By Ibukun Emiola

The Association of SIM Registration of Nigeria, Oyo State Chapter, has appealed to the Federal Government to restore their source of livelihood by lifting the suspension on SIM registration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the association, Mr Mayowa Anjorin, made the appeal during a peaceful protest at the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) Zonal office in Ibadan on Wednesday.

Anjorin, a graduate, said he started the SIM registration business to make ends meet, particularly when securing a white-collar job was not forthcoming.

He, however, said that since the suspension directive from the government, the source of his livelihood, like that of others, had been affected.

“We need the government to please come to our aid and restore our fortune, which is SIM registration.

“I sell at N100 per SIM every day to make a living, but for the past three months, the NCC has stopped us from selling, making it hard for me to feed myself and my family.

“I cannot pay my house rent and my children’s school fees. The same lot has befallen my colleagues.

“Majority of our members are graduates, who only want a legitimate source of income and have refused to go into yahoo, yahoo, stealing and kidnapping to survive.

“The NCC policy is depriving about 200 million Nigerians their rights to buy new SIMs, register their SIMs or retrieve their lines.

“We are appealing to the government to bring back SIM registration, which goes for only N100; we are not criminals and we don’t intend to become one,” he said.

According to him, some members of the association have been hospitalised as fallout of the situation, while some have taken to begging for their daily meals.

“We are Nigerian youths in our 20s and 30s. We need the government to please help us,” he said.

While addressing the protesters at the NCC office, Mr Yomi Arowosafe, Controller, NCC Ibadan Zonal Office, assured that their grievances would be conveyed to the appropriate quarters.

“We have appealed to your association through your leaders and we are appealing to you now that you have to exercise some little patience.

“The time required for the federal government to achieve its aim is not as much as the time already spent on the process.

“I am so happy that your representatives are knowledgeable in what the government is doing, in linking SIM cards to National Identity Numbers (NIN).

“I am so happy that they know why the present challenge has occurred.

“We will take your appeal to our management to look at for necessary action.

“We appeal to you to be patient while the government gets to the end of this,” Arowosafe said. (NAN)

By Dorcas Jonah

The National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS) has congratulated the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, on her 50th birthday.

The National President of NCWS, Mrs Laraba Shoda, gave the congratulatory message in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Shoda commended Mrs Buhari’s contributions to the promotion of quality health care and girl child education in the country.

She said through her collaborations with her colleagues globally, Mrs. Buhari had advocated for girl-child education, healthcare improvement, tackling gender-based violence and advocating for women rights.

“As the mother of the nation, you have done so much to impact the lives of the vulnerable and less-privileged persons in our society through your compassionate programmes, especially the Future Assured Program,” she said.

Shoda also said the first lady through the Aisha Buhari Foundation had mobilised resources to take care of street children, the elderly and the homeless, describing it as a noble cause.

She further prayed for good health, divine protection and wisdom for the first lady in her support for the president to serve the country better.(NAN)

By Ismaila Chafe

The Federal executive Council (FEC), has approved N26.1 billion for the completion of five road projects within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello, revealed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the weekly meeting of the council, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday.

According to him, three of the roads are within the city centre while two are in the satellite towns of Bwari and Gwagwalada.

He said: “The Ministry of the FCT presented five memos at today’s meeting and all have to do with infrastructure; three within the FCT itself while two in the area councils.

“Within the city, a contract was approved for the provision of an access road to the institutions and research district in Abuja, where we have the Nigerian War College, the Legislative and Judiciary Institute, among other public and private organisations, at a contract sum of N3.4 billion.

“The second contract approved was for the construction of an access road and car park for the rail station, located at Kagini, a community just by the Kubwa expressway.

“The access road is to link the community to the expressway, so that commuters can use facilities of the station and the Abuja light rail into the city; and that contract was approved for the sum of N1.8 billion with a completion period of 12 months.

“The third approval was for an augmentation of N16 billion for the existing contract of the Southern parkway currently ongoing.

“The road stretches from the National Christian Centre, through the NTA, FCDA facility, crossing Muhammadu Buhari way in Garki, and bursting out at the ring road in Kaura District, with a duration of 24 months.”

The Minister further explained that two area councils, namely Bwari and Gwagwalada, also had two roads approved for them.

He said when completed, the roads would open up the two areas for more development.

“A contract was approved for the rehabilitation of the road passing through the Nigerian Law School in Bwari to Kuchiko, and eventually Aja communities.

“The road is a very important community road, which will open up that area that has educational institutions, as well as farming communities.

“That contract was awarded at the sum of N1.4 billion with a duration of 18 months.

