Passport renewal: Senate urges FG to use postal service for Nigerians in diaspora

 

The senate has urged the federal government to consider using postal services to send renewed national passports to Nigerians in diaspora.

The upper legislative chamber also asked the federal government to increase the number of passport renewal centres abroad.

The lawmakers made the recommendations at Wednesday’s plenary session  after considering a motion on the need to ease the difficulty in renewing passports in various countries.

Citizens living in the diaspora are required to apply for their passport renewal online and then have their photograph and biometric data captured at the nearest consulate or centre at a given date.

But they have often lamented how stressful the process is — sometimes they wait for as long as five months to get their document.

Urhoghide Aisagbonriodion, Edo south senator who sponsored the motion, said the worst-hit countries facing such challenge are the US, Canada, Italy, the UK and Austria.

“In the United States, for example, there are only four centers (one in each of four states) where Nigerians can renew their passports and they are Washington DC, Atlanta, New York and California,” he said.

“That only four centers serve the whole of the United States is enough problem in itself until we have to consider the fact that Nigerians in the remaining 46 states in the US have to travel to the centre closest to them.”

He said those who get speedy attention are mostly the ones that pay middlemen involved in the process.

“The reason given for requiring physical presence is that applicants need to be captured electronically for the new passport. This excuse is not tenable since fresh capturing should not be demanded of someone who already has his captured bio-data in the database,” he said.

“In some or all of the renewal centers, there exist middlemen who are either working with or for officials of the Nigerian embassies (who) are not Nigerians and demand for money from Nigerians to book a capture date with officials of the embassy for them.”

The lawmaker said the practice is unacceptable, and that one of the ways to address the extortion and hardship is for the embassies to start using postal service.

The senate subsequently adopted the motion and mandated its committees on interior and foreign affairs to engage relevant government agencies to consider posting the renewed passports.

The move comes two weeks after the federal government launched a temporary passport for Nigerians abroad who want to return home but whose national passport is not available.

- THECABLE

CHIEF BANDIT !!! Gumi: Bandits won’t surrender if they don’t feel safe — give them amnesty

 

Ahmad Gumi, an Islamic cleric, says if bandits are not assured of their safety and rehabilitation, they will not let go of their arms.

Gumi made the comment on Wednesday during a virtual event hosted by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies.

The meeting was organised to discuss Nigeria’s security challenges.

The cleric said he sees no reason why the government should not dialogue with the bandits who are willing to negotiate.

Gumi said: “Nobody can justify criminality, what we are saying is what we saw in the forest is an ethnic war going on between people in the forest and the neighboring villages and hamlets. When the herder felt he has grievances and nobody was listening to him, he took on weapons.

“So when we went there and they saw a listening ear, they were ready to negotiate, tell us their grievances, and ready to incorporate into the society.  So in such a case, I see no reason why we should not have a dialogue with them.

Gumi said if they are not shown that they’ll be safe when reintegrated into society, they will not give up their arms.

The cleric also reiterated that they should be given amnesty in the same vein as the Niger Delta militants.

He said: “Looking at their educational status, they don’t have any official or unofficial education. How can a nation which is serious about security leave a chunk of its society so uneducated, leave it to arms and drugs? I don’t think that society is serious. How can we disperse them, rehabilitate them because they are holding arms to protect themselves.

“If you don’t show them they’re safe in the larger society, there’s no way they can leave their weapon. And that’s why we asked for amnesty for them just like we had in the Niger Delta.

“I’m not justifying their kidnapping, what they do is crime. But their kidnapping is to get more money to buy more weapons so that they can protect themselves.”

- THECABLE

Sepp Blatter ex-FIFA president banned again

 

Sepp Blatter, FIFA president from 1998 to 2015 has received a fresh ban of six years and eight months from football.

Blatter, who is 85, received 23 million Swiss francs ($24.6 million) in “extraordinary bonuses” linked to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as well as the Confederations Cup tournament in Brazil that preceded it, FIFA’s Ethics Committee said in a statement.

