₦airaland Forum

There has always been mass misappropriation of PFs. I hope this one is evenly distributed

By Agency Report
The National Assembly Joint Committee
on Police Affairs has approved the 2021
budget of N74 billion for the Nigeria
Police Trust Fund (NPTF).

The Executive Secretary of NPTF,
Ahmad Sokoto, disclosed this on
Wednesday in Abuja after a closed-door
meeting with the National Assembly
Joint Committee on Police Affairs.
According to him, the N74 billion budget
captured all the demands of the fund
which include training and retraining of
personnel of the Nigeria Police Force .

He said the budget would ensure
procurement of the state of the art
equipment for the police, assuring that
the equipment would enhance the skills
of the police personnel.

“I am assuring you that the Police Trust
Fund will leave no stone unturned in
carrying out our assigned
responsibilities for better policing of
Nigeria,” he said.
( NAN )
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/462701-nass-approves-n74-billion-budget-for-police-trust-fund.html

BlueMann:
Which obvious? Lampard had no vision, no passing, no ball progression and wasn't gifted at deadballs?

Come on now sir.

he scored loads of freekicks. He provided loads of assists. He created loads of chances for his teammates most esp drogba and anelka. He on numerous occasions carried the team on his back. His passing was topnotch

Havertz10:
Chelsea fans have mediocre expectations

Lampard was a clutch player, I remember a game against stoke that he singlehandely won for us with 2 late quality goals, when you need something he and Drogba will step up, they weren't exceptional but when it's time to rise they never disappoint but I will never call Lampard the greatest midfielder ever in England, i'm not mad, greatest player Chelsea have ever had? Yes 100%

says who. I'm not a chelsea oh but i totally and wholeheartedly disagree with the bolded statement. Uh! Lampard that scored an unusual goal out of nothing in a group stage fixture against barca in 2006 or is it drogba, Drogba that singlehandedly scored crucial goals for chelsea including a matchwinner in the 2007 FA Cup final against man u. To be fair, these two guys are legends in their own right for the leadership and pivotal roles they played in their days as chelsea players

What can this governors implement if ordinary 5k they cannot pay and they clamor for restructuring.

By Agency Report
Street sweepers in Ekiti have
appealed to Governor Kayode
Fayemi to come to their rescue by
paying a living wage to them.

They said that the N5, 000 salary
currently being paid to each of
them is not enough to take care of
them monthly.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
reports on Tuesday that the street
sweepers who are on the
government payroll staged a
protest against the poor monthly
remuneration being offered them.

NAN reports that the protesters
displayed placards with
inscriptions such as: ‘Stop Paying
Lip Service to Our Plights.

‘N30,000 is the acceptable
Minimum Wage By Law’,
‘Governor Kayode Fayemi, Please
Come to our Rescue.

‘N5,000 is not acceptable Again’,
‘Our Wage Can’t Take Us Home,
We Want Living Wage’, among
others.

Titilayo Faweya, the leader of the
group, said that they had to
embark on the protest to demand
for what is right and just for their
members.

Mrs Faweya said that their action
was as a result of the delay in the
fulfillment of the promise made by
the governor during his re-
election campaign in 2018.

She said that the immediate past
government slashed their salaries
but Mr Fayemi promised that he
would increase their monthly
take-home if elected into office.

”We are not happy. We are not
being treated well. We are not
fighting Governor Kayode Fayemi
or disgracing his government, but
we are compelled to act this way
because we do not want to die in
silence.

“We are collecting the sum of
N5,000 monthly. A measure
‘kongo’ of cassava flakes ‘garri’ is
selling for N700 and that of rice is
N1,000. How can many of us cope
with these terrible situations?

“Many of us are widows. In fact,
we are really suffering. They
promised that things will change,
but we are not seeing the signal.”

Nike Alatise, another member of
the group, said that they started
the street-sweeping job in 2003
with a N2,500 monthly salary
before it was increased to N5,000.

“Many of us have spent close to 20
years on this job. When Governor
Fayemi was campaigning, he
promised that he would look into
our welfare.

“Some of us are widows. Some are
living in rented apartments so
how do we survive with this paltry
amount?”

The Commissioner for
Environment, Iyabo Fakunle-
Okiemen, said that she had taken
note of all the demands of the
protesting workers and would
present them to Governor Fayemi.

“I have met with them, addressed
them and got all their demands, so
that I can take them to Governor
Fayemi for necessary action,” she
said (NAN)
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/462431-ekiti-street-sweepers-protest-n5000-monthly-salary.html

Its a pity

By Ifeoluwa Adediran
Ndukwe Ekekwe, a 34-year-old man who told the panel he was pushed off a two-storey building by police officers, on Tuesday, openly displayed his dissatisfaction at the ‘meagre’ sum awarded to him as compensation for the brutality he suffered in the hands of the police.
Doris Okuwobi, the chairperson of the panel, awarded N7.5 million to Mr Ekekwe, a gesture which led to the petitioner’s mother bursting out in tears and the petitioner himself revolting.
“Wetin be N7.5 million? I spent over N30 million, I sold my land. Wetin I wan take N7.5 million do?” he shouted at the panel.
His aged mother, who has been attending the proceedings, also started crying, following the panel’s judgement.
Mr Ekekwe, who has been in a wheelchair since 2018, narrated that he encountered the officers of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on February 16, 2018, an incident that left him with a damaged spinal cord.
The petitioner told the panel he was earlier detained and brutalised by police officers before the February 16 incident.
He said he was alleged of selling stolen goods at his shop at Alaba international market by officers led Haruna Hamisu, an inspector of police.
The alleged officer, Mr Hamisu, also appeared before the panel and said the petitioner was not pushed from a two-storey building but jumped.
Compensation, reaction
Doris Okuwobi, a retired judge heading the Lagos judicial panel, on Tuesday, awarded N7.5 million to the petitioner.