“The other contract was for the construction of a feeder road in Gwagwalada satellite town, starting from the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital road, right through to Kasche resettlement.

According to him, the road which is about 15 kilometres, including a bridge of 50 metres, will be executed at the cost of N3.5 billion, with a completion period of 16 months.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, also told the correspondents that the Council had approved more than N10.2 billion for the completion of some road projects across the country.

According to Fashola, the benefitting states include Edo, Ogun, Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue and the FCT.

He said: “FEC approved all four memoranda I presented, with respect to Benin-Ore-Adebamdele Road, particularly the section from Adebamdele to Shagamu.

“The contract was first awarded in 2014 by the previous administration, and to complete it, the specifications needed to be changed, particularly the shoulders and the pavement which were inadequate as conceived to support some kind of trucks and tonnage.

“So, the redesign of the shoulders and pavement provision necessitated a revised estimated total cost of N22.879 billion to take the contract from its original sum of N71.6 billion to N92.5 billion.

“The stretch involved is 99 kilometres from kilometre 162 to 261. Council approved that review of total estimated cost in favour of the construction firm currently working there.”

The minister further explained that the Akwanga-Keffi-Makurdi Highway, got N4.625 billion for the construction of a 255-kilometre underground cable and telecommunication facility dock.

“Council also approved the contract for the Akwanga-Keffi-Makurdi highway, an existing contract executed under the China-EXIM loan.

“This is a sub-contract within the contract, which is the construction of a nine-way underground cable and telecommunication facility dock over the length of 255 kilometres for the sum of N4.625 billion.

“Council approved this and the company will first relocate some of the existing services, cables, pipes and all of that on that corridor and then construct a nine-way dock underground for future facility.

“So, this will help in digital communication, pipe, gas, and everybody who wants to lay service cables and allied installations in the future without necessarily damaging the existing road.”

He also stated that N2.8 billion was approved for the construction of a bridge along the Langtang-Wase road in Plateau State.

“The other memo was for the construction of a 4×20 meters span bridge at kilometre 18, along Lantang-Wase Road in Plateau State for N2.867 billion.

“Recall last year that the bridge, which was an old one, collapsed as a result of heavy flooding in the Lantang-Wase area cutting off people.

“We had to provide some remedial crossing for the communities.

“So, the council has approved that we reconstruct the bridge, this time using reinforced concrete at N2.867 billion.”

The minister also disclosed that more than N900 million was approved for the automation of the process for the issuance of certificate of occupancy in respect of Federal Government lands.

“The last memo approved was for the design and equipping of an automation process for the issuance of certificate of occupancy in respect of Federal Government lands.

“Currently, the Minister for Works and Housing has delegated authority for signing certificates of occupancy in a manual form.

“But we are moving to automation based on this approval, that all of these processes can be initiated online, processed online, approved and printed in a digital form.

Fashola said this would also provide business continuity and retrieval in case of any obstruction arising from natural and other unforeseen courses.

“The contract for all of these was N976,037,330 with a completion period of 10 months,” he added.(NAN)

By Kingsley Okoye

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominee, Mr Aghughu Adolphus, for appointment as Auditor-General for the Federation.

The confirmation was sequel to the presentation and consideration of a report of the Committee on Public Accounts by the Chairman, Sen. Urhoghide Mathew (PDP-Edo).

Mathew in his presentation, said that the committee after screening, found the nominee qualified to be appointed, given his experiences, pedigree and performance over the years at the Audit House.

He said the nominee when he appeared before the committee, was clearly told that the Senate and the nation expect him to justify the confidence reposed in him.

He said the screening of the nominee clearly showed that the nominee displayed competence on matters of audit and public finance.

He said his responses on issues of audit and public finance were satisfactory and beyond the expectations of the committee.

The nominee, he said, has sufficient experience to occupy the office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, if eventually confirmed by the Senate.

“Consequently, the committee, having been satisfied on his qualifications, performance and suitability of the nominee recommends him for confirmation by the Senate as Auditor-General for the Federation,” he said.

Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, in his remarks, after the confirmation, said the National Assembly and the executive are to ensure that the auditor-general remains truly autonomous and independent.

“We have achieved so much by giving the auditor –general the financial autonomy which he requires, but I think we can do better as a government.

“The Audit House is still not a befitting headquarters for the office of the Auditor-General for the Federation.

“The auditor-general needs office accommodation, like the Treasury House, like the EFCC office complex, where it can accommodate all its staff to carry out their auditing jobs.

“A situation where the audit staff are resident in the organisations where they should audit is unacceptable, so we need to do a lot more to support the Auditor-General for the Federation to be more effective and efficient.” (NAN)

By Christian Njoku

Residents of Akpabuyo Local Government Area (LGA), of Cross River, on Wednesday marched to the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) in Calabar, to protest the one year power blackout in the area.

