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The Presidency has fingered some sub-regional forces for the escalating incidents of kidnapping of students and other security glitches in Nigeria.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, alleged that some sub-regional forces were “actively conspiring” against the stability of the country during an interview on TVC news late Sunday.
He, however, assured that the Federal Government is “responding” to the conspiracy of these sub-regional forces.
Recall that last Thursday, bandits abducted no fewer than 287 pupils/students from a primary and secondary school at Kuriga, a community in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Days later, bandits also abducted some Tsangaya students at Gidan Bakuso in Gada LGA of Sokoto State. Tsangaya is a school that combines Islamic and Western education.
Speaking on the spate of kidnappings in the country, Ngelale said President Bola Tinubu is working hard to secure all parts of the country, noting that the US government had promised to provide assistance for the release of the abducted Kaduna school children.
The Presidency spoke as the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, urged President Tinubu to go after sponsors of terror.
Also, experts against financial crimes drawn from Anglophone member states of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa, GIABA, yesterday, called for concerted efforts against terrorism financing and money laundering.
Meanwhile, on a day bandits demanded N40trillion ransom for 16 abducted Kaduna residents, one of the kidnapped students in Kuriga, Mustapha Abubakar, who escaped, narrated his ordeal in the hands of their captors, saying he stealthily hid in a shrub like a snake and escaped, while they were being moved by the bandits.
Sub-regional forces conspiring against Nigeria’s stability
Speaking on the conspiracy against Nigeria, Ngelale said: “Across the North, we understand that some of the sub-regional geographical forces are actively conspiring against the stability of the Nigerian nation. We are responding to it. We are doing it in a way that is concerted with our neighbours.
“It is worth noting that the United States government has also pledged its assistance to ensure that there is a full return of all school children, who were kidnapped recently in Kaduna.
“We will continue to intensify our collaboration not only within the region but internationally to make sure that some of the regional actors that are conspiring against our nation are brought to justice and ultimately silenced for the future of our country.”
Go after sponsors of terror, Afenifere tells Tinubu
Reacting to the recent kidnapping of school children in Kaduna and Sokoto states, Afenifere, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary and Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo and Prince Justice Faloye, asked the President not to leave room for excuses.
Lamenting the rising wave of insecurity, Afenifere said: “The recrudescence of this human tragedy is as clear to the Afenifere as the daylight is distinct from the eventide.
“Since democracy took off, this pattern remains constant, ever present; create chaos, destabilize the government, embarrass the President, finally, and disgrace the President out of office.
‘’No president since 1999 has escaped this scourge, coming with the political Sharia against Obasanjo, the Niger Delta violent political agitation of Obasanjo and Yar’Adua and cleverly solved by the duo; the Boko Haram religion-later-turned-political instrument to embarrass a sitting Southern Christian president as it was with Jonathan, who was told to convert to Islam, followed by the kidnapping extraordinaire of the Chibok girls’ type, the final straw that shocked Jonathan out of office.
“The Abikus, coming once a regime and for repeated times from as far back as the Zango-Kataf crisis, come with land-grabbing, human displacement and subjugation of a people over another, often planned, aided, lauded and prompted by those self-styled as owners of Nigeria.
“They were terrorists; Buhari curiously preferred to call them bandits. Their acts as aggressors, killing farmers, destroying their produce, and stealing indigenous peoples’ lands, clearly marked them as terrorists. “Buhari’s government would rather term these acts as farmers/herders clashes. The most disturbing expository, elucidatory, explicative reality about the whole saga is that these terrorists are known to the government.
“Mr President, you have to be brutally reminded of these recrudescences in history, a disease constant, an Abiku, real, clear and present.
“On Christmas Eve in 2023, there was a massacre on the Plateau. Chief Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere, led other leaders that make up the four zones from the South-West, South-East, South-South and the Middle-Belt on a condolence visit to the governor and the Gbom Gwom Jos and to the entire people on the Plateau. About 300 humans were slaughtered like rams.
“A hero makes history, is not afraid, and does not turn a blind eye. Mr President, arrest these perpetrators now, no excuses, Mr President…
“It is down to you, Mr President if you would rather go the way of your predecessors, by looking the other way and letting innocent blood flow, be disgraced and set for an early exit or find the strength, the will and the courage to face the sponsors of terror, with the resolve to eradicating this Abiku scourge from ever again taking root anywhere in our land.
“Through your policies, fiscal and monetary, the local currency has suffered the worst trajectory of devaluation of 35% in just your very first nine months in office, the very first massive devastation in the history of this country.
‘’The naira plunged to its lowest point on record in official trading as a shortage of US dollars persisted, despite promises by the government to boost supply.
“Go after the sponsors of terror. Restructure this country. Expedite action towards creation of state police. Return the country to a parliamentary system of government. Bring back Regionalism. And watch our countrymen and our hopeless children begin to live again in dignity, right before your very eyes.”
ECOWAS experts move against terror financing, money laundering
Speaking at the opening of a two-day Training of Trainers, ToT, on Countering the Financing of Terrorism, CFT, for Anglophone GIABA member states at the National Institute for Security Studies, NISS, in Abuja, Director-General of GIABA, Edwin W. Harris Jr., said money laundering and the financing of terrorism continue to adversely impact the socio-economic development, peace, and security of member states and beyond.
