Multichoice Raises DStv, GOtv Subscription Prices

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April 25, 2024

High Radiation: Congo Suspends Mining Operation

The Federal Government has revoked 924 dormant mining licences to sanitise the mining sector.

Solid Minerals Development Minister Dele Alake announced the revocation while addressing reporters in his office on Wednesday in Abuja.

The minister said exploration, mining, small-scale mining, and quarrying licences were involved in the mass revocation.

The Federal Government had revoked 1,663 mining licences last November following the failure of the licencees to pay statutory charges, fees, and dues to the government.

Alake said the government’s action was in line with constitutional provisions.

The minister explained that adequate notice was given to the parties concerned through the official Gazette of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Number 227, which was published on December 27, last year.

He said: “The notice gave all concerned parties 30 days to regularise their status, including clarifications on what caused the licences to be dormant. Thus, although a total of 963 licencees were published and notified of the threat of revocation, no fewer than 39 either moved to site immediately or convinced the authorities of the challenges hindering their operations.”

A breakdown of the revoked 928 dormant licences showed that 528 were for exploration; 20 for mining leases; 101 for quarrying; and 273 for small scale mining licenses (SSML).

Alake also said the government’s action followed due process and fair consideration, underscoring its commitment to implement the standard policy of “Use it or Lose it,” as enshrined in mining guidelines.

He added: “Investors across the globe are now free to apply for any of the affected Cadastral Units on the basis of ‘first come, first served’. It is our belief that this decision will sanitise the licensing system by penalising those who have commercialised the opportunities offered by the sector into a bazaar.”

According to him, the revocation is not meant to be punitive but an opportunity for the affected licencees to make restitution.

“For revoked mining licences, a fine of N10 million applies; N7.5 million for small scale mining license (SSML); while N5 million for exploration licence (EL). They will be required to make the payments within 30 days to qualify for consideration,” Alake said.

The minister warned that henceforth, the Federal Government would not tolerate the nefarious activities of licence racketeering or those that obtain licences for speculation in order to offer them to the highest bidder.

NCAA Suspends Dana Air License After Lagos Incident

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April 25, 2024

Dana Air Confirms Aircraft Runway Incident

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has suspended the Air Operators Certificate of Dana Air.

This came barely 24 hours after Dana Airplane coming from Abuja landed at the Lagos airport runway and veered off into a nearby field.

Dana Airplane with registration number 5N BKI, had 83 passengers onboard. However, all the passengers and crew members disembarked unhurt.

Emergency responders and regulatory agencies immediately rose to the occasion and opened an investigation to unravel the real course of the incident.

While the outcome of the investigation by the Nigerian Safety and Investigation Bureau is being awaited, NCAA said it was important to audit the operations of the carrier.

NCAA in a letter with the ref no: NCAA/DGCA/DANA/1/24/001, and signed by the Acting Director NCAA, Chris Najomo, said the AOC of the airline had been suspended.

While awaiting the investigation report from the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau, NCAA said it had initiated an in-house compliance assessment of the occurrence taking into account Dana’s track records in related occurrences.

The NCAA letter read in part, “As a precautionary step, and in accordance with Sec 31 (7) of the Civil Aviation Act 2022, the Authority has imposed a suspension on your Air Operator Certificate (AOC) with effect from 24th April, 2024 at 23:59 to allow for a thorough safety and economic audit.

“The safety audit will entail a re-inspection of your organisation, procedures, personnel and aircraft as specified by Part 1.3.3.3 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, while the economic audit will critically examine the financial health of your airline to guarantee its capability to sustain safe flight operations,” NCAA insists.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had expressed displeasure with the incident involving a Dana aircraft.

This was contained in a letter by the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and addressed to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.

The letter which was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Dr. Emmanuel Meribole, was obtained by the PUNCH on Wednesday.

In the letter to NCAA, the permanent secretary said the incident had raised serious concerns regarding both the safety and financial viability of Dana operations.

He added that, “As the supervisor overseeing our nation’s aviation safety and regulatory compliance, it has come to the Honourable Minister’s attention that recent incidents involving Dana Airline.

“In light of these incidents and with the paramount priority being the safety and well-being of our citizens and travelers, the Honourable Minister has directed that you immediately initiate the suspension of Dana Airline’s fleet until a comprehensive audit can be conducted. This audit should encompass all aspects of safety protocols, maintenance procedures, and financial health to ensure full compliance with our aviation regulations.

“The recent incidents have underscored the urgency of this matter, and it is imperative that swift and decisive action be taken to safeguard the interests of all stakeholders involved. I trust in your expertise and diligence in carrying out this audit thoroughly and expeditiously. Please keep me informed of the progress and any significant findings throughout this process,” Meribole stated.