Giving the panel’s judgment, Mrs Okuwobi said the petitioner led “credible and strong evidence on being brutalised by the police while in their custody.
“The police stabbed the petitioner with a knife, hit his head with a gun, and broke his teeth. These pieces of evidence were not debunked by the respondents,” Mrs Okuwobi said.
She added the panel found out there was a violation of the petitioner’s fundamental right and awarded a sum of N7.5 million “as compensation for the torture and inhumane treatment meted to him by the respondent while in their custody.”
The panel also recommended that an investigation be carried out to fish out the officers who abused and brutalised the petitioner and they should be sanctioned.
The pronouncement of the retired judge was followed by an expression of dissatisfaction by the petitioner and his family members.
“Wetin I wan use that money do? I sell my land, my property, all my goods, wetin be that money? Wetin I wan use am do, for treatment abi for what?” he responded.
Olukoya Ogungbeje, counsel to the petitioner, whisked the petitioner out of the panel room, where he calmed him and his mother.
Shortly after, the petitioner returned to the panel in a calmer mood to receive his cheque.
“My noble lord, I sincerely appreciate the panel for the job well done,” Mr Ogungbeje told the panel chair.

While awarding the cheque, Mrs Okuwobi told the petitioner to accept it in good faith.
“To you, it may be small, but you must bear one thing in mind that justice has been done to your case. That is what is utmost to the exercise being carried out. congratulations,” she said.
The panel also awarded two other petitioners N3 million each for the brutality they suffered.
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/460950-endsars-just-in-panels-n7-5-million-compensation-angers-petitioner.html

Angelfrost:
Well, there are many people who have watched as many episodes as their leisure times could avail, and still went on to remain or become more successful in life... (Look up the term Leisure Time).

Success is subjective and relative... No need compelling everyone to toe the same path.

N.B: I don't watch the useless show! Have way better things to do with my spare time!

some school of thought believe its a form of social experiment. That it is used to understand human behavior. Do you agree?

BigYash:
Na make the marriage last be the matter. If them like make them start wear rain boots.

my own be say if you no get big yash. I no dey marry

APC senators are liars

greendice:
Because they are hotter in bed, tightest puna in the world. They way they moan "Yeh" when receiving the condo can make you long for more and cum more. No need for Viagra, you will last long. That is why they have the highest number of twins. Plus they are fucking fertile. That will substitute for the facial beauty. You can not have it all.

I can testify. She was screaming mogbe! mogbe! under my Dick's anointing. funke

By Queen Esther Iroanusi
The Buhari-led government is not directly responsible for the insecurity in the country, Kebbi senator, Bala Na’Allah, has said.
It is for this reason, he said, that every responsible Nigerian should assist the federal government in its fight against the menace.

The lawmaker made the statement shortly after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa on Sunday.

He told journalists that he was on a “routine visit” to the president to discuss some issues of national importance.

His visit to the president comes days after the Senate, in a four-hour meeting, discussed insecurity in Nigeria with security chiefs.

It also comes weeks after the Senate resolved to send its leadership to meet with the president to seek ways of mitigating the security challenges bedevilling the country.
Mr Na’Allah did not say if his meeting was on behalf of the Senate.

He simply said he had a frank discussion with the president and assured Nigerians of the government’s commitment to boost security.

When asked the reason for the increasing cases of banditry across the country despite government’s efforts and investment in the fight against insecurity, the lawmaker said a society evolves with its own problems, depending on its structure.

“Let me give you an example. Boko Haram is predominantly in the Northeast, it’s a fact. Banditry is in the Northwest; you can’t say it’s not correct. These are issues that the previous injustices that we have done to ourselves, collectively and individually, are manifesting.

“It is only unfortunate that they are manifesting now when this government is in place and that is the reason why the government, having not been directly responsible for this situation, should be assisted with whatever assistance from any responsible citizen of this country to ensure that we put this behind us.

“…This country will remain one because the factors that bring the country together are stronger than the ones that seek to divide it and I think that every responsible Nigerian should understand this and give his or her own contribution to ensure that we have a very formidable and resilient country,” he said.

Responding to statement by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, with regards to the government losing justification to rule beyond 2023, Mr Na’Allah said the PDP “has equally lost every justification to say that we have not done our best in view of the fact that they brought us to where we are, having ruled the country from the beginning of democracy to where we are today.

“Politicians criss-cross from PDP to APC therefore, depending on what side of the divide they are, they find it convenient to now rundown (the) party in government, but I think that if you look critically at what is happening, you will see that the more the thing changes, the more it remains the same.

“What we need are patriotic Nigerians, with zeal and commitment, to build a viral nation. That’s what we need. Not politicians who are playing to the gallery. How can you call yourself a responsible politician in this country and ride on the platform of lies, to continue to de-market your country to the international community? It doesn’t make sense.”

Electoral Act
The lawmaker who is a member of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, disclosed that progress has been made on the electoral amendment bill. The bill, currently at the committee stage, seeks to alter some parts of the Electoral Act.