He said in the last decade, the ECOWAS community had experienced an increasing level of terrorism, radicalisation, and violent extremism at an alarming rate.
“The GIABA Community shares this global concern regarding the current situation in the Central Sahel area and North-Eastern Nigeria and will continue to provide the necessary support to mitigate the money laundering and terrorist risks identified in line with the ECOWAS Priority Agenda,” he said
According to him, GIABA’s typology reports revealed the rapid evolution in the sources, methods, and techniques of terrorist financing, taking advantage of loopholes in legislation (such as the incompleteness of the terrorist financing criminalization regime), and the opportunities offered by digital finance and the power of cybernetic tools.
He said: “Even though the banking sector in most of our countries have taken steps to implement the UN sanctions lists (UNSC Resolution 1267) in terms of targeted financial sanctions linked to TF, there is still a vast majority of the private sector (particularly the DNFBP sector, Electronic Money Issuers, microfinances, Money and Value Transfer Services, insurance companies etc) that are struggling to align themselves.
“As for national sanctions lists, they remain severely handicapped by lack of operationality of national designation mechanisms under UNSC Resolution 1373.
“GIABA’s approach to supporting countries in their fight against the financing of terrorism is to bring their prevention and enforcement systems in line with international standards, particularly those of the Financial Action Task Force, FATF.
“In practice, this means providing countries with appropriate legal and institutional frameworks and building their capacity to implement these frameworks effectively. Most recently, in November 2023, GIABA organized a regional stakeholders’ workshop for operational agencies to engage them on the outcomes of our various typology reports for future adaptations and their responses to emerging threats.
“Counterterrorism can no longer be the exclusive domain of the military services. GIABA and FATF’s studies have rightly revealed that terrorists are increasingly using legitimate commercial enterprises to raise funds, as well as non-profit organizations, the abusive exploitation of extractive and mining resources, donations, crowdfunding, and above all, the proceeds of criminal activities such as kidnapping for ransom, extortion, illicit drug trafficking, illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, trafficking in arts and antics, etc. Terrorists also manage to move these collected funds through front companies, money or value couriers, using payment methods such as prepaid cards, mobile banking, or virtual assets.”
Terrorist financing networks must be disrupted – DSS
Also speaking, Director General, Department of State Services, DSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, who was represented by the Director of Training and Staff Development, Mrs Bolatito Sure-Olufe, said while military and intelligence efforts had achieved notable successes in disrupting terrorist operations, terrorist financing networks must be disrupted.
According to the D-G, depriving these groups of the funds that fuel their activities is crucial to undermining their capabilities and ultimately defeating them.
“Terrorist organizations rely heavily on a steady flow of funds to sustain their operations, including recruitment, training, procurement of weapons and explosives, and execution of attacks.
“By targeting their financial lifelines, we can strike at the very heart of these groups, limiting their reach and hampering their ability to carry out acts of violence.
“Moreover, the financial trail left by terrorist financing activities provides invaluable intelligence that can help uncover the structure, connections, and intentions of these networks, enabling more targeted and effective interventions.
“By strengthening our ability to follow the money trail, we can deprive these groups of the resources they need to carry out their heinous acts, ultimately contributing to a more secure and peaceful world for all.”
Why we need urgent actions – Nuhu
On his part, Nigeria’s Ambassador to ECOWAS, Amb. MS Nuhu, noted that the challenges posed by terrorism in the Sahel region, as well as the movement of terrorist groups towards coastal areas, underscore the urgency of actions.
He said in light of these challenges, ECOWAS in 2018, initiated the development of a regional framework for counter-terrorism.
“It is crucial to highlight that component six of the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan is dedicated to countering the financing of terrorism within the region.
‘’This underscores the critical importance of addressing the issue of terrorist financing, which serves as a significant enabler for terrorist activities.
Need for national, regional collaboration
Director/CEO of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, who is also the National Correspondent of GIABA, Hafsat Bakari, said blocking the channels, routes and techniques used to move these funds within ECOWAS nations and across their borders required cooperation not just at a national level but also at a regional level.
According to her, this can only be achieved through a proper understanding and application of the role of the military, intelligence services, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and the judiciary in this collective endeavour.
She said one of the strategic objectives of the National Counter-Terrorism Financing Strategy is enhancing the capabilities of Nigeria’s front-line military, intelligence, law enforcement, and prosecutorial authorities.
I hid in a shrub like a snake to escape from abductors – Kuriga student
Abubakar was among nearly 280 school children kidnapped at Kuriga but he and 27 others were able to return to their respective families.
The kidnapped children, both male and female, were between the ages of five and 18.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa monitored in Kaduna, yesterday, Mustapha Abubakar explained that the bandits moved the children like a herd of cows.
He said: “We trekked in the bush, sometimes we crawled. We were so thirsty, that some of the girls were becoming weak and falling due to tiredness. The bandits were lifting them and putting some of them on motorcycles.
“We later reached a big river where we drank water and continued trekking. There was a plane that hovered above us. That was when the bandits ordered us to remove one of our clothes and lie down.
“Even the bandits were exhausted. They had no food and were eating leaves and wild fruits. They gave us nothing to eat.
“While we were moving, I noticed a shrub, which was brown like my trousers. I hid inside and crawled like a snake. I was there until it was completely silent before I came out and headed to the bush.
