Be careful about online fraudsters, NYSC DG cautions Corps Members

The Director-General of the  National  Youth Service Corps, Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim, has advised Corps Members to ignore online messages from criminals offering postings to preferred locations. 

He gave the advice on Wednesday while addressing the 2022 Batch ‘A’ Stream One Corps Members at the Yakubu Gowon NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Fanisau, Jigawa State. 

Ibrahim stressed that postings and relocation were done free of charge, and warned them against making payments to anyone for those purposes. 

The Director-General further warned that it was criminal to present fake medical reports for the purpose of obtaining concessional posting, adding that anyone caught doing so would face the full wrath of the law.

He also decried the situation whereby some Prospective Corps Members with serious illnesses conceal their conditions in the course of registering for enlistment in the National Service. 

According to him, the essence of disclosure of true state of health by Prospective Corps Members was to help with decisions regarding their deployment, level of participation in camp activities and medical care.

He called on Corps Members to be guided by the spirit and letters of the Oath of Allegiance they swore to both within and beyond the service period. 

The Director-General also enjoined them to continue to preach the messages of peace and unity wherever they found themselves. 

Ibrahim advised the Corps Members to make patriotism, honesty and hard work their watchwords, stressing that they should be focused on their dreams. 

NYSC Trust Fund Act will curb crime among youths – Okpe

A University Don, Dr Okpe Okpe has once again reiterated the need for the urgent passage and assent to the National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund Act.

Okpe who spoke in Abuja at a public symposium on the operations of the Act said its urgent assent would serve as a panacea for insecurity and national disintegration.

He added that it will assist in curbing incessant cases of ritualism in the country. 

The symposium was organised by the Nigeria First in collaboration with several interest groups.

Okpe said the fund when in place will address financial constraints in training, orientation camp development, provision of sundry welfare and also mitigate the problem of employment in the country through the provision of capital to the corps members to establish their businesses.

The group called on President Muhammadu Buhari, national assembly and relevant stakeholders to join the NYSC in making sure the bill is passed and signed into law within a short time due to its importance in equipping the NYSC for more service to the country.
While applauding the national assembly for considering the NYSC Trust Fund Bill, Okpe said, “Our fervent prayer is that the bill will not only receive expedited passage but will also receive presidential assent, It is also our hope that the trust fund will provide permanent solution to the unemployment 
“Let me sieze this opportunity to commend the current director-general of the NYSC Maj. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim for initiating the idea of the Trust Fund, the fund will provide a sustainable source of funds for the NYSC, skill acquisition training and provision of start-up capital to corps members, train and retrain the personnel of the NYSC, develop camps and the NYSC formations and provide facilities therein.
NYSC Trust Fund when passed into law will also improve the general welfare of not only corps members but the general youth and unemployed Nigerians by extension, which will help in promoting national unity, integration, self-reliance and accelerated development of the national economy,” he added.

Nigeria First Convener, Richard Augustine in his welcome address said the nation needs to build an economic model where business ideas will not be killed but nurtured into business empires; where men and women of skills shall realize their dreams and potentials. 

“The youths have to be encouraged to strive collectively to end poverty, hunger and deprivation in the land using instruments such as the planned Youth Fund.

“NYSC Trust Fund, on its final stage of becoming an Act, it is actually meant to address inclusive growth in Nigeria and this fact was well canvassed during the public hearing on the Bill held on Thursday, February 24, 2021. At the said public hearing, the Director-General of NYSC, Major-General Shuaibu Ibrahim informed the nation that the Bill sought to address the infrastructural deficit in the orientation camps, ensure adequate provision of other operational logistics, as well as address the problem of graduate unemployment in the country. Moreso the President has promised the Nigerian youths of leaving a legacy behind and he is always ready to append his signature on the bill if brought to his table.

“Consequently, the appreciation goes to the leadership of the National Assembly for show commitment and proving to be on the side of the Nigerian people, our appeal also goes to all friends of the scheme, including influential public figures, civil society organizations, students’ bodies, members of the academia and media practitioners, to continue the clamour as the bill is before the Senate for conclusion and make it an Act of backed by law.

Now that the bill is before the Senate at it last stage, the lawmakers should put their seal on the revolutionary legislation. There is no doubt that when the NYSC Trust Fund becomes operational, the number of corps entrepreneurs will increase drastically, and they will in turn help to provide jobs for millions of other youths of the country. This will equally help to reduce the issue of security challenges faced in the country.