Tinubu Approves Takeoff Of Consumer Credit Scheme

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April 25, 2024

Nigeria To Re-Design Social Security Unemployment Programme

President Bola Tinubu has approved the takeoff of the first phase of the Consumer Credit Scheme (CCS), with the aim of empowering Nigerians to improve their quality of life through access to goods and services.

Announcing the president’s approval, his special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said “Consumer credit is the lifeblood of modern economies, and every hardworking Nigerian should have access to social mobility.

“This scheme will facilitate crucial purchases, such as homes, vehicles, education, and healthcare, essential for ongoing stability to pursue their aspirations.”

In a related development, the Presidency has hinted at plans to tackle poverty and insecurity head on in Nigeria through financial inclusion for all Nigerians.

Accordingly, it disclosed that there are high-level talks to unveil a roadmap for integrating the unbanked Nigerian population into the formal financial system, a priority it said is one of the primes in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.

On the CCS launch, Ngelale said “through responsible repayment, individuals build credit histories, unlocking more opportunities for a better life.

“Additionally, the increased demand for goods and services stimulates local industry and job creation.

“The President believes every hardworking Nigerian should have access to social mobility, with consumer credit playing a pivotal role in achieving this vision.

He further said the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) achieves its mandate through the following:

“Strengthening Nigeria’s credit reporting systems, ensuring every economically active citizen has a dependable credit score. This score becomes personal equity they build, facilitating access to consumer credit.

“Offering credit guarantees and wholesale lending to financial institutions dedicated to broadening consumer credit access today.

“Promoting responsible consumer credit as a pathway to an improved quality of life, fostering a cultural shift towards growth and financial responsibility.

Ngalale said in line with the President’s directive to expand consumer credit access to Nigerians, the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) has launched a portal for Nigerians to express interest in receiving consumer credit.

“This initiative, in collaboration with financial institutions and cooperatives nationwide, aims to broaden consumer credit availability.

“Working Nigerians interested in receiving consumer credit can visit www.credicorp.ng to express interest. The deadline is May 15, 2024.

“The scheme will be rolled out in phases, starting with members of the civil service and cascading to members of the public,” he said .

Huge Protest In Argentina Over Proposed Cut In University Funding

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April 24, 2024

Mass protests gripped Buenos Aires in Argentina as citizens decry proposed university funding cuts, demanding protection for education budgets.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Buenos Aires rallying against proposed slashes to public university funding in Argentina.

Pictures from the vibrant protest captured a crowd of people marching and engaging in spirited displays of dance, music and brandishing banners advocating for the protection of education funding.

The focal point of the protest lies in the policy trajectory outlined by Argentina’s President, Javier Milei, who assumed office last year vowing to overhaul the nation’s finances, primarily through substantial cuts to the public sector.

Despite fervent opposition, Milei’s administration has maintained university funding at 2023 levels, disregarding the significant erosion of the budget’s real value due to rampant inflation, estimated to have devalued by as much as 80%.

The rector of the University of Buenos Aires, Ricardo Gelpi sounded the alarm, cautioning that without urgent financial injections, the institution might shut down within a mere three months.

The looming threat of closure has galvanized students, educators, and citizens alike, igniting widespread outrage and solidarity across Argentina.

President Milei has sought to justify the cuts by repeatedly describing state-run universities as centres of socialist indoctrination.

UNN Suspends Lecturer Caught Pants Down In Viral Video

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April 24, 2024

The management of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has suspended indefinitely one of its lecturer, David Udo-Udom, allegedly involved in sexual harassment of a female married student.

This was contained in a statement signed by the institution’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Chief Okwun Omeaku and made available to newsmen in Nsukka.

According to report, the indefinite suspension is with immediate effect pending the outcome of a Disciplinary Panel constituted by the university to investigate the incident.

He said the affected lecturer, who is of the General Studies division, was allegedly caught in a video harassing a female student.

The school mouthpiece said that the UNN has a zero tolerance for sexual misconducts involving either staff members or students.

UNN is among the few universities in the country that has a sexual harassment policy, which guides the relationship between our staff and students.

As a university, we are committed to protecting our students from any form of abuse and exploitation.

he added that the university management will not hesitate to punish Udoudom , according to our rules, if he is found guilty by our disciplinary panel.

Ex-British Envoy Urges Nigeria to Reject IMF’s Economic Ranking

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April 24, 2024

Global Economic Growth to Drop to 3.0% in 2023-24- IMF

A former Director of the British Council in Nigeria, David Roberts, has called on Nigeria to reject the recent report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which projected that the country would drop from the first to the fourth largest economy in Africa this year.

The Fund in its recent World Economic Outlook as reported by Bloomberg, estimated Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at $253 billion behind South Africa, $373 billion; Egypt, $348 billion and Algeria, $267 billion.

It predicted that South Africa will remain the largest economy until 2027 when Egypt will overtake it.