Although he did not explicitly say whether or not the bill will be passed before 2023, the senator urged Nigerians to “talk to their representatives” to ensure it is passed.

“That means that every Nigerian has a responsibility to talk to his representatives in the Senate and the House, to accept the fact that he must act patriotically. He must place the nation above his party’s interest in the determination of the provisions of the Electoral Act. Once we do this, we don’t have a problem.

“I am not sure there is any Nigerian, responsible Nigerian, who is not interested in an electoral law that gives us the comfort of conducting a free, fair and credible election. These three concepts have often been misused by people who don’t know, they are distinct and distinguishable and they are mutually repellent. It is one thing for an election to be free, it is another thing for it to be fair, it is another thing for it to be credible. The yardstick for measuring the three concepts are completely different.”

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/460630-buharis-govt-not-directly-responsible-for-insecurity-across-nigeria-senator.html
mynd44

By Agency Report
The 14-inch crude trunk line operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in the Niger Delta region spilled 276 barrels of crude oil in three incidents in April, according to a report.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt on Monday that the 276 barrels of crude is the cumulative volume of spill from a section of the pipeline that transverses Bayelsa and Rivers communities during the period.

Checks at the oil firm’s spill incident portal indicated that two of the spills were caused by sabotage while one was traced to equipment failure.

According to the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) reports on the incidents obtained by NAN, the leak which occurred at Ikararama in Bayelsa on April 7, was traceable to equipment failure which caused a leakage of 110 barrels.

The Okordia-Rumekpe crude pipeline is part of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) network crisscrossing SPDC’s onshore fields which conveys crude to the SPDC’s crude export terminal at Bonny in Rivers.

JIV is a statutory exercise to ascertain the cause of any recorded spill incident. The exercise involves oil firms, regulators, host communities and state Ministries of Environment.

The leak incident on April 13 at Ihuowu in Rivers, attributed to sabotage by the JIV report, caused a spill of 157 barrels of crude.

The report further showed that on April 14 at Ukpeliede in Rivers, the same Okordia-Rumekpe trunk line was breached by vandals leaving a leak of nine barrels.

According to the SPDC’s spills records, oil spill response activities were ongoing at the spill sites while recovery of spilled crude would be completed in May.

Also, SPDC reported that it had concluded investigation in seven spill incidents from its operations across the Niger Delta with a total spilled volume of 435.01 barrels of crude.

Of the seven leak incidents, six were caused by sabotage while one was traced to equipment failure.

The SPDC spokesperson, Bamidele Odugbesan, declined comments on the integrity of the frequently breached 14-inch Okordia-Rumekpe
pipeline.
(NAN)
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/south-south-regional/460802-spdcs-pipeline-spills-276-barrels-of-crude-in-april-report.html