The protesters, who barricaded the entrance of the PHEDC, carried placards with various inscriptions such as; “We are tired of blackout caused by Maurice Ibok (Calabar PHEDC Manager)’’ and “N857 Million Electricity Consumer Debt is a Lie.’’

Spokesperson of Akpabuyo residents, Mr Jonathan Osang, said that the area had been without electricity supply for “over a year’’.

Osang said that in spite of the blackout, they were still being served “high estimated electricity bills monthly’’.

“We are here to protest the non-supply of power to Akpabuyo for over a year now. Akpabuyo LGA, that is known as a city of light, is now a city of total darkness.

“We have to register our complaint and call on the attention of the management of PHEDC to, as a matter of urgency, look into our matter and restore power supply,’’ Osang said.

Another resident, Mr Prince Okon, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that all efforts to engage the management of PHEDC, with a view to resolving the issues, had proved abortive.

However, Ibok, who addressed the protesters, said he had met with a section of residents to explore ways of resolving the issues.

“We have met some of the residents in Akpabuyo; we have even promised to engage them to work with us.

“I am ready for us to settle this issue amicably and peacefully, but the idea of locking our gate and preventing customers from coming in to pay their bills is not appropriate,’’ he said.

NAN observed that following the action, other PHEDC offices in Calabar were locked to prevent any act of vandalism, while police were deployed to forestall breakdown of law and order. (NAN)

By Naomi Sharang

A bill seeking to amend the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) law to check the incidence of light sentencing for drug offenders, has passed second reading in the Senate.

This followed the presentation of the lead debate on the general principles of the bill by the sponsor, Sen. Dimka Hezekiah (Plateau Central), during plenary, on Tuesday.

The bill entitled, “a Bill for an Act to amend the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act CAP N 30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.” was read for the first time on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, according to the sponsor.

“The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N 30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 provides for stringent penalties for persons involved in the importation and exportation of hard drugs such as cocaine or heroin.

“These penalties range from life imprisonment to 15 years which is the minimum penalty’’.

Hezekiah, however, raised concerns that in spite of the fact that the Supreme Court had held that the minimum penalty for those dealing in hard drugs was a term 15 years, some judges of the Federal High Court had continued to pass ridiculously light and illegal sentences on convicts.

“Rather than a term of imprisonment of 15 years, the maximum sentence passed on any convict was a term of 3 years for heroin. Some of these have been as low as 4 months imprisonment for 1.44 kg of cocaine.

“Worse stil,l is the fact that when some of the Judges pass these light terms of imprisonment, the convicts are further given options of fines, which are not provided for under the NDLEA Act.

Hezekiah further said that the arbitrariness that was being perpetrated by the trial judges by not following the provisions of the Act could lead to corrupt practices and encouragement of the drug trade.

He said that the proposed amendment would close any loopholes by having a clear, unambiguous and unequivocal provision that judges could not vary the sentences provided by the Act.

“There is equally a minor but significant error in the principal Act; the word ‘heroine’ instead of ‘heroin’. The two words mean different things and are not synonymous.

“An amendment is, therefore, being proposed to change the word “heroine” which means a girl or woman who does something brave or good to “heroin” which means a powerful illegal drug made from morphine which is intended in the Act.”

Supporting the second reading of the bill, Sen. Istifanus Dung (PDP-Plateau), said the prevalence and menace of drugs and its destructive effects on the lives of citizens, particularly youths had attained an alarming stage.

“A whole generation is at risk of been lost to drugs. The production and sale of illicit drugs require strong regulation and enforcement powered by NDLEA.

“And this bill is seeking to strengthen and stiffen the sanctions against drug abuse in such a way that it will end in breaking and ending the destructive drug trade.”

Dung further said that one of the ways to address the menace was to restrict access to drugs, adding that without stiffer sanctions, drug barons would persist in their nefarious practices.

Also, speaking, Sen. Abba Moro (PDP-Benue) said that the bill “is germane to the circumstances in which we find ourselves here”.

“The scary situation in which we find ourselves in this country today emanates partly from a combination of factors of proliferation of firearms and light weapons.

“The second dimension to our very scary security situation is the question of drugs.”

He said that what the country had in its circumstances, was not necessarily the absence of laws and the absence of enforcement of laws, but the presence of some loopholes in such laws.

“The loopholes we have in our laws provide avenues for criminals to evade the enforcement of our laws,” he said.

Moro added that amending the NDLEA Act would make enforcement of drug laws easy and effective.

In his remarks, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics and to report back within four weeks. (NAN)