Abike pretty
posted a thread.
Forest reserves: Ondo monarchs back Akeredolu, tackle presidency
The Ondo State Council of Obas has called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to caution his aides who comment on the issue of security of the country.
The traditional rulers who reacted over the comments made by some aides of the President on the order of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, ejecting the herdsmen from all the forest reserves in the state, said the order was not to chase out the Fulani ethnic group in the state but to save the state from the activities of the bandits and criminals.
This was contained in a communique issued at the end of meeting of the obas in Akure, the state capital, on Thursday.
The communique was read by a former chairman of the council and Olukare of Ikareland, Oba Akadiri Momoh.
According to the monarchs, the Fulanis, just like any other ethnic group in the country, are free to live and conduct their legitimate businesses anywhere in Ondo State.
The traditional rulers, who declared support for Governor Akeredolu’s directive on herdsmen to vacate government reserves within seven days, said the herdsmen must respect the private property rights of the people.
The monarchs said, “We are calling on President Buhari to show to the world that he is a father of all irrespective of ethnic affiliation as well as caution his aides to exercise restraints on issues that borders on insecurity in the country.”
The obas in the communique urged “the governors in the South-West region, the South-West caucus in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to use constitutional means to stop the rampaging criminals masquerading as herdsmen across the region.”
They also condemned an alleged deliberate attempt by some persons to twist the “governor’s clear directive in respect of government reserves that the Fulanis had been asked to leave our state.”
“It is to be noted that even the indigenes of Ondo State do not have a right to use the forest reserves without due authorisation,” they stressed.
By Peter Dada, Akure
Source:https://punchng.com/forest-reserves-ondo-monarchs-back-akeredolu-tackle-presidency/
Like
Be the first person to like this.
Abike pretty
posted a blog.
17 hours ago
14 views
The recent decision of the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to close the state forest reserves to herdsmen’s activities because of the worsening security situation in the Sunshine State has curiously attracted a prompt combative reaction from Mallam Garba Shehu.
The security challenges foisted on the people of Ondo State are centered on regular vices such as kidnapping for huge ransom, banditry, killing of notable citizens and rape of women – all of which have been linked to armed Fulani herdsmen.
These atrocities have got to the crescendo before Governor Akeredolu took the right, albeit overdue decision to close the forest reserves of Ondo State to pastoralists’ activities. It should be emphasised therefore that the inalienable right of Governor Akeredolu to close the forest reserve was very much within the powers conferred on him as the Chief Security Officer of Ondo State.
Moreso, the state government has also mandated herders that still wish to continue with their cattle rearing business to register with appropriate authorities within a seven-day window or risk evacuation from the Sunshine state. The government order has also outlawed night grazing with an immediate effect in a bid to stop the herders from continuing with their incessant and unconscionable unleashing of their cattle to feed on hectares of farmlands during the night. After all, an unusual sickness will sure require an unusual cure.
Meanwhile, Governor Akeredolu also unambiguously cited how the activities of armed herders have long been threatening the peace and security architecture of Ondo State. The state government has also done the right thing with the immediate ban of underage grazing of cattle as well as the movement of cattle within the cities and highways of Ondo State. These decisions were geared towards checkmating the criminal activities of bad elements amongst the herders domicile in the state.
Undoubtedly, security reports at the governor's disposal have revealed that bad elements amongst the armed Fulani herders have turned Ondo State forest reserves into hideouts where they keep their kidnapped victims, negotiate for ransoms and equally carry out other nefarious criminal activities.
It was simply natural for Akeredolu to have acted in the best interests of the Ondo people by ordering the immediate closure of the state's forest reserves.
Some of the disturbing criminal activities of the Fulani herders which necessitated the closure of Ondo forest reserves include; the gruesome murder of Mrs. Olufunke Olakunri, the daughter of Afenifere chieftain, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, who was shot and killed by suspected herdsmen along Ore road while going back to Lagos after she had visited had to father in Akure.
Others were the cold-blooded murder of the paramount ruler of the Ifon Kingdom, Oba Adegoke Adeusi while returning from a meeting of Council of Obas in Akure as well as the killing of the Deputy Registrar of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Dr. Amos Arijesuyo.