Valcke, a 60-year-old Frenchman who was Blatter’s right-hand man during his 17-year reign at the head of football’s world governing body, received 30 million Swiss francs over the same period, the committee said.

The Ethics Committee said Blatter and Valcke had broken rules in FIFA’s Code of Ethics including “offering and accepting gifts or other benefits” and “abuse of position”.

Blatter’s new ban was imposed for multiple breaches of FIFA’s ethics code. The fresh ban would begin in October after his previous eight years ban from football which was reduced to six years ends.

Alongside Blatter, the former secretary-general Jerome Valcke also got six years suspension imposed by the organisation.

Both Blatter and Valcke were also fined £780,000.

- PM NEWS

Gay marriage: Nigeria’s United Methodist threatens breakup from Church’s global body

 The United Methodist Church Episcopal Area in Nigeria (UMCN) has threatened to leave the Church’s global body if it endorses same-sex marriage at its 2022 General Conference.

An official, Bishop John wesley Yohanna, spoke at a news conference on Wednesday in Jalingo, Taraba State.

The cleric reiterated the Nigerian chapter’s opposition to the ordination of gay people.

Yohanna recalled that the debate on whether the Church should accept homosexuality started in 1972.

The votes cast in 2019, he noted, favoured traditionalists who insisted homosexuality was incompatible with Christian teachings.

“If the plan succeeds conference, we will not be part of UMC that will change the language of the Book of Discipline to accommodate same-sex marriage.

“Our loyalty is with Jesus Christ”, the Bishop added.

Yohanna said the Nigerian chapter believes in traditional and evangelical Bible teachings as well as African values and ethics.

- DAILY POST

JAMB drops verdict: No NIN, no UTME for prospective candidates

 

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said no prospective candidate will sit for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) without the National Identification Number (NIN).

A statement issued by Dr. Fabian Benjamin, Head, Public Affairs and Protocol, JAMB said the Governing Board met at its meeting of 22nd March, 2021 and decided that for any person to be registered for UTME/DE, he/she must supply his/her National Identity Number (NIN).

“It is therefore mandatory for participation in the 2021 Registration Exercise. Registration will take place in 700 centres across the country. The list is available in all the state offices and JAMB’S website: www.jamb.gov.ng.” the statement said.

According to JAMB, The approved schedule for Registration and examination “are as follows
a. Registration exercise will start on Thursday, 8th April to Saturday, 15th May, 2021.

“Candidates are also to note that the registration for DE applicants would run concurrently with that of UTME candidates. There would be no extension of time for the sale of the UTME/DE application documents.

“Optional Mock will be held on Friday, 30th April, 2021 (for those ​who indicate interest and registered ​before 24th ​of April, 2021. ​The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination would hold from ​Saturday, 5th to Saturday, 19th June, 2021.”

The body added that the venue of the examination would be at any of the centres in the candidate’s chosen examination town.

It said information regarding other registration processes and requirements would be made available on the Board’s website and advertised in the electronics and print media from 5th April, 2021.

Last year, JAMB had said no candidate would sit for the UTME without NIN.

It later dropped the idea when there was a surge by candidates to obtain NIN.

- PM NEWS

$1BN arms deal allegation: Group advocates immediate probe of Nigerian army, others

 

The Nigeria Democracy Working Group has expressed deep concern on the widely circulated allegation on none procurement and supply of arms and ammunition to the Nigerian military, and has unconditionally demanded for the “immediate setting up of a committee to investigate the controversial $1 billion vote approved and released for it, which was among other things meant to facilitate the war on terror”.

Comrade Ibrahim Waiya, the convener of the group, said in a release that, “it is our adamant belief that, an allegation of this magnitude coming from a highly respected personality in the person of the National Security Adviser to the President, Major General Babagana Mungono, must not be swept under the carpet”.

He said, “this is because as a democratic nation, we should be able to set a good example to other nations, especially among the African Communities, to reflect our long self-imposed position of the “Giant of Africa” by objectively getting to the bottom of the allegation”.

Waiya noted that, “rather than waging a war on personal vendetta against the person of the National Security Adviser, it’s clear from the content of this allegation that, the matter should not be about personality or individuality, but we should rather be mindful about the corporate reputation and integrity of our country which is gradually drifting into total muddle.

