to Zamfara.

“This is occasioned by fleeing bandits that have resorted to attacking soft targets while relocating to other safe havens within contiguous States of Katsina and Sokoto.

“Current threat assessments revealed the migration of the bandits from their epicenter to other areas in Kaduna, Kano and Niger States.

“It is against this backdrop that Exercise HARBIN KUNAMA III is being re-organised and its mandate expanded to effectively ensure the complete defeat of the fleeing bandits.

“This is to restore public confidence and enhance safety while also ensuring socio-economic activities continue without fear or intimidation.

“It is on this premise that I want to plead with the general public to persevere in the face of seeming inconveniences due to restrictions that may be imposed in these areas while the Nigerian Army is conducting the exercise.

“The Nigerian Army mandate is aimed at building confidence and ensuring our country is rid of criminal elements that are poised to destabilize the normal life, rights and freedom of the people across the country as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.

“I want to assure the general public that the Nigerian Army will carry out its constitutional mandate professionally and within the ambit of the law while adhering to the ROE.

“Consequently, I urge the general public to claim ownership of the security of the country and willfully avail us with credible information that will assist in flushing out subversive and criminal elements from their hideouts and safe haven.”

Minimum Wage: We’ve Not Got Directive To Pay Youth Corpers – NYSC Coordinator

Editorial staff

May 3, 2019

The Lagos State coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mohammed Momoh, has said that the federal government is yet to release a circular ordering the implementation of the newly approved N30,000 minimum wage for corps members.

The federal government in April 2019 had approved the N30,000 minimum wage for workers in the country by signing it into law.

But the law is yet to be implemented by the NYSC, in the payment of corps members.

Reacting to a statement by the former NYSC Director General, Suleiman Kazaure, giving assurance that there would be an increase in the payment for corps members in accordance with the increment in national workers’ wage, , Mohammed Momoh in an interview said that the service is waiting for the federal government to give it the go ahead to begin the implementation of the new law.

“The effective date of implementation would be stated on the circular and any corps member that falls within that said period and is qualified for the monthly allowance would benefit from the increase if and when the implementation starts.

“Corps members are Nigerians and it is only expected that they would benefit from the increase. At the appropriate time, the federal government would fix the allowance for corps members. This would then be made public by the NYSC.

“I have no doubt that the federal government would do the needful in accordance with the minimum wage.”

Source: TVC News

Kogi, 2 Others Yet To Fulfill Requirements To Be Declared Oil Producing States – DPR

Editorial staff

May 3, 2019

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has said that Kogi, Anambra and Enugu are yet to fulfill the requirements to be declared oil producing states and therefore joining.

In a letter to the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), the DPR said that the three states could only be declared oil bearing states if the oil firm in the area, Orient Oil, scales up its operations from oil prospecting to oil mining lease.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, said that the issue at stake has to do with a referral to the committee on the contentious boundary between the three states, adding that a report that said “the Federal Government confirms Anambra oil producing ‎status” threw up the matter to the front burner.

Alasoadura said that his committee lacked the power to declare an oil-producing status on a state even as he said that the committee believed that the agency is in the best position to settle the matter with the National Boundary Commission (NBC).

The Ondo Central senator said that the committee wrote to the DPR “but their response was not quite satisfactory. That is why we want to hear from your commission.”

He noted that the committee decided to hear from the National Boundary Commission because “when we had a similar issue in Ondo State in the past, it was your commission that resolved it.”

Senator Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North) noted that the issue of OPL 915 and 916 dated back to antiquity.

“I didn’t know that this motion would come up, because we had already resolved the issue when Senator Isaac Mohammed Alfa was away.

“Kogi and Enugu states do not have problem; the two are in agreement. But Enugu and Anambra are not in agreement.

“We in Enugu want to be declared as oil producing state too. Let that be done pending when the boundary commission finishes its work.”

He added that Orient Oil, within seven years, moved from 3,000 to 10,000 barrels a day.

According to him, “an oil company that had been able to move from 3,000 to 10,000 barrels per day should have graduated from oil prospecting to oil mining lease.”

He said that they would go to the DPR to find out why Orient Oil refused to move from oil prospecting to oil mining lease.”

Senator Alfa said there was no contention on the desire to recognise the affected communities as oil producing communities.

Acting Director-General of the National Boundary Commission, Adamu Adaji said that the issue is a tripartite one involving the three states.

He said: “We carried out preliminary field work on Kogi-Anambra boundary, but the challenge we have is the document we are using, which was produced before independence.

“We had to use a provincial boundary map produced by the colonial masters. We discovered that the descriptions on the map are not too clear.

“We scaled out seven points, and about five of them were discovered, but the remaining two resisted.

“Some youths from Ibaji community accosted our staff at some point that they will not agree with the legal document we were using. We are relying on Legal Instrument of 1954.

“The work was stalled because the people of Ibaji were of the view that we must identify the points between Anambra, Kogi and Enugu before we could do anything.

“When we made an attempt in 2015, our effort was aborted. We met with the then governor of Kogi State and he promised to talk to the community to cooperate with us.

“What we want now is to get the states to cooperate so that we can work. The three states were not quite forthcoming for us to do the job. That is what we have been trying to do now.

“If we cannot rely on the map, we plead that the states should cooperate for us to come to a boundary that is acceptable to all.”

Senator Magnus Abe noted that from what the commission said, “it’s already doing something, but the problem is except the commission does what some people want, the work can’t be done. Except there is the right atmosphere for them to work, nothing can be done.”