“I later met an old man, who was having difficulty walking, I asked him about the pathway to the main road or any nearby place so that I could get water to drink.
“I had a marathon race, I was exhausted but I pushed on as evening time was approaching. I later arrived at Gayan, a community near us and that was how I eventually escaped.”
Bandits ‘demand’ N40trn as ransom for 16 abducted Kaduna residents
Meanwhile, bandits, in an unprecedented move, have reportedly demanded N40 trillion as ransom to release 16 residents abducted from Gonin Gora area of Kaduna.
Speaking with TheCable, yesterday, John Yusuf, a community leader, said the bandits contacted family members of the victims and also demanded 11 Hilux vans and 150 motorcycles.
This is the first time bandits would make such a huge demand since abduction for ransom started in Nigeria.
After the attack, residents of the area, on February 29, blocked the Kaduna-Abuja highway for several hours to protest against the killing and abduction.
Yusuf said the bandits attacked the community twice within a week. “The bandits have contacted us. They are demanding N40 trillion, 11 Hilux vans and 150 motorcycles for the release of 16 people they are holding captive.
“Where are we going to get this kind of money? Even if we sell the entire community, we cannot raise N40 trillion. Even Nigeria as a country has never made a budget of N40 trillion.
“The abductions happened twice within a four-day interval. During the first attack, three people were kidnapped, while in the second attack, 13 people were abducted, bringing the total number of people being held captive to 16,” he said disclosing that the communities in Birnin Gwari were surrounded by bushes serving as hideouts for the bandits.”
While noting that the establishment of a military base would tackle the criminal operations in the area, he said: “We are pleading with the government to come to our aid by establishing a military base behind our community where the bandits take advantage of the bushes to invade our community.
“From our community down to Birnin Gwari, which is over 150 kilometres, is a stretch of bush. We also have another stretch of bushes from Gonin Gora down to Niger State. “
Ariel Henry, Haiti’s prime minister, has resigned following weeks of escalating violence in the country.
Mohamed Ali, Guyana’s president and the current chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said Henry tendered his resignation after CARICOM leaders held an emergency summit in Jamaica on the crisis in Haiti.
In a video address late Monday, the 74-year-old politician said his government would leave power after the establishment of a transitional council.
“We will be a caretaker government until they name a prime minister and a new cabinet,” Henry said in a video address.
“I want to thank the Haitian people for the opportunity I had been granted. I’m asking all Haitians to remain calm and do everything they can for peace and stability to come back as fast as possible.”
Henry spoke from Puerto Rico where he has been stranded after his plane was denied permission to land in his country.
The embattled prime minister was in Kenya seeking support for a United Nations (UN)-backed Kenyan-led security force for Haiti, as part of efforts to “restore security”.
While he was away last week, the violence worsened.
The rebel group invaded two of Haiti’s main prisons in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, freeing over 4,000 inmates.
The gangs also attacked the National Palace, set part of the interior ministry on fire with petrol bombs, and carried out sustained attacks on the international airport.
Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, the country’s most notorious gang leader, said the violence would not stop until the prime minister resigns.
Haiti has not had an election since 2016.
Henry, who had led the country supposedly on an interim basis since July 2021, following former President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination, had repeatedly postponed elections, saying security must be restored first.
Many Haitians had questioned his governing the country for this long without an elected president and accused him of corruption.
According to the Guyanese president, Henry’s interim successor will be appointed by a presidential council made up of two observers and seven voting members.
Ali added that anyone who intends to run in Haiti’s next elections will not be part of the transitional council.
President Bola Tinubu on Monday expressed readiness to end the perennial farmers, herders crisis in the country.
Tinubu vowed to draw up programmes that would end the crisis within two to three weeks.
He spoke during the inauguration of the mechanised agricultural project in Minna, Niger State.
The President, however, noted that state governors should provide lands that would help in facilitating his programme.
According to Tinubu: “We must reorient our farming population, including livestock programme.
“I don’t see why Nigeria can’t feed all our pupils with one pint of milk a day if the dairy system is well harnessed
“I know what it means as an economic sabotage for cows to eat up the crops and vegetations of our land.
“When we reorient the herders and make provisions for cattle rearing, governors must provide the land and I as the President is committed to giving you, in two to three weeks time, a comprehensive programme that will solve this problem.”
Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, NSF, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi Central) has insisted that projects worth N3.7 trillion in the 2024 Appropriation Act cannot be traced.
DAILY POST recalls that the BBC Hausa had, on Saturday, quoted Senator Ningi alleging that the Federal Government was operating an N28 trillion budget, contrary to the N25 trillion passed by the National Assembly.
However, the Presidency, in a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga denied the allegation.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the lawmaker maintained his stand, insisting that the findings made by the Northern Senators Forum were accurate.
Ningi, however, said that the views he expressed during his interview were his own, and not those of the Northern Senators Forum.
The lawmaker also denied saying that President Bola Tinubu was operating two separate 2024 budgets.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has inaugurated an ad hoc committee of the red chamber to probe the N30 trillion Ways and Means secured under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Last month, the upper legislative chamber resolved to probe the loan, secured during the two terms of Buhari.
The Ways and Means is a loan facility through which the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) provides short-term financing to cover the government’s budget shortfalls.