Also, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae had once been kidnapped on his farm in Akure by the same armed herders and made to pay a ransom of N5 million before he could eventually regain his freedom.
These high-profile cases, in addition to lots of other under-reported and unreported ones, were being committed daily by bad elements amongst the Fulani herders in Ondo State as well as other South-West states.
Disturbingly, instead of empathising with Akeredolu and his long traumatised people, the Presidency’s emperor, Garba Shehu, had carelessly chosen to hold brief for the Fulani herders. Truly, the challenges plaguing Nigeria may have been fixed even before now, if the presidency had attached much importance to these issues as it would readily give deserved attention to matters that concern Fulani herders.
We were all witnesses when Lagos and some northern states gathered and returned hundreds of 'Alimajiri' to their states of origin on the ground of health reasons and environmental nuisance.
The Presidency never raised any constitutional concern on the matter till day. Garba Shehu may have to tell the nation and indeed the international community if an elected state governor no longer has the powers to take crucial and timely decisions that will save his people from further harm and deaths.
The urgency and zealous commitment with which Garba Shehu replied Governor Akeredolu suggested that the Presidency was more interested in the economic interests of Fulani herders rather than that of Ondo State people. These are people that have been getting kidnapped for a huge ransom, brutally killed, and their women raped and infected with different diseases by the same bad elements amongst the Fulani herders daily.
One would have expected the Presidency to spare constructive thoughts on why the Fulani herdsmen would turn out the troubler of Ondo State people.
Garba Shehu will also need to explain to the nation if the Ondo State Government can no longer make important decisions on her forest reserves assets. He also owes the nation an explanation if the right of Nigerians to live anywhere is absolute in the face of unmitigated daily threats to the lives and properties of the Ondo State people.
The Presidency, through Garba Shehu, had argued, “Insecurity is not alien to any group, the language they speak, their geographical location or their faith.” The argument canvassed by the presidency may be valid though, however, it is not absolute in the case of the nightmarish security situation in Ondo State.
It has been established over time through security reports and statements of ransom paid kidnapped victims that armed Fulani herders were responsible for the crimes of kidnap, killing, and rape of women on expressways in Ondo State.
Perhaps, one would have expected the presidency to immediately offer to summon the national leadership of Miyetti Allah and that of the Ondo State chapter to an urgent meeting in Abuja. One would have equally expected the presidency to extract commitment of action from MACBAN leadership and task them to save their image by fishing out the bad eggs amongst them.
Instead of identifying with the plight of Governor Akeredolu and indeed of the Ondo people, Garba Shehu sat in the luxurious comfort of his Aso Rock office and insensitively condemned the seven-day eviction ultimatum given to unregistered herders by the Akeredolu.
Going by the endless and almost instant defense of Fulani herders by the presidency, this posture is very likely to encourage more of the pastoralists to take into crime. It is common knowledge that the act of quick denial of a child's misdemeanor by the parents is bound to encourage such child to progress in the path of ignobility.
However, anyone that unconsciously breeds monsters may end up living a life devoid of conscious peace. After all, the eastern wind will not blow anyone any good.
BY OLUYEMI FASIPE
SOURCE;http://saharareporters.com/2021/01/21/nigerian-presidency%E2%80%99s-subtle-defence-herders-crimes-oluyemi-fasipe
Abike pretty
posted a thread.
Booking system malfunctions as crowds return for NIN enrolment
•Stakeholders seek deadline extension, warn of the economic implication
The booking system introduced by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to hasten National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment across its offices and centres nationwide seems not to be working, or is rather very slow, as Nigerians in their droves troop out for the exercise.
Besides, some applicants have expressed grievances over the development, claiming that the dates handed them fell into March, April, and beyond.
Consequently, they are worried about what becomes of their fate with 18 days to the February 9 deadline.
The NIMC, on December 30, 2020, said all NIN applicants would be attended via a “Booking System.”
The move was to decongest enrolment centres and ensure compliance with safety measures following the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Already, the telecoms operators have collected and subsequently transferred 47.8 million NINs to NIMC for verification.