Abe suggested that the only way the issue could be resolved is for the committee to invite the states to come and “we set up a joint team with the boundary commission so that we can have adequate security ‎before they can go and do their job.

“Now that there is oil there, the next thing you may have is that the people will start acquiring guns and start shooting themselves.”

Senator Gershom Bassey said that the National Boundary Commission cannot completely be exonerated from the blame. He noted that in his state, Cross River, “there have been communal clashes because the commission has not done its job.

Philip Gyunka said that it appeared the commission does not want to hurt some communities.

“I want to advise here that whatever you think can solve the problem, please try and do it.”

Alasoadura, however, explained that the Boundary Commission cannot do anything without the cooperation of the states.

States, he said, should also establish their own boundary commissions so that they can work directly with the NBC.

Source: The Nation.

Angry Bishop Kukah Describes Nigeria As Most Dangerous Country To Live In

Editorial staff

May 3, 2019

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said that Nigeria is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to live even as he lamented that quacks have taken over every institution in the country, including the country’s political space.

The cleric, who spoke at the National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), said that the quest to achieve a united Nigeria, devoid of rationalization and fictionalization, will only be an illusion.

“The quest for national cohesion remains an illusion and the result, therefore, is that marketing Nigeria becomes an act of frustration. In part because too many issues have still not been resolved. Tragically as the population has increased we have not been able to craft a narrative.

“Is there any institution in Nigeria that has not been taken over by quacks, including our politics?

“There is no institution you can blame in this country, everywhere. That is why it is even so dangerous and so important to think about how to advertise Nigeria. I mean, where do you start?

“I think that the problems in Nigeria have very little to do with the things that we ascribe, but is everything to do with our inability, sheer incapacity to manage diversity. Managing diversity is a science.

“If we do not have a sense of direction and purpose; a nation that does not have a clarity of vision as to where it is going, and what the tools that are required.

“When you live in a country like Nigeria, where people are safer with their nephews, cousins, brothers, sisters, as special assistants, personal assistants, then we are in trouble.

“How we manage diversity in Nigeria then becomes an issue.”

Continuing, he said, “The question then is if you want to market Nigeria, where do you start from. We are practising politics of a very poor quality.

“Our politics have become so regionalised, fractionalised. Whenever I look at the map of the last elections, I do not feel proud as a Nigerian. That you will have an election where very clearly, the country is divided into two and the lines are precise.

“If this is the kind of country that we have, how do we develop the capacity to manage diversity. When a president is travelling, the governors are struggling to go with him.

“And yet in reality, for those journeys, like when the president is going to China, there must be an academic expert who understands China, who should be able to brief the President.

“This is the only country where the only experts are those manufactured by those in power. Does it not surprise you? The country has become averse to expertise, to intellectual contribution.

“The incredible capacity of our people is in suspended animation. It is really frightening what is happening in Nigeria. With the kidnapping in Katsina yesterday, there are no more sacred spaces in the country.

“it is a mortal sin and a massive scared on Nigeria’s face the millions of young people who are moving around and have turned to crime. It is totally unacceptable that we would live with so much and so many of our people are objects of humiliation around the world.”

Kano Gov, Ganduje, Goes Haywire, Sacks 33 Permanent Secretaries

Editorial staff

May 3, 2019

Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has relieved all permanent secretaries of their appointment with immediate effect.

The Spokesman of the Head of Service, Mustapha Ibrahim Fagge, in a statement signed by his principal, Auwal Naiya, said that the state has 33 permanent secretaries manning several ministries/agencies and parastatals.

The statement reads: “In line with the present administration’s resolve to vigorously pursue/implement the reform initiative embarked upon since its inception, and cognizant of the need to further ensure greater efficiency in service delivery, as well as reinvigorate the top echelon of the civil service , the Kano State Government has relieved all permanent secretaries of their appointment with immediate effect.”

The statement also directed all the affected permanent secretaries to handover to the most senior directors in their respective ministries and parastatals, saying: “accordingly, they are to handover to the most senior director in their ministries and parastatals on or before Wednesday May 8, 2019 and they are to report to the office of the Head of Service for reassignment.

“In the same vein, all substantive directors on grade level 16 or 17, as well as the permanent secretaries relieved who are interested can apply for the position of permanent secretary in the state civil service, and should submit their application along with their curriculum vitae and notification of last promotion or appointment to this office on or before Thursday May 9, 2019.”

CBN Intervenes In Retail SMIS With $271.83 Million, CNY41.14 Million

Editorial staff

May 3, 2019

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has, again, made interventions in the Retail Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS) of the Foreign Exchange market totaling $271.83million and CNY41.14million.

The Director, Corporate Communications at the Bank, Isaac Okorafor confirmed today, Friday, that the sum of CNY41.14million was for payment of Renminbi-denominated Letters of Credit for agriculture as well as raw materials.

Today’s, Friday transaction was in addition to the $205 million injected into the Wholesale, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Invisibles segments of the market on Tuesday.

Okorafor expressed satisfaction with the performance and stability of the country’s economy, noting that the country would experience more growth as the Bank has placed restrictions on the purchase of forex from the Nigerian foreign exchange market for items in the textile and cotton value chain.

Meanwhile, the Naira exchanged atN360/$1 on Friday, May 3, in the Bureau De Change (BDC) segment of the market.

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