“It is instructive to note that majority of the lawmakers are products of the scheme as most of them are graduates of tertiary institutions who have participated in the scheme. From their varying and variegated experience going through the scheme, they will agree that corps members are grossly underutilised and one sure way of unleashing the real potential of the corps members is to empower them to be able to acquire new skills and put to use their training.

“It is important to point out that where the world economy is headed is 

digitization and ICT. The nation will be killing many birds with just one stone with the NYSC Trust Fund – indirectly building digital economy, digital ecosystems, digital entrepreneurs, and many more since the youths cluster there.The effect of the Fund is predictably foreseeable. Nigerian youths are creative, resilient, upwardly mobile and ambitious. Yes many will fall by the wayside but a greater majority shall grow through that intervention and become self-made, self-reliant and more importantly, employers of labour in no distant time. That is the big picture that should form the allure for the lawmakers. If for instance the NYSC scheme were a school, Nigerian graduates under 30, by graduation they are all alumni. Those of them in the House of Reps at the moment should consider themselves alumni and pass the Trust Fund Bill into law as a way of giving back to the institution, which made most of them.

The NYSC scheme has grown into an enviable and equitable brand to the point of becoming a mentor and model for similar budding youth schemes in some African countries. What this means is that the NYSC is not of prime importance to Nigeria but also to some African countries. These countries have copied the scheme from Nigeria for its great achievements. Such countries are also waiting in the wings to further learn how Nigeria is reinvigorating the scheme of which the coming Trust Fund is one and will key in as usual” he added

PMB and his New Clan

By Friday Peter

About every single Nigerian alive today rues the choice of President Muhammadu Buhari, who rode to power as a civilian president on the expectation that he was the antidote to the epidemic of corruption that has held the country back from emerging as a viable and competitive country.

When in his first term it became apparent that he has failed to show commitment to tackling corruption, he blamed the glaring failure on “corruption fighting back”. However, events of recent months have proven that the more things change the more they stay the same. President Buhari merely flipped the mat to have his assemblage of saints sit on the reversed side.

Mr. President is fully living the truism of “show me your friend and I will tell you whom you are”. Top on the list of those with access to the president today is Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu, who also is among those manipulating him to the extent that the crisis in his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), has revealed. Bagudu alongside Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai and others were able to deploy their experience in running scams to get President Buhari to sign off, with his revered signature, on a fraudulent zoning list for the party’s national positions.

It is instructive that Bagudu remains this close to the President at a time when his name is making international news, not for providing quality leadership for the hapless population of Kebbi state, but for insisting on keeping the proceeds of the theft he committed some decades ago. The brazenness. Bloomberg reported that the United States authorities will resume legal proceedings to seize over $150 million that Bagudu allegedly laundered as far back as in the 90s. What would be discovered to be missing from Kebbi State’s coffers when Bagudu is done with his tenure is better left to the imagination.

As worrisome as it is that a character of this mold hangs around a President, who is futilely attempting the cut an anti-corruption persona, it is more worrisome to learn that the administration he leads has been abusing government powers to shield Bagudu from the international consequence of his theft of money that belonged to Nigerians. Another saint in the administration, Abubakar Malami, conveniently the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, cooked up the necessary legal hogwash to explain why Nigeria cannot testify against Bagudu for this monumental theft.

Interestingly, Malami is a permanent fixture among the group of shady characters that have practically hijacked the Presidency, with the likes of Bagudu, arrogantly prancing around as the puppet masters of the man whom Nigerians elected to clean out the mess of corruption but who sadly is now the strongest enabler of sleaze.

President Buhari continuing to hobnob with Bagudu after the latest US moves to seize the money he stole has outdone that nauseous moment when he went to Kano to raise Governor Umar Ganduje’s hands and endorse him for re-election after the viral video showing Ganduje stuffing wads of dollars received as bribe into his apparel. It is no wonder that those around the President have realized that, with President Buhari, the path to sainthood is to engaged in corrupt acts in a manner that is mind-boggling.

One can only shake one’s head in contemplative regret that there was a Buhari, the fiery spartan who abhorred corruption and vowed with his every breath to root out the evil from Nigeria when elected and given the chance to clean up the system. Today’s Buhari is different. He is one that jumps into bed with the very people he should be facilitating jail terms for. Buhari as the president has become everything he hated and railed against as a candidate when he wanted to become the president of the country.