Before the ninth national assembly wound down, Buhari had asked the lawmakers in December 2022, to approve N22.7 trillion his administration had secured through the Wways and Means.
The figure has since risen to N30 trillion, according to a joint committee of the senate.
Speaking during the inauguration of the committee on Monday, Akpabio said it should remain open to constructive inputs and feedback.
“The success of this ad hoc committee hinges on collaboration, cooperation, and a steadfast commitment to the common good,” he said.
“Let us set aside personal and partisan interests, focusing solely on the task at hand.
“By working harmoniously, we can ensure that the Ways and Means in Nigeria are managed prudently, efficiently, and in accordance with the law.
“Moreover, confidentiality is paramount to your work. The information and data we gather during our investigations are sensitive and must be handled with the utmost care and discretion.
“Adhering to strict protocols will ensure the security and integrity of the information you uncover.
“In carrying out your mandate, it is imperative that you engage with relevant stakeholders, experts, and organizations.
“Their valuable insights and perspectives will strengthen the credibility and comprehensiveness of your findings and recommendations.”
The senate president said the country must work towards having responsible management of the Ways and Means in the country.
The United Kingdom (UK) has banned health and care workers from Nigeria and other foreign countries from bringing dependants to the country.
The UK Home Office made the disclosure in a post via its verified X handle (formerly Twitter) on Monday.
According to the UK government, the measure was part of its plan to reduce migration into the country, adding that overseas care workers brought an estimated 120,000 dependants to the UK in the year ending September 23.
It wrote: “From today, care workers entering the UK on Health and Care Worker visas can no longer bring dependants.
“This is part of our plan to deliver the biggest ever cut in migration.”
Recall that the UK Home Secretary, James Cleverly, had proposed new laws to reduce migration in the United Kingdom.
A report by BBC detailed that the UK intends to raise the minimum salary criteria for getting a skilled worker visa, currently set at £26,000, the new barrier will be extended to £38,700.
Cleverly told parliament that the previous year’s application of the restrictions may have resulted in a reduction of 300,000 migrants yearly.
According to reports, people with health and social care visas will be exempt from the higher wage requirement.
However, overseas caregivers will no longer be permitted to bring dependents, such as their partners and children.
The inference is that until their new spouse earns £38,700, a UK person who marries a non-UK citizen cannot bring them to live in the UK.
The immediate past President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has rated the performance of his successor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, barely a year in office.
According to Buhari, the former Governor of Lagos State, has done wonderfully well since the assumption of office nine months ago.
Naija News reports that the former president made this remark when he received the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and members of the management team of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Daura, Katsina state, at the weekend.
It is no longer news that President Tinubu has faced wide criticism over some of his economic policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the exchange rate windows.
These policies, among others, have brought about untold hardship on Nigerians following the economic hardship, and the naira’s depreciation, which in recent times have led to protests.
Buhari, however, said Tinubu has performed well given the prevailing circumstances, but affirmed that Nigeria is a complex country to govern.
According to him, there is not much anybody can do about Nigeria. Buhari addressed Adeniyi and his team, emphasizing that Nigeria poses significant challenges, urging citizens to persevere through economic difficulties and back the initiatives of the present government.
“I thank you very much for coming. I very much appreciate it. I thought Tinubu has done very well.
“Nigeria is so complex. Really, there isn’t much anybody can do,” Daily Trust quoted the former president saying.
Adeniyi expressed his gratitude towards the ex-president for his exceptional support of the NCS Act 2023.
The CGC also visited the Emir of Daura, His Royal Highness, Dr Farouk Umar Farouk.
“This legislative milestone grants the NCS expanded authority to implement policies aimed at bolstering revenue generation and facilitating trade, thus contributing significantly to Nigeria’s economic growth trajectory,” Adeniyi said.
He also spoke about trucks carrying food items seized at the border, saying, “I will also use this occasion to brief you on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directives that all trucks of food carrying exports across the border that were seized by Customs be returned to the traders with the hope that they would plough them back into the Nigerian markets.”
It should be noted that this was not the first time Buhari had remarked that governing Nigeria was a tough job for leaders.
In November 2023, during an interview with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Buhari said the country was difficult to rule.
“Nigerians are extremely difficult. People know their rights. They think they should be there, not you. So, they monitor virtually your every step. And you have to struggle day and night to ensure you are competent enough,” he had said.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) have declared a 7-day warning strike.
Naija News understands that the strike was declared to demand the payment of four months of withheld salaries of their members, after the 2022 nationwide strike.
The decision was reached by the joint action committee of the two unions, after a meeting which held in Akure at the weekend.
This comes a week after the unions warned of potential disruptions to industrial peace in Nigerian universities.
The unions emphasized the unfair treatment and questioned the government’s rationale behind this selective payment.
According to the SSANU president, Mohammed Ibrahim, who read the communiqué of the meeting to journalists in Abuja on Monday, the decision to embark on the warning strike was taken as a last resort since several protest letters and other communications with the Federal Government did not result in the payment of the withheld salaries.
The statement added: “If nothing is done by the Federal Government to positively address this situation and respond to our previous letters to them, the members of the two unions may be forced to meet soon to take all lawful and stringent decisions on the matter”.
The fate of the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, remains uncertain two months following her suspension amid allegations necessitating an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) probe.