“This growing degree of the culture of impunity if it is allowed to continue in our system would surely choke the practice to demand for accountability and transparency, two major best principles of democratic governance widely accepted world over,” he noted in frustration.

He added, “It is also rather unfortunate as some individuals would place themselves above the corridor of the rule of law, and refuse to recognize themselves as servants to the people, but rather choose to always behave as political dictators with total disregard to the plights of the majority, hence the need for a special panel of investigation into this matter, and this action is not only desirable but is equally necessary.

“In our proposed agenda for the advocated investigative panel or high powered committee, the terms of reference for the committee should include: Discreet probe on the actual release of the alleged funds, how much has so far been expended on the procurement of the military equipment, what was the percentage of the supply, the name of the company contracted for the supply of the arms, under which office was the contract executed, who signed the contract on behalf of the Federal Government, who received the supply of the ammunition on behalf of the Federal Government, and which year was the supply of the arms effected, and how much percentage left and what is the next expected consignment, and which quantity of the supplied arms were distributed to the military formations in Nigeria, and lastly the names of the military formations that received the arms and the ammunitions.”

The Convener hinted that, Nigerian citizens deserve an urgent response from the President Muhammadu Buhari office, by establishing a high powered committee to effect a “thorough investigation and presentation of comprehensive findings to the public regarding the procurement of the said arms.”

“This measure we believe would help Nigerian citizens to find solace on the growing anxiety they have been going through, since the beginning of the enduring controversy.

“Your Excellency, we wish to strongly draw your attention to an alleged and purported conspiracy to recycle some of the past and retired service chiefs into the mainstream of the Nigerian security architecture, even though the world has recognized their exhaustion and apparent inability to contain the increasing security challenges in the country during their tenure in office.

” This is a calculated theory of sabotage to your efforts in addressing the insecurity problems in the country, and if the evil plan succeeds, it would not only ridicule your long-established honesty and integrity as an upright leader, who stands for credibility and commitment to the general wellbeing of the country, but would as well damage the reputation of your Government in the eyes of the international community.

” It is on record that, the credibility of the people involved in this conspiracy is already in doubt and no serious person or group would want to give them another chance because of their woeful failure and the shame they had brought to this country.”

Waiya said, “It is on record that, your Government stands on the cardinal pillar against indecency and dishonesty and with the slogan of change mantra on zero tolerance for corruption in Nigeria”.

The Group, hopes that the good people of Nigeria shall receive a quick response to salvage the country from further shame and image damaging.

- DAILY NEWS

Insecurity worse under Buhari than Abacha, says Mailafia

 

Obadiah Mailafia, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), says insecurity is worse under the Buhari administration than that of Sani Abacha.

Abacha was Nigeria’s military ruler from 1993 to 1998, and his administration was notorious for political assassinations.

Mailafia made the comment in an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday.

The former CBN governor is known for making unverifiable allegations and claims.

His statement followed the attack on Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue state.

Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen had attacked Ortom last Saturday while he was on his farm, near Markudi, the state capital.

Speaking on Wednesday, Mailafia described the attack on Ortom as an attack on the people of Benue.

“This attempt on the life of an executive governor and incumbent of a state is an attempted attack on the entire people of the state. Those who are trying to do this wicked thing need to understand the implication of what they are trying to do,” he said.

“If the governor of a state cannot feel safe to go to his farm, how will the ordinary Benue people feel going to their farms? This is a very bad precedent. The circumstances in Borno are very different. Borno is a war zone, we’ve been living with these evil people for a while but what happened in Benue is totally different and diabolical. We don’t know what they are trying to do but this could affect the whole country.”

Mailafia lamented the state of security in the country, saying Abacha would not have tolerated such attacks.

He said some world powers want to destroy Nigeria by turning different parts of the country against each other.

“This is totally unprecedented. This is the worst time ever in the history of Nigeria. You can’t even compare with Abacha’s time; Abacha’s time was a golden era compare with what is happening. You think Abacha would have tolerated all these? You can’t travel on these roads, killings everywhere, destructions everywhere,” he said.