This is serious. Lalasticlala

Nice one

By Press Release
Over two thousand hectares of land with titled documents have been given by 24 states for the Buhari administration’s Social Housing programme, while 17 states have indicated interest to participate in the Solar Power programme, both important elements of the ongoing Economic Sustainability Plan.
Equally, an agreement has now been reached with at least one major cement manufacturer in the country to sell at significantly discounted prices as low as N2600 per bag of cement for the social housing projects. This was after a meeting the vice president held with three major cement manufacturers in the country namely Dangote Cement, Bua Cement and Lafarge Cement manufacturers.
These were some of the highlights emerging from a review meeting on the Economic Sustainability Plan implementation presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa over the weekend.
Commenting on the implementation of components of the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), Mr Osinbajo said the Buhari administration will continue to focus on creating more jobs while improving access to power and affordable housing for the majority of Nigerians.
Highlighting the progress so far, the vice president assured that the federal government will ramp up efforts so more Nigerians have access to electricity and affordable housing.
According to the presentation made by the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo, the Solar Power Naija team has had engagements with the six states who have identified private sector developers. The team has also selected Akwa Ibom , Ekiti and Kano as pilot states for the state-guaranteed transaction model for the solar power programme.
He explained that REA is currently tracking transactions worth N55 billion potentially contributing the first two million connections in Nigeria and providing thousands of jobs.
For instance, the programme is currently tracking four transactions in the commercial bank upstream channel contributing 3,500 jobs and 100,000 connections.
The MD added that nine participants have submitted applications for over N4 billion of the N20 billion allocated with three companies close to receiving disbursements.
According to the MD, “Bleu Camel Energy with a loan amount of N3 billion is targeting to create 600 jobs; Sunking, another investor with a loan amount of N3 billion will create 1,500 jobs; Auxno Solar with N300 million loan amount targets 100 jobs while Emerald Industrial Co. is seeking N3 billion funding to manufacture 100,000 Solar Home Systems and smart meters.”
On the other hand but in the same vein, the Managing Director/CEO of the Family Homes Fund Limited (FHFL) – the implementing agency for the Social Housing scheme, Femi Adewole, stated that 17,584 units across 16 locations are now in the pipeline.
“We are having a successful push in assembling land to feed the housing construction. So far about 2156.4ha have been assembled ready for development. This has the capacity to accommodate about 65,000 homes,” he said.
Mr Adewole further said that under the ESP Social Housing programme, Nigerians would be given at least a 15-year period with a monthly payment at six per cent interest rate to pay for each housing unit.
While the rates are significantly low, the MD noted that this period can also be extended through refinancing.
“This will help to improve access to housing for low-income people in the informal sector who-(otherwise) will not have an opportunity to access a mortgage,” he stated.
He further said that in addition to the typical 2, 3, and 4-bedroom housing units, the FHFL was considering a “Students and Young People’s Housing – to address the needs of young people.”
An agreement with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has now been finalized and signed by Family Homes Funds, he disclosed, while drawdown is subject to a guarantee from the Ministry of Finance.
It would be recalled that the CBN had committed to a N200 billion facility with a guarantee by the FG via the finance ministry for the Social Housing scheme.
Speaking further, the FHFL MD noted the agency has struck partnerships with Dangote Cement for the provision of cement at subsidised rates to construct the ESP homes, adding that “we expect to reach a similar agreement with the other two majors shortly.”
He added that the FHFL has signed an MoU with the ESP Solar Power project including three suppliers to provide low-cost solar panels to the homes.
Mr Adewole stated that the delivery of the units would be through SME Delivery Partners – who are being encouraged to register on the Housing Portal.
He said, “So far about 7,333 SME groups and individuals are registered on the online portal. Up to 2,000 of these will be involved in current projects.
“We will be drawing from ongoing experience on our project in Yola where the construction of 3,600 homes are ongoing and a partnership between FHFL and the Ministry of Housing is implementing a large-scale youth employment scheme currently employing 1350 young people. The young people are manufacturing interlocking tiles, paving, screeding, etc.
For the ESP Social Housing Adewole said “about 228 Manufacturers of Building Components have expressed interest in supplying inputs including doors, glazing, paint, roofing sheet, etc. We are now engaging with these to secure bulk supply of key materials which in turn will provide opportunity to grow their production capacity.”
Already sites for early start projects have been identified in all the six geo-political zones in addition to the FCT. The sites include those in Ekiti and Ogun in the South-west, Enugu, and Abia in the South-east, Delta, and Edo in the South-south, Yobe, and Bauchi in the North-east, Kaduna, and Katsina in the North-west and Nasarawa and Plateau in the North-central. Sites have also been identified in Abuja including at Dei Dei where the VP earlier visited to see the sample designs of the Social Housing homes.
Speaking specifically on the mass housing scheme, Mr Osinbajo emphasized that the focus must be on providing affordable housing for the masses.
According to him, “if the federal government is going to intervene in housing, most of it should be social housing. Everybody else, including the private sector, can build N9.6 million worth houses, but nobody else will do social housing.
“All over the world, when government intervenes, it is social housing…those who cannot afford housing are the ones we must focus attention on.
“I think that we have enough problems with finding homes for the vast majority of Nigerians who cannot find a home. The people who are poorest who have no houses are the people we should target because that is what government should do. Let’s focus on this social housing.”
The vice president added that the federal government will continue to collaborate with states to ensure more Nigerians benefit from the social housing scheme.
Under the Social Housing Programme, the federal government plans to support 1.5 million Nigerians to acquire low-cost houses through mortgage options and also Rent to Own option. The scheme is expected to also generate 1.8 million jobs and deliver houses to about 1.5 million Nigerian families. The houses are to be priced around and N2 million and N4 million each putting it within the reach of the low-income earners, depending on the number of rooms. There are one, two and three bedrooms options.
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
https://i2.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2018/09/friends-colony-estate-lekki.jpg
Estate used to illustrate the story.
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/460559-24-states-provide-land-for-buharis-housing-scheme-targetting-1-5-million-families.html

UyaiIncomparabl:
Come out plain and tell her that you hit men too oh.

i like your eyes

By Yusuf Akinpelu

It was meant to be a week of reunion to catch lost times between two lovebirds, but it turned out sour.

Oke Osharode and his wife had lived separately for a while, but in May 2012, they decided to have a reunion in Boa Vista, one of the ten islands in Cape Verde.

Mr Osharode flew from Lagos May 4 and was to connect to Boa Vista two days later after stopovers in Dakar and Praia, capitals of Senegal and Cape Verde. His wife was to land on the island from the UK the same day.

“Her own flight from the UK and the hotel cost was £1,223,” Mr Osharode told PREMIUM TIMES, providing details of their travel schedule.

He had booked an economic double room in an all inclusive hotel in Boa Vista for seven nights. They were poised to have fun.

The Nigerian, who currently resides in the UK, said the journey turned on its head when he arrived in Praia May 5, and he was picked out by immigration officials for questioning.

“They inquired of a cash BTA (basic travel allowance). I presented my all inclusive hotel and flights booked and fully paid plus €150 cash and a bank card having €200 equivalent.

“But the officer said he is not sure of the authenticity of my holiday booking and had me locked up in a holding room for removal the next day to Dakar.”

The former microfinance bank official said further efforts to check his papers were not done before he was deported.

In the holding room, he saw more Nigerians who had been detained and barred from entering the archipelago West African country.

“This whole trip was meant to be fun as myself and my wife wanted it as a catch up prior to our family reunion in the UK Unfortunately, it turned sour.

https://i1.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/05/P5.jpg
Hotel invoice in Boa Vista

“When my wife got the information, she could not embark on the trip at that time it was too late to seek refunds for her flights and the hotel booked costing us £1,223 plus.”

Out of bounds
When it was clear that the Enyindah Okwakpam, 31, would be travelling out of Nigeria for the first time, he pinched himself to be sure he was not dreaming.

The prospect of having his virgin passport stamped for the first time excited him so much that he began to prepare for the December 2020 vacation to Sao Vicente, another island in Cape Verde, since September.