Some subscribers, who spoke to The Guardian yesterday, said the booking system was malfunctioning, fearing that they might not be attended to, even after the February deadline.
At the Alausa, Ikeja NIMC office, while the enrolment continued, huge numbers of applicants were spotted outside, with some claiming to have been at the centre as early as 4:00 a.m., yet not attended to.
Olaoluwa Sobowale, a nursing mother, said she got to Ikeja around 5:30 a.m., “and this is 12noon, no one is concerned about us. Some people have been here since 4:00 a.m.”
Asked why she didn’t explore the booking system, Sobowale said she tried, but did not make any headway. “I have tried that for like two times, but on each occasion, the site is always rolling. I had to come here, she said.”
Another applicant, Chinedu Opara said he actually got booked, “but I have been asked to come February 28. Deadline is February 9, how do we explain that? That is the reason I am here.”
The same complaints were seen on social media. A Twitter user, @TAlabama, wrote: “After successfully booking, I was asked to come by March 5. Now, I don’t understand this system again.”
In response to an earlier tweet on the registration, an applicant with the handle @funm_e_Martins, stated: “We are still here o! They said they only have one computer to do the registration and that people who have written down their names for registration are so much that it will take them till April to complete their registration.”
Efforts to get NIMC spokesperson, Kayode Adegoke, for comments were abortive, as he did not reply to the chat send to him.
Meanwhile, the President of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers of Nigeria (NATCOMS), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, has appealed to the Federal Government to consider the implication of blocking SIM cards to the economy.
He argued that the effect of the novel coronavirus and the accompanying lockdown, last year, had forced people to abide by the new normal, where virtually everything is now being via mobile.
According to him, the deadline should be extended to June 30.
In a related development, the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said it had received a formal confirmation from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on the February 9 ultimatum.
In a statement signed by its Chairman and Publicity Secretary, Gbenga Adebayo and Damian Udeh, the group thanked the Nigerian leader for the decision.
By Adeyemi Adepetun
Source:https://guardian.ng/news/booking-system-malfunctions-as-crowds-return-for-nin-enrolment/
Abike pretty
posted a thread.
21 million subscribers still without NINs, say telcos
A total of about 143 million Subscriber Identification Modules are now identifiable to the National Identity Management Commission for registration with their respective National Identity Numbers, telecommunications operators said on Wednesday.
Mobile operators also explained that the number of subscribers without NINs was about 21 million, as the deadline for the registration of SIMs with valid NINs draws near.
Speaking on behalf of the firms, the Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, told our correspondent that the number of NINs submitted by the telecoms sector to NIMC was for about 143 million SIMs.
The Federal Government through the Nigerian Communications Commission had announced on Tuesday that so far a total of 47.8 million NINs had been collected by the mobile operators.
“At an average of three to four SIMs per subscriber, this means many millions will be linked up before the deadline in February 2021,” the government had stated.
Providing further explanation on the figure released by the government, Adebayo said, “We collected 47.8 million NINs at an average of three to four SIM cards per person or enrollee.
“So, on a further average we have about 3.5 SIMs per person and when multiplied by 47.8 million, that is about 167 million. Now if we take a lower rate, say an average of three SIM cards per person, it is about 143 million SIM cards.”
He added, “Therefore what this means is that about 143 million SIM cards now have their NINs identifiable to the NIMC. This is what the numbers look like right now.”
Asked to state the number of subscribers without NINs, Adebayo replied that the figure was around 21 million.
He said, “If we take this number (143 million SIM cards) and compare it with the 207 million subscriber records that we have, then the numbers are not looking bad.
“Because you will be looking at about 63 or 64 million SIM cards that do not have NINs. And at an average of about three SIMs per person, it then means that we have about 20 to 21 million people without NINs yet.”
Adebayo said the telcos hoped that more subscribers would be able to get their NINs, submit the identity numbers to mobile operators and have them forwarded to NIMC before the February 9, 2021 deadline.
On December 15, 2020, the Federal Government declared that after December 30, 2020, all SIMs that were not registered with valid NINs on the network of telecommunications companies would be blocked.