“World powers want to destroy Nigeria and what they have done is to come and meet some people and tell them, ‘You are born to rule’. There is an agenda (ex-President Olusegun) Obasanjo called Fulanisation and enforcement of one particular religion against the rest.”

- THECABLE

Militants of Fulani herdsmen behind latest massacre of 137 in Niger

 Islamic State militants allied with Fulani herdsmen were responsible for the latest massacre of 137 people in the Tahoua region of Niger Republic, reports said.

The militants targeted civilians in retaliation for killings of Fulani by self-defence militias formed by the farmers.

The killings on Sunday represented Niger’s worst civilian carnage in recent memory, surpassing an attack by suspected militants in January that killed at least 100 villagers and another last week that killed at least 58.

Flags flew at half-staff and Koranic verses played on state media on Tuesday as Niger began observing three days of national mourning for the 137 victims of coordinated raids on villages in the southwest.

The scale of the violence this year has called into question claims of progress in the fight against Islamist militants by governments in West Africa’s Sahel region and former colonial power France, which has 5,000 troops there to support them.

A security source blamed Sunday’s attacks, which were carried out by men on motorbikes in the remote Tahoua region near the border with Mali, on the local Islamic State affiliate.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for previous raids against security forces and French aid workers.

Niger only finished a period of mourning for the previous attacks on Friday.

The rising death toll appears to be the result of the Islamists inserting themselves into ethnic conflicts between rival farming and herding communities, said Harouna Abarchi, a civil society activist who leads peace initiatives in the area.

The militants, largely drawn from the Fulani herding community, have targeted civilians in retaliation for killings of Fulanis by self-defence militias formed by the farmers.

“It’s a fragile zone that has seen inter-communal conflicts in the past,” Abarchi said. “They are now going after civilians, which … could set the zone on fire.”

The security crisis will land at the feet of President-elect Mohamed Bazoum, who takes office next week, succeeding Mahamadou Issoufou.

Abou Oumarou, a retired colonel and former regional governor, said the repeated attacks raised questions about the military’s response.

“How is it that 200 people can move around on motorcycles and no one is aware?” he said.

“These forces need to surround these zones so that we know when there is a massive movement.”

The government said it is investigating the attacks.

Source: Reuters

IPOB will support Yoruba group’s one million man march – Nnamdi Kanu

 

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has pledged to support the one million man march planned by Ilana Omo Oodua.

Ilana Omo Oodua is the umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups within and outside Nigeria.

Kanu pledged his support in a tweet on Wednesday stating that IPOB would stand with all oppressed ethnic groups in Nigeria.

“As the brave men & women of #Oduduwa plan this historic “one million man march across Southwest”, I want to assure all & sundry that #IPOB stand with you & all oppressed ethnic groups in #Nigeria in this brave step & I implore all that desire freedom to support it. #WeMove,” he said.

The umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, on Monday, revealed plans to hold a one-million march rally in the South-West states.

However, it postponed the rally, previously scheduled for Wednesday, due to the need to have consultations with all Yoruba socio-cultural and self-determination groups on Saturday.

The statement read: “Ilana Omo Oodua postpones Pro-Yoruba Nation’s One Million March. The much-awaited one million march being organised across the Yoruba speaking states has been postponed until further notice.

“The rally is being planned to hold in the cities of Ikeja, Ibadan, Akure, Ado-Ekiti, Osogbo, Abeokuta, Kabba and Offa in Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, Akure, Ado-Ekiti, Osun, Ogun, Kogi, and Kwara states respectively on Wednesday, 24 March to drum up support for the actualisation of the sovereignty of Yoruba Nation.

“We have a meeting with all Yoruba socio-cultural and self-determination groups slated for Saturday, March 27. After the meeting, we shall announce a new date for the One Million March, but it is possible next week. Thus, we put all the seats of power in Yoruba land on notice.”