While he planned, the archipelago neighbour was on lockdown due to the novel coronavirus.

Hit by COVID-19 scare , authorities in the country located in the central Atlantic Ocean, imposed a strict entry ban. This made earnings from tourism and travel-related industry, which account for a quarter of the nation’s GDP,
nosedived.

In 2019 alone, there were some 820,000 registered tourists, for a country with around 500,000 people.

So when the country eased its lockdown in October 2020, not only was it meant to trigger economic rebound, it made Mr Okwakpam jolt with joy.

“I was ready for my trip,” he recalled. “I had €1000 in cash on me and also my bank statement showing my bank balance with more cash.”

By December 12, on board a double-headed flight from Lagos which had a stopover in Casablanca, Morocco, he arrived in Praia the next morning.

The Nigerian who now lives in The Gambia began to smell trouble when he was approached by two female immigration officials who skipped those ahead of him on the screening queue.

“I gave one of them my passport, PCR test and yellow fever card. She immediately returned my PCR test without looking through it. She left with my passport, came back some minutes later and told me to follow her,” Mr Okwakpam said.

https://i2.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/05/P7.jpg
Flight ticket on board Royal Air Maroc

At the office, a senior official whose tag bore Edar asked Mr Okwakpam about the purpose of his visit, to which he responded was for tourism and volunteering.

“He said the country wasn’t opened for tourism until January or February of (2021), and for that reason he would send me back immediately.”
His contention of Mr Edar’s submission fell flat.

“He told me that ‘your people come in for schooling, and if you come for that we will let you in. But for tourism, no. We are not open for tourism because of the pandemic.’”

He was deported without his luggage, which he got a week later. Crestfallen, he returned home, but with a resolve to return the following month.

Barred again
On January 8, Mr Okwakpam again flew to Cape Verde. His purpose this time was to work as a volunteer at a not-for-profit.
https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/05/P8.jpg
Enyindah volunteered with Simabo Association

Like before, he had his paperwork prepped, including his return tickets, PCR result, Nigeria police character report.

https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/05/P9.jpg
Proof of police character report

He also had his NIF number (Número de Identificação Fiscal, loosely translated as Foreigner’s Identity Number) which is the tax identity number in Cape Verde.

https://i1.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/05/P10.jpg
Enyindah Okwakpam NIF number

After his documents were checked, he was again set aside and told a document that was to be written by the head of the NGO “stating that she would be totally responsible for me” was missing.

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Payment evidence for the volunteer participation

“I was once again told to head back to the plane and I was taken to get my luggage this time around,” he said.

The head of the NGO told him “she had never given that document to anyone coming in to volunteer before. She also confirmed that I was her first African volunteer. The rest have been Europeans over the years.”

https://i1.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/05/P12.jpg
Mr Okwakpam’s ticket in his second coming

He was deported alongside a Senegalese and three Nepalese. He had to part with some euros before his passport was released to him.

Cape Verde’s relationship with the rest of Africa
A cluster of ten volcanic Islands (Santo Antão, São Nicolau, Brava, Santa Luzia, Maio, Sal, Boa Vista, Santiago, Fogo, São Vicente), Cape Verde is flanked by Senegal 570 km away.

Tony Chiedozie, a Nigerian-Cape Verdean who is fluent in English, Portuguese and Creole, offered an insight into what it is like to be black in Cape Verde.

He had lived in the country since 2001 and he became a citizen five years later by the virtue of his residency, but returned to Nigeria in October.

The itinerant, who works as a business development consultant and lives in Enugu, said he experienced, firsthand, how locals expressed stronger allegiance with Europeans and whites than they do Africans.

Due to interracial marriage, the modern population of Cape Verde are largely a blend of native-born African and European descent called mulattos (or mestiços).
Brazil, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Angola, Panama, Guyana and Jamaica are among the countries with significant populations of mulattos.

“Cape Verdeans hate to be called mulatto,” Mr Chiedozie said. “They hate to see themselves as African. They are so racist to the point that it gets me angry.”

As it is derogatory to call blacks nigga, Cape Verdeans call blacks “ manjako ” (an African community the Cape Verdeans were first exposed to).

Mr Chiedozie said “pé rachado” (meaning cracked feet or destitute) is another derogatory word used by nationals to describe the predominantly black population like those on the islands of Santiago and Mayo.

Nonetheless, Mr Chiedozie said, “they relate with the black among their own people well,” as well as other Portuguese speaking African nations.

https://i1.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/05/P13.jpg
Tony Chiedozie, the Nigerian-Cape Verdean

“I have not been treated badly. This is because I speak the languages and carry myself with dignity and demand respect because I give it. It pains me that I can be treated well and not others.”

This, he said, worked for him when he sought to be nationalised. Were it not for that, the “immigration might never give you that passport.”

He nonetheless faulted the behaviour of some Nigerians in the country much that “I found myself not revealing my identity.”

Cape Verde’s European quest
Although geographically part of Africa, Cape Verde, a former colony of Portugal until 1975, has made moves to exit from regional the AU and ECOWAS, while it shopped for closer ties with the European Union.

The Praia government announced in September 2006 its plans to limit access to its territory for other West African nationals.

The island nation has also tabled a “special status” proposal to ECOWAS, one that will exempt it from the “full membership” status of the West African bloc.
https://i2.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/05/P14.jpg
An aerial view of Cape Verde’s landscape

Unlike Morocco, another African country that once sought to become European, there has been no formal rejection of Cape Verde’s European bid, neither has there been any political recognition.