Despite the EFCC concluding its investigation and submitting an interim report to the Presidency, Nigerians are yet to learn of any decisive action regarding Edu’s case.
Reports from Daily Trust indicate that the EFCC’s investigation, initiated after Edu’s suspension on January 8, has culminated in a recommendation to prosecute the suspended minister.
The submission of the interim report has sparked speculation on the next steps, particularly with some high-profile individuals and political figures rallying for leniency towards Edu.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, among other influential personalities, is allegedly exerting pressure on President Bola Tinubu, advocating for a “soft landing” for Edu.
In contrast to Edu’s contentious situation, Halima Shehu, the suspended coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), appears to have been absolved of wrongdoing by the EFCC’s interim findings.
The source said, “The leaked documents about releases by NSIPA under Halima have been scrutinised by the EFCC. Those expenses are found to have followed standard procedures because all relevant parties endorsed their signatures.
“The monies were discovered to have been released for the purposes they were earmarked. Besides, Halima only continued the disbursements from where her predecessor stopped. And this was to avoid litigations, because the contractors had presented certificates of no objection.”
Another source said, “But a strong personality in the Villa was not happy with the report from the EFCC and therefore told those who brought it to take it back and review the report further.”
The EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, spoke with the platform about the claim that an interim report had been submitted to President Tinubu and said an investigation into the matter is still ongoing.
Asked when the investigation would be concluded, considering that credible sources had confirmed the submission of an interim report, Oyewale declined further comments.
The spokesman of the Senate President, Eseme Eyiboh, when reached out to on the allegation that Akpabio was working hard to secure “a soft landing” for the suspended humanitarian minister, said, “Betta Edu is never in the legislature and she is not a minister appointed by the president of the senate.
“I recall that she was suspended by her appointer and not the president of the Senate. This was intended to pave way for an official public service procedure. There is no way the president of the Senate could have or can influence the determination of the fate of any minister and particularly Dr Betta Edu.”
[PRESS RELEASE] Heirs Holdings to Lead Africa’s Digital Evolution, Launches Heirs Technologies
AdminHeirs Holdings, a leading African investment company dedicated to improving lives and transforming Africa through strategic long-term investments, announced the launch of its new subsidiary, Heirs Technologies Limited, with an ambition to empower Africa's digital transformation through innovative and locally tailored solutions.
Heirs Technologies endeavours to provide value added services that capitalise on top-tier expertise while guaranteeing accessibility locally. The company's range of offerings include IT consulting, which encompasses advisory services, business transformation, system integration, licencing, and partnerships. Additionally, Heirs Technologies will offer various managed services covering IT operations and business process outsourcing.
To achieve its vision of propelling Africa to the forefront of the global technology landscape, Heirs Technologies will strategically invest in cutting edge technological solutions and develop platforms that foster collaboration among diverse stakeholders. Central to the company’s plans is to develop local capacity through meticulously tailored skills development programmes.
Heirs Holdings’ Group Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Nnorom, expressed his excitement about the launch while reiterating the company’s mission, "We are embarking on a journey fueled by innovation and driven by purpose. Our mission isn't solely about creating products; it's about shaping the future of technology, one groundbreaking solution at a time."
The launch of Heirs Technologies reaffirms Heirs Holdings' steadfast commitment to invest in sectors that provide long-term returns and have the ability to transform Africa’s economy. Heirs Holdings has been a pivotal player in various sectors critical for Africa’s development including financial services, energy, power, healthcare, real estate, and hospitality.
"The introduction of Heirs Technologies marks a significant milestone in our journey towards accelerating progress for future generations across Africa," said Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, Founder & Group Chairman, Heirs Holdings. "Technology has the power to catalyse development, and we are committed to harnessing this potential to unlock new innovations that will improve lives and transform our continent.”
For more information about Heirs Technologies, please visit www.heirstechnologies.com
Heirs Holdings is a leading African investment company committed to improving lives and transforming Africa through strategic investments and sustainable development initiatives. With a diverse portfolio spanning multiple sectors, including financial services, energy, power, healthcare, real estate, hospitality and technology, Heirs Holdings is dedicated to driving inclusive growth and building a prosperous future for Africa.
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Following the adoption of red berets as an insignia by the supporters of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, some residents of the state have been raising eyebrows.
Supporters of the governor, under the umbrella of Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation Foot Soldiers (LACO-FS), have been wearing red berets as their symbol.
While inaugurating the group, Aiyedatiwa was seen putting on the beret, which has been described as a symbol of cultism.
With the development causing uproar within the social media space of the state, some people stated that such a move will further embolden cultists in their activities across the state.
They also stated that cultists can use the avenue to perpetrate crime by disguising themselves as supporters of the governor.
Speaking on the issue, a public affairs analyst, Oluwagbega Ajongbolo, said, “What exactly are Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his supporters bringing into Ondo State with their berets? What’s the idea and ideology behind donning red berets on the streets of Akure and Akoko? What’s the socioeconomic belief of a typical Aiyedatiwa supporter? What does Aiyedatiwa stand for?
“If this is not about their economic and political beliefs, should we be scared that a set of people, led by Mr Governor, have now adopted a style of clothing that has significant meaning and messages it is passing across? Are we safe in Ondo State?”