- PM NEWS

Police accuses Labour of arranging own Chairman’s kidnap, threatens clampdown over planned protest

 

The Police Command in Cross River State has threatened to deal ruthlessly with the organized labour if they embark on its planned protest over the kidnap of their Chairman, Comrade Ben Ukpekpi.

In a press statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Irene Ugbo, titled “PLANNED PROTEST BY THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC), CROSS RIVER STATE CHAPTER”, the command said it is aware of the ‘unscrupulous plans.’

“Cross River State Police Command is aware of the unscrupulous plans by unguarded individuals to ignite the state’s fragile secured environment on the pretext of an arranged kidnap of the State NLC Chairman.

“The command while working earnestly to rescue the victim will not tolerate any distraction by these people who are likely to be fingered in committing this act to set the State ablaze to cover up their track.

“Any gathering based on this incident will not be taken lightly and there will be total clampdown on the organizers. All good citizens are warned to go about their lawful businesses while we do all it takes to rescue the victim unhurt please,” the police added.

- DAILY POST

Reps to FG: Sanction Shell, Agip for violating Nigeria’s environmental laws

 

The house of representatives has asked the federal government to sanction Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) for allegedly violating Nigeria’s environmental laws.

The green chamber made the demand at Tuesday’s plenary session after considering a motion sponsored by 15 lawmakers.

Henry Nwawuba, the lead sponsor, said environmental pollution in the Niger Delta is caused by poor production practices and inadequate maintenance of oil infrastructure.

He alleged that the two oil companies have failed to clean up areas affected by oil spills and have also refused to pay compensation to the affected families.

“The house is concerned that both Shell Petroleum Company (SPDC) and Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) have failed to clean up affected areas and compensate the affected families, neither have they repaired damages caused by fire outbreaks arising from the spills dispersed by flood which destroyed other sources of livelihood in the region,” the motion read.

Nwawuba further said activities of the companies have brought untold hardship to the Niger Delta communities which rely on farm produce and fishing for survival.

He noted that the residents are overstressed by the “conflicting involvements of the International oil companies and their operating agents in Ogoni land in the extraction of oil and gas.”

According to the lawmaker, this has “resulted in overlapping damage to the environment, coupled with a growing level of agitation, unemployment, and poor infrastructural development in the communities.”

The motion was subsequently adopted when it was put to a voice vote by Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house.

The house mandated its committees on environment and host communities to liaise with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), and the oil companies to assess the damage in the affected communities.

- THECABLE

Emefiele: Bandits, terrorists, herdsmen cause of Nigeria’s inflation

 

Mr Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has attributed the country’s rising inflation to worsening insecurity, caused by bandits, terrorists and armed herdsmen.

Emefiele stated this on Tuesday while presenting the communique from the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting which started on Monday.

Emefiele explained that the inflation, which has increased for the 18th consecutive month, was exacerbated by food inflation.

He said that insecurity in many food producing areas of the country was a major contributing factor.

“The MPC noted with concern the continued uptick in inflationary pressure for the 18th consecutive month as headline inflation continued on an upward to 17.33 per cent at the end of February 2021 from 16.47 per cent in January 2021.

“This increase continues to be attributed to both food and other core components of inflation.

“This specific uptick in food inflation was the major driving factor for the uptick in headline inflation.

“This was due to the worsening security situation in many parts of the country, particularly the food producing areas where farmers faced frequent attacks by herdsmen and bandits in their farms,’’ he said.

The apex bank’s governor said that while the bank was making significant intervention in the agricultural sector, the rising insecurity was limiting expected outcomes in terms of supply to the markets.

He added that the situation was a major contributory factor to the rise in food prices.

Emefiele urged the Federal Government to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to urgently address the challenge of insecurity across the country.

He said that the inflationary trend was also worsened by the hike in the pump price of petrol, the upward adjustment of electricity tariff as well as depreciation in the value of the Naira.

He, however, commended CBN’s various interventions to boost food security through its various agriculture programmes.

- PM NEWS

100 New Nigerian Newspapers staff died awaiting salary – Union

 

About 100 retired and serving workers of New Nigerian Newspapers have died awaiting their entitlements from owners of the company, 19 Northern States Governors.