Nonetheless, if history is anything to go by, Cyprus, an island nation geographically in Asia, has shown that persistence to join another continental bloc is possible as the country is now a member of the Council of Europe and the EU.

One too many?
Over a fortnight ago, a Nigerian development expert, Teni Tayo, recalled how she, alongside three other Nigerians, were deported by authorities in Cape Verde while white foreign travellers were allowed in.

Her account gave rise to a spark of experiences shared by other African nationals who accused Cape Verde of having racist tendencies.

Everyone PREMIUM TIMES interviewed with this experience said they lodged complaints to both Nigerian and Cape Verdean authorities but got no result.
They all said they are still haunted by their experiences.

A representative of the ECOWAS office in Cape Verde declined comment. An email sent to Cape Verde’s airport authority has not been replied. Spokesman of the Nigerians in diaspora commission, Balogun Abdulrahman, said the commission takes complaints seriously.

It has been almost ten years since the Osharode couples experienced harassment in Cape Verde, but it is still fresh in their minds like it was yesterday.

“We still grieve about the loss even though we have lived fantastically better from then,” Mr Osharode said in an email response.

Mr Okwakpam said his experience has since made him develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) whenever he is around police or immigration officers or thinks of travelling abroad by road or air.

Their experiences are not isolated as it followed a pattern , especially among third world citizens .

All interviewees have vowed to continue to speak up, hoping it could be psychological therapy for themselves and also a travel advisory for other compatriots.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/460439-special-report-in-cape-verde-travelling-with-a-nigerian-passport-may-mean-deportation.html

Photos: 1 Mr Osharode at the airport
2 Hotel booking for the Osharodes
3 A walkway at Nelson Mandela International Airport Praia, Cape Verde
4 Mr Osharodeʼs flight ticket

By Press Release

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComSat) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will facilitate the release of contiguous bandwidth in one of the most suitable frequency spectrum bands for early deployment of fifth Generation (5G) Network services in Nigeria.

The MoU signing ceremony was the high point of discussions by the two organisations on how to relocate the NG-1R satellite of NigComSat to the standard C-band 300MHz (3.9GHz – 4.2GHz) portion of the band, which is considered more suitable in terms of satellite service offering because of the advantage of cheaper terminal devices for end-users.

Accordingly, such relocation will leave the non-standard C-band 400MHz (3.5GHz – 3.9GHz) portion of the band for 5G use while the cost of relocating the NG-1R is expected to be offset from the proceeds of the auction of the 5G spectrum.

Speaking at the event at the Commission’s office in Abuja on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Umar Danbatta, appreciated the leadership of NigComSat “for demonstrating that the interest of our dear country is paramount to our organisational or personal interest”.

According to him, the Commission initiated negotiations with NigComSat to make some adjustment to its satellite operation and release part of its spectrum holding in the band to facilitate the deployment of 5G in Nigeria.

“Among the Frequency Spectrum bands used for 5G, the C-band (3.4GHz – 3.9GHz) stands out because its balancing point between coverage and capacity provides the perfect environment for 5G connectivity. The C-band is most suitable and appropriate for immediate deployment of 5G services taking into consideration availability of device ecosystem with 60-70 per cent of global commercial 5G network deployment currently in the band, thus the importance of this Spectrum for early deployment of 5G services in Nigeria cannot be over-emphasized,” he said.

“For optimal 5G service performance, an average of contiguous 100 MHz of spectrum in the C-band is required by an Operator. However, in Nigeria, only 120 MHz of the band (3.4 – 3.52) GHz is available for mobile services while the remaining 680 MHz (3.52 – 4.2) GHz of the band is used by NigComSat (NG-1R) satellites.”

Mr Danbatta, while stating that the MoU will go a long way in making positive impact on the Nigerian economy, also said it will offer a new chapter of cooperation, collaborations and mutual assistance that will further spur the growth of the telecommunications ecosystem in the country.

In her remarks, the Managing Director of NigComSat, Abimbola Alale, said her organisation was happy about the collaboration, which will ensure a win-win relationship between both agencies of government as well as benefit the government in its drive to facilitate the development of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

“We are happy with this agreement; the Commission has assured us of a win-win engagement which signals a major step towards the development of the Federal Government’s digital economy drive,” she said.

Earlier, the Chairman, Board of Commissioners, NCC, Adeolu Akande, who was represented by a Board member, Uche Onwude, commended the two agencies for taking a bold step in the right direction to release contagious quantum of spectrum in the 3.5GHz band for early deployment of 5G.

According to Akande, “this type of collaboration is commendable as it ensures synergy amongst agencies under the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy and will consequently foster the deployment of 5G and enable Nigeria to tap its full potential like other advanced countries which have deployed 5G technology on a full commercial scale.”

The epoch-making event was attended by Board members and senior management staff of the two organisations.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/business/460236-ncc-nigcomsat-sign-mou-on-release-of-5g-spectrum.html

sad

By Adejumo Kabir

Since the beginning of the year, the management of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, have ‘short-changed’ their medical interns in the payment of their monthly remuneration, the students have said.

The graduate interns, who are not pleased with the development, responded by protesting for the past three weeks.

The affected medical interns include dieticians, radiographers, pharmacists, nurses, and physiotherapists.