It later extended the December 30, 2020 deadline following widespread opposition against the earlier announcement and gave three-week extension for subscribers with NIN from December 30, 2020 to January 19, 2021.
It also gave six-week extension for subscribers without NIN from December 30, 2020 to February 9, 2021.
However, many organisations have called for further deadline extension or outright suspension of the NIN registration process due to the large number of people that are yet to secure their NINs.
By Okechukwu Nnodim, Abuja
Source;https://punchng.com/21-million-subscribers-still-without-nins-say-telcos/
Abike pretty
posted a thread.
Miyetti Allah hails Presidency, says herdsmen are peaceful
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, which is the apex association of herdsmen in the country, has hailed the Presidency for wading into the controversy generated by the directive of the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, asking herdsmen to leave the state government’s forest reserves.
The Secretary-General, MACBAN, Usman Baba-Ngelzerma, told The PUNCH on Wednesday that the Presidency was right to say that herdsmen should not vacate the forest reserves in the state.
Responding to a question, he said, “Why would I want to contradict the President? He is speaking on behalf of the entire country. He is emphasising the role of the Nigerian constitution. That is all. What the Presidency said is the right thing to be done. The Presidency has emphasised the role of the constitution, no more, no less.”
Baba-Ngelzerma said herdsmen in the state had not yet received any official communication asking them to leave.
He said for now, the herders will remain where they are, adding that they have remained peaceful in their host community.
The MACBAN secretary-general said, “The herdsmen living in Ondo State have no problem. No order has been given to the leadership of the herdsmen for them to vacate. I have spoken with the chairman and so we are waiting for what the state government will say but right now they are living peacefully with their host community where they are.”
Akeredolu had on Monday issued a statement, giving herdsmen seven days to vacate all forest reserves due to the high rate of kidnapping in the state.
He had said, “Today we have taken major steps at addressing the root cause of kidnapping, in particular, and other nefarious activities detailed and documented in security reports, the press and debriefings from victims of kidnap cases in Ondo State.
“As the Chief Law and Security Officer of the State, it is my constitutional obligation to do everything lawful to protect the lives and property of all residents of the State. In light of the foregoing, the following orders are hereby issued: All Forest Reserves in the state are to be vacated by herdsmen within the next seven days with effect from today, Monday January 18, 2021.”
However, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had criticised Akeredolu’s order, insisting that it was wrong of the governor to ask the herders to vacate the state.
By Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja
Source:https://punchng.com/miyetti-allah-hails-presidency-says-herdsmen-are-peaceful/
Abike pretty
posted a thread.
Presidency’s Reaction To Ondo Ultimatum: Garba Shehu Has Taken Nigerian Govt To Barbaric Level – Afenifere
The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has accused the Nigerian government of being bias towards Fulani people and against other ethnic nationalities in the country, following the Presidency’s reaction to the seven-day ultimatum the Ondo State government recently gave to Fulani herdsmen to leave its forest reserves.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State had on Monday ordered Fulani herdsmen to vacate all forest reserves in the state within seven days.
Akeredolu also banned the movement of cattle within cities and highways, as well as night grazing, saying the directive was informed by the killings and kidnappings being perpetrated in the state by people masquerading as herdsmen and hiding in the forest reserves.
But the presidency on Tuesday condemned the seven-day ultimatum given to herdsmen by Akeredolu to vacate forest reserves, urging the governor ‘not to act outside the constitution of the country’.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, said in part, “We want to make it clear that kidnapping, banditry and rustling are crimes, no matter the motive or who is involved. But, to define crime from the nameplates, as a number of commentators have erroneously done- which group they belong to, the language they speak, their geographical location or their faith is atavistic and cruel.
“We need to delink terrorism and crimes from ethnicity, geographical origins and religion—to isolate the criminals who use this interchange of arguments to hinder law enforcement efforts as the only way to deal effectively with them.”
However, Afenifere on Wednesday lambasted the Presidency for the position it took in the matter.
A statement titled ‘Ondo Forests: Fulani Presidency Again’, by its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said the Presidency’s position only confirmed that the Muhammadu Buhari regime only represents Fulani interests against those of other ethnic nationalities in the country.