On his part, Sunday Terebo said, “Ondo State, which way, when I saw this in Ondo town yesterday, I thought Vikings were having converged in Ondo state. Make una fear God ooo, but no withstanding fight, no dey always guiding yellow still remains the victory colour.”
For Niyi Arogbo, “Now that Aiyedatiwa has adopted a red beret, let Chief Olusola Oke use a yellow beret, while Senator Jimoh Ibrahim uses a blue beret, and Wale Akinterinwa chooses black. Make sure we systematize everything. Make sure we start the battle from there. Ondo 2024 will be so interesting.”
Omoduni Olamide: “Red Beret is known for cultism and violence. Now that the state governor has aligned with the brand. Are we safe in Ondo State?”
Reacting, the State Director of Information of LACO-FS, Kayode Fasua, distanced the group from cultism-related activities.
“It is benumbing to come across grave expressions on social media, especially through some Twitter handles (now rebranded as X), that our group is bringing cultism to Ondo State for the simple reason that we don red berets to our campaign rallies.
“While those bandying the insinuations of thuggery or cultism have bombarded the net with their tar brushes, they fail woefully to prove any instance of violence in our activities and find it hard to produce any pictorial or camera evidence of where Aiyedatiwa supporters under the aegis of LACO-FS are armed with any weapon at all, much less a dangerous one.”
[DailyPost]
Against the backdrop of the resurgence of the mass abduction of pupils, the Federal Government has said schools in 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, are at risk of attacks by bandits and insurgents.
The National Coordinator of Financing Safe Schools in Nigeria, Hajia Halima Iliya, confirmed to The PUNCH on Sunday, that the data of at-risk schools had been collected for intervention.
Iliya declined to identify the states, but the Commander of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre, Nigeria Security, and Civil Defence Corps, Hammed Abodunrin, said they included Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Benue, Yobe, Katsina, FCT, Kebbi, Sokoto, Plateau, Zamfara and three others.
No fewer than 465 pupils, teachers, and women abducted in the past week are still in the custody of their captors.
Fifteen pupils of an Islamiya school in Sokoto State were kidnapped in the early hours of Saturday, less than 72 hours after 287 schoolchildren and teachers were abducted from the LEA primary school and the Government Secondary School both at Kuriga, in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
However, 28 of them were on Sunday reported to have escaped 259 in captivity.
A few days before the Kaduna incident, 200 female Internally Displaced Persons were taken away by terrorists in Borno State.
The women were kidnapped in Ngala, the headquarters of Gambarou Ngala in Borno state while fetching firewood in the bush.
On Sunday, there were reports that nine of them had regained freedom remaining 191 in captivity.
Penultimate Thursday, bandits abducted an undisclosed number of people in the Gonin-Gora community in the same Chikun LGA of Kaduna, prompting residents to barricade the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway in protest.
As a response to the April 2014 abduction of the Chibok school girls, the Safe Schools Initiative was launched by the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown, alongside the Nigerian Global Business Coalition for Education and private sector leaders at the World Economic Forum Africa.
Safe schools
The initiative entails a combination of school-based interventions, community interventions to protect schools, and special measures for at-risk populations.
The Federal Government inaugurated the Safe Schools Fund with a $10m contribution and another $10m pledge from the private sector.
In further support for the programme, the Federal Government budgeted N15bn for the SSI in the 2023 fiscal year.
Speaking on the programme in an interview with one of our correspondents on Sunday, Iliya explained that the implementation of the SSI had started in several states.
Responding to questions on what was being done to fortify schools against bandit attacks, she said, “The project has taken off. We commenced implementation in 2023 with the flag off of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre, which we intend to replicate at state and local government levels.
“The states have selected most at-risk schools in each senatorial zone for the implementation of National Plan on Financing Safe Schools Programme (2023-2026).’’
In response to the development, the coordinator explained that state governors had expressed plans to provide funding for the SSI for the protection of pupils and teachers in the identified locations.
She added, “Some states have made provision for the Safe Schools Programme in their 2024 budget in line with the National Plan. We intend to engage the states to guide them through the implementation.
“We’ve communicated to all the states; letters have been written for inclusion of Safe Schools in their budget and for them to select the most at-risk schools. More than 11 states have responded. The budget from states is for them to work on physical infrastructure such as fencing state schools and put other control measures.’’
Iliya further disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education and the NSCDC had conducted some training for their men, adding that the Nigeria Police had trained senior officers, including all divisional police officers across the country on Safe Schools.
According to her, the security forces have commissioned equipment that would be deployed to various state commands for the operations.
“Data of at-risk schools from 14 states, including the FCT have so far been collected for intervention. The Defence headquarters and DSS (Department of Security Services) are expected to mainstream Safe Schools through capacity building of their officers. N15b was provided and released as takeoff in 2023; utilisation is still ongoing,’’ she stated.
The Commander of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre, NSCDC, Abodunrin, said the four-year project was being implemented simultaneously in all the states but in phases, adding that it began with the sensitisation and training of security personnel late last year.
He condemned the latest abductions of school pupils, noting that the attackers operated in locations with poor telecommunication service.
Abodunrin said, “The attacks are unfortunate. What the attackers do is to look for soft targets. They now go to villages where they feel they can quickly operate before help can come. They also target when communication networks are bad. The cases in Ekiti and Kaduna are examples where community members could not quickly call for help. There is also the need to raise more awareness in the communities.