According to the standard pay slip obtained by our correspondent, intern pharmacists are entitled to a monthly pay of N128, 000; nurses and dieticians should get N99,000; @ radiographer is expected to take N127, 000 and physiotherapists should get the same.
Medical interns in other hospitals across the country also confirmed this to our correspondent in separate interviews.

PREMIUM TIMES, however, understands that the interns have been getting ‘part-payments’ of their entitlements from January till date.

Interns’ ordeals
Folashade Hamzat, an intern pharmacist who narrated her ordeal to PREMIUM TIMES, said UCH authorities have failed to address their plight despite repeated appeals.

“All is not well with medical interns at UCH following the wicked actions of the management,” said Ms Hamzat.

“They have been deducting our salary since January and this is not happening in other hospitals. In January, we got N74,000, we got N81,000 for February. We were paid N39,000 in March and they paid N69,000 April. We are not happy with this because we are being cheated.


“Amidst of this, I was tested positive for COVID-19 and nothing from the authority to even appreciate our efforts. The reward for hardwork in UCH is reduction of one’s entitlement.”

Also, an intern physiotherapist, Ezekiel Andrew, said: “since the beginning of this year, salaries have been epileptic and it is a sad thing for us here.”

“They paid us January and February half payment towards the ending of March. We just received alerts for March and April earlier this week and what we got was not even up to half of salary.”

A nurse intern, who did not want to be named for fear of being victimised, told PREMIUM TIMES that authorities have shown no concern to their plights.

“They are not considering us. Our colleagues are not being treated like this in other hospitals. We are crying for help so that this cheating would stop.”

After repeatedly expressing their displeasures, the interns launched a hashtag, #PayUCHinterns on Twitter, yet no result.

Actions, inactions
After weeks of protests, the management of UCH in a letter dated April 26, to all heads of department “appealed to intern officers and contract staff in the Hospital for the shortfall in their monthly remunerations for the months of January, February and March, 2021.”

The management in the letter signed by its Director of Administration, S.O.Oladejo, said the shortfall “is as a result of the inadequate funds released for personnel remuneration in comparison with the actual number of Intern Officers and Contract Staff in the Hospital, thus making it impossible to fully pay up the remuneration of these categories of staff for the months of January-March, 2021.


“The Management deeply understands the discomfort that this brings to the concerned members of staff to which end, efforts are being intensified to ensure that adequate funds are released to complete the payment of these personnel for the said months and to avert the recurrence of this situation in the future.”

‘Not satisfied, threatened’
Meanwhile, the interns, PREMIUM TIMES learnt did not welcome the defence of the management as they continued with their agitation for full payments like their other colleagues in other hospitals across the country.

A meeting was later held with the management team on May 4 but this ended in a stalemate as the interns proceeded with their protests.

Rather than pacify the medical interns, UCH’s Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Adeyinka Ishola, who was “not pleased with their agitations” reportedly threatened the health workers with sanctions via a 13-minute audio message PREMIUM TIMES is yet to authenticate.

‘Why we are paying half salary’
PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday morning spoke with the spokesperson of the hospital, Toye Akinrinola, on why the interns are being denied their full salaries.

“The interns before now are not on IPPIS but the problem started when they got them enrolled on it like every federal government staff. The problem is that what the government is sending is not enough to cater for the interns.

“We are not oblivious of the fact that we are owing them. We will take every measure to ensure that we cater for their welfare. It is just a matter of time,” he told PREMIUM TIMES.

Asked why the interns were ‘threatened’, he simply responded saying: “they are our children. We are appealing to them and we plead they understand.”

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/460351-disquiet-in-uch-ibadan-as-management-accused-of-short-changing-interns.html

EFCC is doing it's job well

By Adejumo Kabir
Controversy has trailed the alleged planned reappointment of Folarin Gbadebo-Smith as the Director General of
Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) Ibadan, Oyo State.

The workers of the institute are accusing Mr Gbadebo-Smith of “administrative incompetence, fraud, and low research output” in the past four years.

They protested on the streets of Ibadan on Tuesday.

This newspaper obtained a 10 page petition of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) addressed to the governing council of the institute on March 19.

The petition was signed by the Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions, Muyiwa Babatimehin; Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals and Research Institutions, Mathew Olagunju; and Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union, Theophilus Tubi.

The unions, according to the petition, alleged that since the beginning of the tenure of Mr Gbadebo-Smith’s administration in 2016, “several research reports were ready for publication but not published, thereby risking their relevance, timeliness, and usefulness to the public”.

“In particular, less than 10 per cent have been published with policy briefs not extracted from any. Indeed, in the last one year, there have been over 40 unpublished individual research outputs and more than 10 unpublished,” the petition read.

“This is a monumental waste of government resources and also denying government and Nigerians at large valuable information that could have informed policy prescriptions.”
The unions also accused the Director-General of non-adherence to laid down rules as regards staff management and deployment.

“The Management of NISER under the leadership of Dr Folarin Gbadebo-Smith has for the past three years failed in their duty to conduct annual promotion exercise as and when due.

“This has consequences on the payment of promotion arrears. There are many staff still being owed promotion arrears.

“The 2018 promotion exercise witnessed some unprecedented twists especially for researchers moving to the Professorial Cadre (Associate Professor and Research Professors). The extant practise was for the Departmental Promotion Committees to meet and make recommendations to the Institute-wide Personnel Committee who verifies the submission of the various Departmental Committees after which the papers are sent for external review.