The statement read: “The intervention by what we mistakenly call the Federal Government of Nigeria on behalf of marauding Fulani in Ondo state against the lawful government in that state did not come to Afenifere as a surprise as it is in line with non-pretence by this regime that it represents only Fulani interests against those of Yoruba, Igbo, Junkun, Ijaw and other tribes in Nigeria.
“That the Federal Government and its minion, Garba Shehu, could only hear Ondo State when Governor Akeredolu was very loud and clear about herders to vacate forest reserves in the state is symptomatic that this government has a serious problem with heating the rest of us when the issue involves its anointed Fulani.
“The Fulani criminals have caused untold hardship in Ondo State and other Yoruba towns and cities in recent time and only an irresponsible government that wants to behave like our Federal Government that cares will continue to fold its arms.
“Are Ondo Forest Reserves under Ondo State Government or the Federal Government and Miyetti Allah? We agree with the Ondo State Government that the insensibility of Garba Shehu violates the corporate existence of Nigeria.
“What has this government done to assure our people that it can protect our lives with the open murders of Mrs Funke Olakunri, Olufon of Ifon and the Deputy Registrar of FUTA (Federal University of Technology, Akure), among many others? The lives of our people and other non-Fulani communities are daily being taken by local and foreign Fulani bandits without any sign that these lives matter to the government with its desire to shield the Fulani from the laws.
“Nobody would ever have believed that it would get to this irresponsible stage that the Federal Government will one day come to this barbaric level Garba Shehu has taken it and the peak of their direct salvos against Amotekun since it started. All true- born Yoruba should stand behind Governor Akeredolu in these trying times. He must do all within the law to flush Ondo forests of all criminals. Other governors should emulate their chair and free our land from the Fulani who have surrounded us with the shield of the Federal Government.
“Let them declare open war on behalf of the Fulani and our ancestors will all wake up in their graves.”
BY SAHARA REPORTERS
SOURCE;http://saharareporters.com/2021/01/20/presidency%E2%80%99s-reaction-ondo-ultimatum-garba-shehu-has-taken-nigerian-govt-barbaric-level-%E2%80%93
Abike pretty
posted a thread.
Malaria-like Symptoms Should Be Considered As COVID-19 – Sanwo-Olu
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said malaria-like symptoms should now be considered and treated as COVID-19 until proven otherwise.
The governor said this on Tuesday, while briefing newsmen at the State House, Ikeja on the COVID-19 update in the state.
He said, “In this second wave of the current pandemic, any malaria-like symptoms should be considered as COVID-19 viral infection unless and until otherwise proven either by doing a proper malaria test or a COVID test. Any infected individual with COVID-like symptoms should proceed to any of our public health facilities and/or laboratories to get tested for free.''
The governor also made mention of the importance of reopening schools despite the second wave of the pandemic.
Like other countries across Africa, Nigeria is grappling with a second wave of the novel coronavirus. As of Monday, Nigeria, the continent's most populous country of 200 million inhabitants, had 110,387 confirmed cases and 1,435 deaths.
BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK
SOURCE;http://saharareporters.com/2021/01/19/malaria-symptoms-should-be-considered-covid-19-%E2%80%93-sanwo-olu
Abike pretty
posted a thread.
INEC planning to make NIN compulsory for voter registration
• Commission plans hitch-free registration amid COVID-19 pandemic
• NIN, SIM linkage to assist in fishing out criminals, says Federal Govt
• Crowds overwhelm NIMC centres as NIN holders rise to 47.8 million
The Independent National Electoral Commission is considering making the National Identity Number a precondition for registering voters when the continuous voter registration exercise commences in a few weeks, The PUNCH has learnt.
A national commissioner at INEC disclosed this during an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday.
He said the NIN would help tackle challenges of underage voting, alien voting and other challenges associated with registration.
The national commissioner, who wished to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to speak, said a final decision would soon be reached.
The INEC official explained that the permanent voter card was only supposed to be in use for a maximum of 10 years, adding that most countries rely on a national database and not the Permanent Voter Card for voting.