“There is a need for more cooperation. Schools are to register on www.nssrcc.gov.ng detailing their addresses and at least a phone number. Registration is free. Any registered school will automatically be on a database with their coordinates for easy accessibility.
“There are patrols. Global standards do not allow security operatives to be in schools for various reasons. Those who want to target them may kill or injure students and other members of the school communities in the process. There will be more patrols.’’
The commander also said that since security requires personal attention, students and teachers would be given training on personal safety and protection.
“Equipment and platforms are also being developed to facilitate easy communication even without a network. They will be trained on this too. Capacity of various communities are being built in the areas of personal security and information management for effective preventive and response efforts,’’ he disclosed.
Adamawa, Kebbi
On the states that have been identified to be at risk of attacks, Abodunrin said, “Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Benue, Yobe, Katsina, FCT, Kebbi, Sokoto, the Plateau, Zamfara.
“These are the states where the state governments have submitted the list of vulnerable schools to Safe School Financing and some of them have already donated Response centres to NSCDC for coordination.
“Some commit to including Safe School in their budgets for the centre to commence operations. Note that all states’ commissioners for finance were addressed by Safe School Finance for cooperation. You may still seek further clarification from Finance (ministry).’’
Continuing, he noted, “Those selected (states) are where concentration is. What the centre is doing in conjunction with NSCDC is to be proactive by making the sensitisation and community engagement national.
“All states of the federation now have Safe School Desk Officers/Coordinators. These attackers would look for soft targets that they think the government is not considering at present.’’
Meanwhile, the state commands of the NSCDC in Gombe, Kano, Osun, Taraba and other states said they were involved in the SSI implementation.
The Gombe State Commandant, Muhammad Bello, noted that his officers were ensuring that no school child was abducted in its safe school project.
He said, “We are ready to face the problem even though we are dwelling in a serious challenge in the area of logistics, and transportation but I will not allow it to impede securing schools and our children. We are doing our best, shortage of mobility will never impede safeguarding children.’’
In a statement, the spokesperson for Osun NSCDC, Kehinde Adeleke, said the Safe School Programme was operational in the state but identified mobility challenges in covering all local government areas in the state.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Education, Dr Augustina Godwin, on Sunday, said the state government had beefed up security around schools, especially in areas prone to banditry attacks since November last year.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent in Jalingo, Godwin said the state government had embarked on the building of perimeter fencing of most schools in the state as a first layer of security.
Godwin said, “We have credible intelligence regarding the plans by bandits to carry out massive school children abduction in the state, and so, the sad incident in Kaduna did not come to us as a surprise.
“The government has engaged personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and the state security outfit- Taraba Marshall to provide security in our schools.
“We have also formed the Safe School Security Committee as requested by Unicef. We have also identified schools with serious security needs based on their location and we have fortified such schools with more security.
“Just last week, I embarked on supervision of schools to see the level of security presence in our schools and I was impressed with what I saw on the ground.
“For the schools that are yet to get security personnel, we have provided dedicated phone numbers for school principals and teachers to call in case of any incident,” she said.
Sub-regional forces blamed
Meanwhile, the Presidency has described the recent cases of kidnapping across the country as efforts by ‘’sub-regional geopolitical forces conspiring to undermine the government of President Bola Tinubu.’’
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Ajuri Ngelale, affirmed this when he spoke on TVC’s Politics on Sunday monitored by The PUNCH.
On the programme titled ‘Counting the Cost of Presidents Tinubu’s Reforms,’ Ngelale revealed that the Federal Government was already receiving support from the United States government for the release of students kidnapped in Kaduna.
“I will say this: across the north, we understand that some of the sub-regional geopolitical forces that are currently at play are actively conspiring against the stability of Nigeria,” said the President’s spokesman.
Ngelale assured Nigerians that the Federal Government was on top of the situation and had received support from the US government to secure the release of the school children and address the regional forces at play.
“We understand that and we are not sleeping. We are responding to it and we’re doing it in a concerted way, with our neighbours.
“And it is worth noting that the United States Government has also pledged its assistance to ensure that there is a full return of all of the schoolchildren who were kidnapped recently in Kaduna.
“But the point is we are going to continue to intensify our collaboration not just within the region, but internationally to make sure that some of the regional actors that are conspiring against our nation are brought to justice and ultimately silenced in the future,” he explained.
The Presidential spokesman lamented that with increased security in major communities in the South-East and South-West, the government was working to extend coverage to vulnerable far-flung settlements in the north.
“First of all, the President has been very clear that this is an administration of no excuses. If you look at other parts of the countries that were in flames before he took office, such as the South-East and parts of the South-West for example, you will know the level of work that has gone into securing our nation.
“Where we still have some challenges is in the North-Central in the North-West and to a lesser extent in the Northeast. There’s still a lot of work to be done along the Kaduna axis. Remember the time when you could not travel by road on the Abuja-Kaduna highway? Now, you’re able to do that.
“Now the problem is when you have these far-flung communities, we do have these hit-and-run incidences of not just violence and killings, but kidnappings and hostage-taking,” Ngelale explained.