“The twist in the 2018 promotion exercise was the truncating of the process after the recommendations of the different Departmental Personnel Committee(s) as the Director-General single-handedly constituted a non-statutory committee to review the already concluded aspect of the promotion exercise.

“The recommendations of the ‘tailored’ committee culminated in the non-promotion of any research staff to the Professorial Cadre to date. The effect of this disruption in the promotion process of 2018 is still with us to date.”

NISER
NISER is a public research institute located in Ibadan, with a mission to provide information on economic and social ideas that will be pivotal to the nation’s development.

Its products and activities include publications of conference proceedings and research findings, organising of training workshops, and seminars.
The institute is divided into three departments: Economic Policy Research Department; Social and Governance Policy Research Department, and Surveillance and Forecasting Department.

It is headed by a director-general and has six zonal offices and liaison offices in Lagos and Abuja.

More allegations
The unions also accused Mr Gbadebo-Smith of a “deliberate refusal to use the official quarters used by his predecessors and instead preferred a hotel whenever he visits Ibadan”.

“The DG was more of a part-time Chief Executive who was hardly around to attend to pressing issues of the Institute and rules by proxy from his base in Lagos , where he actively runs his other private business concerns

“The incompetence of Dr Gbadebo-Smith also resonates in his non-prioritisation of research activities in favour of contract components. While it may be true that the infrastructure in NISER is dilapidated, there has not been equivalent show of value for money released by the government.

“It should be noted that the releases of the 2019 research activities did not in any way reflect in the expenditure analysis of the 2019 Capital Development Fund

“The 2019 Capital Development Report also showed several spurious and unverifiable research activities used to siphon money from the Institute. Few among such activities include; N20 million purportedly for the Monitoring and Evaluation of ERGP Project; N10 Million purportedly for payment for DTA and transportation in respect of unspecified official trip; N40,752,110.15 purportedly for consultancy payment in respect of modelling for NISER, and N85,000,000 purportedly for N-Power Project.

“This is in addition to other spurious and unverifiable research activities purportedly conducted by the Institute. The procurement process of the Institute is bedevilled with cases of contract splitting and non-adherence to due process. A few cases that will be referenced here include; the purchase of Prado SUV at a combined cost of N56,175,000.00 but which was split into various components to evade reaching the N50 million Tenders Board’s limit.

“Also very worrisome about the procurement of the Prado Jeep is the fact that the vehicle has not been seen anywhere around Ibadan since it was procured. The DG has continued to maintain his personal car with the resources of the institute and in recent times used chartered vehicles to come to Ibadan.”

The workers also sent the petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

The spokesperson of the anti corruption agency, Azuka Ogugua, did not respond to our calls and text messages, seeking information about the actions taken by the ICPC on the allegations against the NISER DG.

Protest over planned reappointment
As the unions await the investigation into the matter, activities were grounded in the institute on Tuesday as workers protested against an alleged plan to return Mr Gbadebo-Smith for a second term.

His current term expires on May 27.
Mr Muyiwa, who spoke on the unions’ behalf, told journalists that the DG’s tenure “suffered academic and administrative incompetence as seen in four years of low research output, poor staff welfare, non-conversion of qualified staff and refusal to promote some non-research staff”.

‘No comments’
Meanwhile, when contacted about the allegations levelled against him, Mr Gbadebo-Smith said “he is not interested in speaking with the press” on the allegations.
He said this was because an investigative panel has been set up by the Minister of State for National Planning on “controversies generated by promotion, research and publication inadequacies at the institute”.

Prompted further for comments, he said “both the panel and the minister had told him not to grant press interviews on the allegations until the panel’s report is released”.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/459739-allegations-of-fraud-incompetence-against-dg-rock-nigerian-research-institute.html

I remember that year

By Alfred Olufemi
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2020 Senior School Certificate Examination for external candidates.

This was announced at the council’s headquarters in
Minna on Thursday.

The Registrar and Chief Executive, Godswill Obioma, said 41,459 candidates registered for the examination, out of which 39,503 actually sat.

Mr Obioma explained that 26,277 candidates obtained five credits and above including English Language and Mathematics while 34,014 candidates also obtained five credits and above irrespective of English Language and Mathematics.

The registrar who reiterated the council’s zero tolerance for examination malpractice, said appropriate standards and excellence were maintained right from the planning stage to the release of results.

He also disclosed that 6,465 cases of examination malpractice were recorded in the 2020 SSCE External as against 17,004 cases in 2019.

He said the reduction in the level of malpractice was as a result of deepened monitoring of the examination by members of the governing board, management and senior staff of the council.
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/459750-just-in-neco-releases-2020-ssce-results-2.html

mbahdi:
What if you touched mine na who i to tell.
Ladies bn forming victims since 19bc.
Boys are the mostly sexualized.you will see a small boy standing with the parents,an elderly female friend of his mother will come and press the little boys penis even in the parents presence and there will laugh over it and see it as a joke.let same be done to a girl by a man.u will see reactions.hypocrites Nigerians

becos in their shallow mind, boys can take it and most times enjoy it

Biggiefela:
My own dey different the girl get Belle she kon dey force herself on me at that time I no know say she get Belle na after 2 weeks her wey her mama dey shout I Kon know

just imagine. Naso person go father another man pikin e no go no. Thank your stars bro

Self discipline plus self control is a great gain. Thank God for the young man's life

ironically the people causing mayhem of ethnic cleansing are minority fulanis