He said, “The NIN is the ideal. When we want to begin the continuous voter registration, we may consider it because ordinarily, a national identity card is what should be used for voting. When the PVC was introduced, it was meant to be in use for 10 years and the assumption was that within those 10 years, the national identity card would be in use by a majority of Nigerians.
“I can tell you that the NIN will be one of the preconditions for registration when the CVR starts. We are trying to harmonise all databases.”
When contacted on the telephone, the Director, Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Nick Dazang, said he could not say for sure if the NIN would be a precondition for registration, adding that meetings were still ongoing.
He said once a final decision had been made, INEC would officially inform Nigerians.
When asked if the NIN would be made compulsory for new registrants, Dazang said, “When we reach the bridge, we will cross it. For now, we have not announced the date for the registration exercise to begin and the conditionality. When we are ready, the commission will announce the procedure for the continuous voter registration so the commission has not taken a decision in respect of that.”
The INEC director said the commission was also looking at how to ensure that the registration is done amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic.
INEC has not registered any Nigerian in over two years, a development which civil society groups have criticised.
The commission had announced in November that the registration exercise would begin in the first quarter of 2021.
Several government organisations have made the NIN a precondition for obtaining documents.
The Nigeria Immigration Service had in 2019 made the NIN a precondition for obtaining a passport while the National Examination Council and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board said recently that only persons with their NINs would be eligible to sit for exams.
The Federal Road Safety Commission also said recently that persons applying for driving licences must possess their NINs.
The demand for the NINs by government agencies has forced thousands of Nigerians to gather at enrolment centres of the National Identity Management Commission in flagrant disregard of COVID-19 protocols.
NIN, SIM linkage will assist in fishing out criminals – FG
Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Tuesday said the linking of NINs to subscribers identification modules would assist it in fishing out criminals.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, said this in a statement issued in Abuja by the Director Public, Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission, Ikechukwu Adinde.
According to the statement, the number of Nigerians, who have collected NINs, has increased to 47.8 million.
Pantami advised Nigerians to protect their NINs, adding that subscribers should not sell their NINs or allow others to use them for registration.
“For any action committed with the SIM good or bad it will be officially traced and attached to the NIN owner,” the minister warned.
The statement further stated that at the end of a review meeting on Tuesday, the Technical Implementation Committee under the Ministerial Task Force reported significant progress in the NIN-SIM linkage.
The NCC stated, “So far, a total of 47.8 million NINs have been collected by the mobile operators. At an average of three to four SIMs per subscriber, this means many millions will be linked up before the deadline in February 2021.”
On December 15, 2020, the Federal Government said after December 30, 2020, all SIMs that were not registered with valid NINs on the network of telecommunications companies would be blocked.
It later extended the December 30, 2020 deadline following widespread opposition against the earlier announcement. It gave three weeks extension for subscribers with NINs from December 30, 2020 to January 19, 2021.
It also gave six weeks extension for subscribers without NINs from December 30, 2020 to February 9, 2021, but many organisations had called for further deadline extension or outright suspension of the NIN registration process due to the large crowds who had yet to have their NINs.
Reacting to the report of the committee, the minister on Tuesday expressed satisfaction with the achievement.
He also expressed the Federal Government’s appreciation for the commitment demonstrated by all stakeholders and citizens and urged them to submit their NINs before the February 9, 2021 deadline.
Crowds overwhelm NIMC centres
In a related development, despite the assurance by telecommunication firms that telephone lines that were not linked to NINs would not be deactivated on Wednesday, many Nigerians still thronged the NIMC registration centres on Tuesday.
In Abuja, it was observed that most NIMC centres recorded large turnout of residents as Nigerians struggled to get their NINs before the February 9, 2021 deadline.
Two of such centres, which witnessed huge number of people, who wanted to register as of the time one of our correspondents visited were the one on the premises of the Nigeria Customs Service, Karu and the one at Kenuj School, Jikwoyi.
Those, who spoke to The PUNCH at the two centres expressed frustration at what they called the slow pace of registration.
“I have been here since 5am to pick a number. Up till now, it is not yet my turn to be registered,” a student, Yusuf Garba, told The PUNCH at 11am at one of the centres.