He toed the line of the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, proposing capital punishment for kidnappers, saying, “I think that there’s going to have to be some sort of robust legislative reform that makes it clear to every citizen of our country that if you kidnap anybody, you will be killed by the justice system.
“There will be a death penalty attached to it. I don’t see how this can be solved if we don’t do this and see to its implementation.”
[Punch]
The National Pension Commission (PenCom) is neither a lender nor a custodian of funds, says Mrs Aisha Dahir-Umar, the director general.
In an interview with journalists in Abuja at the weekend, Dahir-Umar said it has become necessary to clarify “totally misleading” reports that the commission gave a N10 trillion loan to the federal government.
She further dismissed claims that PenCom was owing federal government retirees as well as insinuations that Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) have not been meeting their obligations to holders of retirement savings accounts (RSAs).
“Investments by the PFAs in the securities of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) are not loans as erroneously portrayed, but investments in securities, through bonds and treasury bills, as approved by the relevant government agencies, in this case the Debt Management Office (DMO) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). They are traded on authorized capital markets. That is, the Nigerian Exchange Limited and FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange,” she said.
“Moreover, pension fund assets are not managed by PenCom. I have said it repeatedly that when we say pension assets have grown to N19.6 trillion, that does not mean PenCom has N19.6 trillion locked somewhere in its office or bank accounts. Pension fund assets are managed by the licensed PFAs and held in custody by the licensed Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs).
“The PFAs are responsible for investing pension fund assets in allowable asset classes, including FGN (Federal Government of Nigeria) debts instruments. The objectives are safety and fair returns. All these are in line with the provisions of the enabling law, the Pension Reform Act 2014, and the rules issued by the Commission.
“It is obvious from the above that what is referred to ‘loan to FGN’ is just investment in FGN securities by the PFAs, as is done by other institutional investors such as banks, insurance companies, asset managers, etc.”
It is an international best practice to invest in investible instruments issued or backed by the sovereign authority, she said, and that the FGN securities meet the objectives of safety and fair returns.
“The FGN has consistently met its repayment obligations, both the principal amount and accrued interests, for all investments in bonds and T-bills to all investors including pension funds. The information is always in the open and accessible on our website, www.pencom.gov.ng,” she said.
On the outstanding benefits to federal government retirees and deceased employees, Dahir-Umar said it is because of “the inadequate and delayed funding for the payment of Accrued Pension Rights for those who were in service before the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) was introduced when PenCom was established in 2004.”
She added: “Payment of the accrued rights is subject to release of funds by the Federal Government. So, it is beyond the powers of the Commission. However, we have been engaging the Federal Ministry of Finance for more funds to be released to settle these liabilities, but it is not a secret that the government itself has budgetary constraints.”
All those enrolled under the CPS have been receiving their benefits through their PFAs and there is no unsolved complaint before the commission, she maintained.
[TheCable]
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has strengthened its pre-emptive surveillance of banks to unearth infractions and ensure compliance with extant rules and guidelines.
The banks have been under intense criticism in recent periods for alleged complicity in economic crimes. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) estimated that some 70 per cent of financial crimes in the country could be traced to the banking sector.
Financial industry sources yesterday said the apex bank has rejigged its surveillance mechanism to appropriately focus on banks’ financial statements and audit reports.
They told The Nation that each report will pass through multiple-level examinations.
One of the sources said the delay in the submission of the audited reports and accounts of many of the banks for last year might not be unconnected with the rigorous screening of the banks’ financial statements.
Banks that had approved their audited results and submitted the same for onward examination and approval by the CBN since the end of January 2024 are still awaiting final approval of the apex bank.
Banks cannot make public their audited reports and accounts without prior and final approval of the CBN.
The delay in the release of the banks’ results has put them in default of the corporate governance rules at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), where most banks are listed.
When asked about the delay in submission of their banks’ results, spokesmen for two major banks, who craved anonymity, said they were waiting for the apex bank’s approvals.
Post-listing rules at the NGX provide two compliance options for the submission of results. Most quoted companies including all banks, major manufacturers, oil and gas companies, breweries and cement companies use the 12-month Gregorian calendar year as their business year.
Under the first option, companies are required to submit interim or unaudited quarterly reports not later than 30 calendar days after the end of the relevant period. Such companies then have extended 90 days, after the end of the relevant period, to submit their full-year audited reports and accounts.
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However, where a company chooses to audit its quarterly accounts, it shall be required to file such accounts not later than 60 calendar days after the relevant quarter. For the first set of companies, the deadline for the submission of the audited report and accounts for the year ended December 31, 2023, is March 30, 2024. Many banks such as Jaiz Bank, Fidelity Bank and FBN Holdings adopted this option and submitted the interim results for the fourth quarter that ended December 31, 2023.
The deadline for the second set of companies, where several major banks belong, was February 29, 2024. While the rules allow the NGX to grant specific waivers to relevant companies or a general waiver of the deadline under some specific circumstances, a review yesterday indicated that the NGX has not issued any general waiver or specific, publicly announced waiver to the banks.
General waiver is usually given in the event of general disruption to industrial activities such as strikes, national crises, many public holidays and other circumstances that in the judgement of the Exchange may significantly impact the timeline given to companies to prepare and submit the quarterly report.
A review yesterday indicated that the banks had completed their internal approval process and transmitted their results to the apex bank some 40 days ago.