However, the former British envoy to Nigeria said the country should rely more on data from its own statistics, rather than foreign agencies because the domestically gathered information is likely to be more accurate.

Roberts pointed out that Nigeria became the largest economy in Africa in 2014 on the strength of data gathered by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s main data repository.

He said: “In 2014 when Nigeria became the largest economy in Africa, it was not because of the calculations of the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank. It was because Nigeria’s economy had been rebased and recalculated by the National Bureau of Statistics.

“Were it not for the NBS, the world would have continued to perceive Nigeria as Africa’s third-largest economy,” he argued.

Noting that he lived in Nigeria for a decade, he urged Nigerians to overcome their belief that Western Bretton Woods institutions are always right about them.

Roberts added: “That is certainly not true. If Nigeria became the biggest economy on the strength of the NBS data, why would Nigeria allow itself to be downgraded and labelled the fourth largest economy in Africa this year by the IMF? Does the IMF know Nigeria better than the NBS?”

He stressed that evidence abound that the Breton Wood institution’s projections were not always correct.

“Did this same IMF not project a GDP growth of 3 per cent for Nigeria, which Nigeria overshot by delivering a 3.4 per cent quarterly growth?” Roberts queried.

He asked Nigerians to look back to the words of the late Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, spoken on January 11, 1976, when the former Nigerian leader said, “Africa has come of age.”

Asking Nigeria to assert itself, Robert argued that the Nigerian economy is currently growing and will get even better when the Port Harcourt refinery and the Dangote facility come on stream.

“Nigeria is not some Pacific Island nation, dependent on aid. Several Western countries now depend on Nigeria for healthcare professionals and other service providers.

“Your economy is growing at 3.4 per cent. Fuel importation is down by 57 per cent. Local refining is up by 12 per cent and will explode when the Dangote and Port Harcourt Refineries kick off fully. You no longer spend N1.5 billion a month floating the Naira,” he maintained.

The former envoy said as long as these policies continued, Nigeria’s economy could move up, advising that Nigerians should rely more on the NBS statistics and projections.

Roberts pointed out that the Goldenberg scandal and the IMF’s poor record at forecasting recessions prove that the NBS has more integrity on Nigeria’s economy than the IMF.

The IMF had stated that Nigeria’s economy, which ranked as Africa’s largest in 2022, is set to slip to fourth place this year after a series of currency devaluations.

Gov Idris Approves N309m As Foreign Scholarships For 86 Students

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April 24, 2024

Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris has approved the sum of N309,584,041:80 for the payment of foreign scholarships to indigenes of the state studying in India and Egypt respectively.

A press statement made available to newsmen by the State governor spokesman, Ahmed Idris quoted the State Commissioner for Higher Education, Alhaji Isah Abubakar-Tunga making this known in his office.

Giving the breakdown, the Hon. Commissioner said the sum of N228,150,148:00 is for 63 students studying in India, while N81,433,893:80 is for 23 students studying in Egypt.

The remaining 50 foreign students shall have their expenses settled within the shortest possible time.

He said in February 2024, the governor had paid local scholarships to all the state students studying in 36 tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

The commissioner said the ministry remained appreciative of all the worthy efforts of the governor in the higher education sector.

Education Ministry Summons British International School Over Bullying Allegations

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April 24, 2024

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The Federal Ministry of Education has convened an urgent meeting in response to an alarming online video circulating regarding alleged bullying incidents at Lead British International School.

The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu emphasized the government’s steadfast stance against any form of harassment or intimidation within educational institutions.

During the meeting, Dr. Sununu expressed deep concern over the circulated video and took decisive action by appointing a seven-member committee to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the documented incidents.

The committee’s mandate is to investigate the events at depicted in the videos and come up with expanded investigation to other schools, using Lead British International School as a case study, to address broader social vices.

Additionally, Dr. Sununu underscored the importance of establishing stronger bonds between school authorities and Students to facilitate immediate responses to similar incidents in the future, emphasizing the critical role of communication in resolving such issues.

Assuring the Nigerian populace of the government’s commitment to ensuring safety and protection of the rights of all students, Dr. Sununu reiterated the seriousness of the Federal Ministry of Education in addressing and eradicating vices within the education sector.

The Permanent Secretary Education, Didi Walson-Jack , OON, mni inquired about the existence of an anonymous suggestion box at the School, where students can lodge their complaints discreetly.

she recommended fostering relationships between Teachers and Students, enabling Students to feel comfortable reporting directly to them.

Representatives from Lead British International School, led by Head of School at LBIS Abuja, Abraham Ogunkanmbi assured the Ministry that appropriate measures has been taken in response to the incidents, including disciplinary actions in accordance with school policies.

The Federal Ministry of Education remains steadfast in its dedication to fostering safe and conducive learning environments for all Students across the Nation.

E-Payment Transactions Soar To N234Tn In Q1, 2024

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April 24, 2024