Another student, Esther Davies, had a more pathetic story to tell. He stated, “I came in here with my brothers at 5.30am. Our dad drove us here and left for work. Since 5.30am, it was just around 10am that we were told we could not be registered today.
“They told us to come back on Friday and that we should endeavour to come very early and see if we may be lucky that day,” he said.
Another prospective registrant, who identified himself as Abubakar, said he had earlier tried his luck with centres in the city centre with the hope that those ones would not be crowded.
“I thought the centres in town will not be crowded, but I was wrong. I have been going from Mararaba to city centre centre since last week without luck. That’s why I decided to try this place too,” he said.
Also, residents who gathered at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, Kubwa, complained that the registration at the location was slow.
“This whole thing is not moving as planned and it is better for the government to extend the deadline because a lot of people have not obtained their NINs,” one of the residents at the PSIN centre, Stanley Okoroduru, said.
In Rivers State, applicants, who besieged the NIMC office in Port Harcourt, said the process was frustrating.
An applicant, who identified himself as Otukupe, said more centres should be created. “If you go in there now, they have only seven computers. So let them open more centres. You can see the crowd here,” he stated.
In Sokoto State, some residents returned home when they heard that telephone lines without NINs would not be deactivated on Wednesday.
One of them, Sule Nasiru, who spoke to one of our correspondents, said, “I can now return to my tailoring business and come back at a more convenient time, after the crowd has reduced. I have been locking up my shop in the last three days just to meet up with the NIN registration.”
In Kwara State, applicants from other parts of the state, went to the NIMC centres in Ilorin, the state capital.
One of them, Alhaji Isa Olofe, said that he came with many people from Otte in the Asa Local Government Area of the state.
He said that he was disappointed that they could not register
Borno State residents also besieged the registration centres in Maiduguri. A displaced person in Kukawa, Mohammed Adamuid, said registration centres in other local government areas were not functioning.
In Gombe State, residents, who mistakenly believed that telephone lines would be deactivated on Wednesday (today) thronged the NIMC centres as early as 4am on Tuesday.
A resident, Adams Useni, said he was one of those who got the centre early.
Useni said, “As early as 4:30am, I had got to the secretariat waiting to be attended to, but the staff didn’t resume early. I was able to get a number with the hope of being attended to today (Tuesday.)”
In the race to meet up with the deadline for the NIN, many residents besieged Alausa, the Lagos office of the NIMC.
The PUNCH gathered that workers at the Lagos centre were overwhelmed with the crowd, many of whom were made to wait at the gate.
An official at the centre, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the closing date for the registration was not realistic based on the number of people yet to be registered.
“There are diplomats and envoys who have not even registered. They are not coming out because of COVID-19. We attended to one of them from the UK on Friday and she was complaining that we made her wait for over seven hours. She was lamenting how the government would insist that people register at a time when there is COVID-19. Some of us were just staring at her because seven hours is nothing compared to those who come as early as 5am.
“Today, we attended to a lot of people. On the average, we register 400 people daily. The local government centres are overwhelmed because Lagos civil servants who should assist them are not around because the government said they should work from home,” the source said
Uncertainty over status of diplomats’ registration centre
There was also uncertainty over the status of the national identity card registration centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has now been designated for registration of foreign diplomats.
The registration centre at the Tafawa Balewa building, Abuja, was earmarked for registration of envoys by the Federal Government last week.
Findings by one of our correspondents on Tuesday, indicated that the centre was still catering only to the foreign affair ministry staff and their families while diplomats had yet to visit the office for the registration exercise.
A senior official said, “The designation of the NIN registration centre at the ministry of foreign affairs is just a proposal; it has not been implemented. The registration centre is a small office and it has been registering the staff for years. Nothing has been added to it.
“I was there on Monday to register the family members of a colleague and the place has not been expanded to accommodate the number of envoys that may come for the registration exercise.”
The PUNCH could not confirm if the facility would be designated for diplomats only or expanded to register both diplomats and ministry officials and their family members.