The shocking revelation was made by Joint Union Chairman of the company on Tuesday in Kaduna, Comrade Friday Idoko shortly after the staff congress calling on the Northern Governors to expedite action on the sales of the company’s property to offset workers’ entitlements and other liabilities.

Idoko expressed concern that there was slow pace in the bidding process, stressing that it should have been concluded and workers’ dues paid long ago.

According to him, owners of the Newspaper had been foot-dragging on the issue of paying the staff their entitlements leading to the immeasurable hardship on the workers.

He lamented that many staff had been evicted by their landlords, their children sent out from schools while several others had died due to heart related ailments, attributing the problems to financial bottlenecks experienced due to lack of salaries.

He observed, “From 2012 till date, we have lost not fewer than 100 of our members awaiting these governors to pay their accumulated salaries and other accrued benefits that would have made life worth living and probably saved them from death.

“Our staff have been active and committed to their duties to ensure our publications come out daily online to ensure sustainability of one of Sardauna’s legacies.

“But unfortunately, despite huge sacrifice by these workers, particularly the editorial staff who go about overstretching their limits to source for stories for publication, the process that would have seen their accumulated process paid have been put on hold.

“I must point out that their patience is fast running out, their perseverance exhausted and their sense of commitments to peace and harmony tested.

“It is in this low spirits that we have converged here today, both serving and retired staff from September 2006 till date, who have worked for the Northern Governors to express our displeasure over snail speed of bidding and sales process of property owned by the company to pay us our entitlements.

“We the union Excos on our part have been calming the nerves of our members, urging them to exercise restraints, patience and perseverance as they await their unpaid salaries from their employers.

“There is limit to how you can prevail on an individual to reason with you, particularly when you have been telling him same story everyday with no positive results in sight.

“All we are collectively asking from these governors is to resume the suspended process to sell these properties of the company, several of such assets are lying fallow and encroached upon.

“They should do the needful by utilizing this opportunity so that their names will be written in gold and be recorded on good side of history as leaders whose tenures put smiles on faces of long-suffering workers of New Nigerian.”

They noted that addressing the issue of insecurity begins from paying workers their dues to avoid tempting them into crime and anti-social activities, which would not augur well for the society.

- DAILY POST

UNICEF: 26.5m Nigerian children don’t have enough water to meet daily needs

 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says no fewer than 26.5 million Nigerian children do not have enough water to meet their daily needs.

In a statement to mark the 2021 World Water Day, UNICEF said over 1.42 billion people, including 450 million children, live in regions of high water vulnerability globally.

Peter Hawkins, Nigeria representative, UNICEF, said the communities living in these regions rely on surface water, water collection of more than 30 minutes, and unimproved sources of water.

“The world’s water crisis is not coming – it is here, and children are its biggest victims,” he said.

“When wells dry up, children are the ones missing school to fetch water. When droughts diminish food supplies, children suffer from malnutrition and stunting.

“When floods hit, children fall ill from waterborne illnesses. And when water is not available in Nigerian communities, children cannot wash their hands to fight off diseases.”

According to UNICEF statistics, children in over 80 countries live in areas of poor water sources but Eastern and Southern Africa have the highest proportion.

The data shows that West and Central Africa have 31 percent, South Asia has 25 percent, and the Middle East has 23 percent.

Hawkins said more work needs to be done to enable Nigerians have access to adequate and hygienic water.

He said: “The problem is compounded by poor drinking water quality and lack of equity in access. Although about 70 percent of Nigerians are reported to have access to basic water services, more than half of these water sources are contaminated.

“And although 73 percent of the country’s population have access to a water source, only nine litres of water on average is available to a Nigerian daily.

“At the current rate, the country will miss the SDG targets on people’s access to water, unless there are a strong commitment and appropriate action taken by all stakeholders.

“We have to act now both to address the water crisis in Nigeria to prevent it from getting worse and if we want to meet the SDGs.

“We can only achieve water security for every Nigerian, including the Nigerian child through innovation, investment and collaboration, and by ensuring services are sustainable and well-managed, We must act for the sake of our children and our planet.”

- THECABLE