When asked about the status of the centre, the ministry’s spokesman, Ferdinand Nwonye, said he did not have any information on it. ,,
By Olalekan Adetayo, Eniola Akinkuotu, Adelani Adepegba, Okechukwu Nnodim, Samson Folarin, Tunde Oyekola, Dogara Bitrus, Dennis Naku, Chima Azubuike and Adeniyi Olugbemi
Source:https://punchng.com/inec-planning-to-make-nin-compulsory-for-voter-registration/
Abike pretty
posted a thread.
NIN: Prepare for consequences, NIMC threatens unregistered Nigerians
The National Identity Management Commission says Nigerians who have not registered and obtained their National Identity Numbers should be ready to face the consequences.
NIMC stated this in a tweet on Tuesday.
“By order of the Federal Government, today is given as the last chance to register your NIMC or face the wrath of what comes next,” NIMC tweeted.
On December 15, 2020, the Federal Government declared that after December 30, 2020, all SIMs that were not registered with valid NINs on the network of telecommunications companies would be blocked.
It later extended the December 30, 2020 deadline following widespread opposition against the earlier announcement and gave three weeks’ extension for subscribers with NIN from December 30, 2020, to January 19, 2021.
It also gave six weeks’ extension for subscribers without NIN from December 30, 2020, to February 9, 2021, but many organisations have called for a further deadline extension or outright suspension of the NIN registration process due to the large crowds who had yet to have their NINs.
Although the NIMC refused to speak on the matter after several calls and messages were sent to senior officials of the commission on the subject, operators in the telecommunications sector told The PUNCH on Monday that about 43 million NINs had been submitted to the agency for verification
About 43 million National Identity Numbers have been submitted by telecommunication companies to the National Identity Management Commission for verification in order to have them registered with their respective Subscriber Identification Modules.
The Nigeria Immigration Service had in 2019 made NIN a prerequisite for obtaining passports while recently, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and the National Examinations Council made it compulsory for intending candidates.
This has caused several persons to gather at NIMC enrolment centres in disregard of COVID-19 protocols.
By Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja
Source:https://punchng.com/nin-prepare-for-consequences-nimc-threatens-unregistered-nigerians/
Abike pretty
posted a thread.
Director demoted by Magu emerges as head of EFCC Academy
A Director with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ayo Olowonihi, has been appointed as the Commandant of the EFCC Academy, the EFCC has said.
Olowonihi, who was on Grade Level 17 was suspended by the then acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, in 2015, and demoted to Grade 16 in 2017.
The aggrieved director subsequently instituted a case against the EFCC before the National Industrial Court.
According to court documents, Olowonihi said Magu had on November 19, 2015, summoned him to his office accusing him of being behind some damning online publications on the activities of the commission and against the person of the chairman.
He said on Magu’s directive, he was interrogated, his official computer taken away, while he two phones were seized, adding that his office, after being thoroughly searched by a team of detectives and policemen, was sealed.
The plaintiff further stated that while interrogation was still on, Magu demoted him as commandant and redeployed him.
Olowonihi said while the letter was purported to have been issued by the management of the commission, he was not aware of any management meeting where such a decision was taken being a management staff.
The EFCC director won his case in court on February 26, 2019, but the EFCC under the leadership of Magu, filed an appeal.
The Court of Appeal in August 2020 affirmed the ruling of the lower court, but by then, Magu had been suspended indefinitely by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)
On Monday, the EFCC said in a statement by its spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, that Olowonihi had been appointed as the head of the EFCC Academy.
A statement, titled, ‘Olowonihi Takes Over at EFCC Academy’, read in part, “The acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mohammed Abba, has appointed Detective Commander Ayo Olowonihi as Commandant, EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja. Olowonihi takes over from Itam Obono, a Deputy Commissioner of Police.
“The appointment, which is with immediate effect, was consummated with a hand-over ceremony today, Monday, January 18, 2021, attended by both Olowonihi and Obono, with heads of departments and units of the academy in attendance.”
Meanwhile, The PUNCH learnt that the new EFCC leadership had reversed several of Magu’s appointments, while those close to the sacked EFCC boss had remained on suspension for the last six months pending the decision of the President on the report of the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel.
By Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja
Source;https://punchng.com/director-demoted-by-magu-emerges-as-head-of-efcc-academy/