But the country now has a problem in its hands. It is bad enough that President Buhari failed to tame corruption like he promised to. It is disheartening that he elevated corrupt people to positions of influence once their ethnic and sectarian affiliation aligned with his narrow jingoist leanings. It is alarming that corruption has been institutionalized in the years Buhari has been president and would have become a sacred vocation by the time his tenure ends on May 29, 2023. What should get Nigeria worried, however, is the disaster staring us all in the face by way of Buhari prepping the band of corrupt people around him as his replacement when he is done messing our system.

In this, the response of Nigerians must be united and unequivocal. A man who failed to deliver on his anti-corruption promise when he became president has no right to further inflict his lack of integrity on Nigerians. He has in fact lost the right to meddle in how his successor will emerge since he has repeatedly proven that he will always resort to his collection of saints to source a successor. Nigeria cannot survive another administration that would not make genuine efforts to tame corruption.

Nigerians must go further to socially and politically ostracize Buhari’s band of saints, who are archangels of corruption as they would invariably sink what is left of the country. If Nigerians unite on this, there would be no need to go through the hassle of barring thieves from public offices, it would be a matter of the people declaring this set of people persona non-grata.

Peter wrote this article from Kaduna.

2023: Group holds Women rally for Funmi Ayinke

….Vows to mobilize 50 million votes

The Grassroot Women Support has vowed to mobilize about 50 million votes for Funmi Ayinke in the 2023 general elections.

The women who bore their minds at a “One million woman rally” in Abuja today said women as a significant stakeholder in the development project of any society needs to be involved in the development of the economy.

They said globally the issues of women marginalization and low participation in political leadership and decision-making have attracted much attention from stakeholders. 

Etuk Patricia who led the women said although women and men have different biological and physiological makeup, they may share common features with men regarding educational qualifications, socio-economic status, and occupation, among others. Yet, they are marginalized in virtually all spheres of public life. In many African countries, such as Nigeria, obnoxious social norms, political exclusion, and economic lopsidedness dictate the presence and voice of women in public life.

“We wish to highlight the undeniable fact that in the annals of the country, women have not had the privilege of leading this country despite their numerous contributions to the sustenance of democracy.  

“This is not to say women in the country are not qualified to lead the country, but rather the enabling environment has not been created as the history of Nigeria is replete with heroic exploits of women that are pacesetters, energetic, industrious and policy experts in governance and development. 

She said the Nigerian Women Coalition for Good Governance has looked wide and far in consultation and concluded that Ambassador Funmi Ayinke, whose penchant for the country’s development, has been noteworthy. 

“Her antecedent speaks volumes of a woman who is industrious, energetic and with the requisite experience and qualifications to turn around the fortunes of the country if allowed to lead this country in 2023. 

“Our endorsement of Ambassador Funmi Ayinke is hinged on the undeniable fact that she has proven herself the amazon of our time through her numerous exploits in her career and philanthropic activities. 

“Her development model has also elicited commendations from near and far in ways too numerous to mention. This much has been attributed to her leadership attributes that indicate a woman of substance whose penchant for thinking outside the box is legendary and what is required in addressing the myriads of challenges confronting the country. 

“Therefore, our firm conviction is that Ambassador Funmi Ayinke is well-positioned to lead the country to greater heights. We, therefore, call on all well-meaning Nigerians to roll out the drums in support of this amazon of our time in her quest to lead this country come 2023. 

“She is young, experienced, and an entrepreneur of repute who built a conglomerate from scratch by dint of hard work and resilience. Today, we wish to state that Ambassador Funmi Ayinke is the messiah Nigeria is waiting for. It behoves on all and sundry to work assiduously towards the actualization of a dream centred on the country’s collective good. 

“The Nigerian Women Coalition for Good Governance wishes to inform the generality of the Nigeria people that the time is indeed now for a paradigm shift in governance in the country and Ambassador Funmi Ayinke is that credible choice come 2023” the group said.

APC Convention: El- Rufai out to Tarnish President’s Image, Character- Group

A group, the Buhari Core Supporters Network (BCSN) has alleged that Governor Nasir el- Rufai of Kaduna state is out to tarnish the image of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The group also alleged that Governor is behind the leaked All Progressive Congress (APC) zoning documents making the rounds and therefore, urge that he must be punished for his indiscretion.  

President of the group, Badamosi Luqman in a statement issued in Abuja said it is callous that documents with President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature were released under such questionable circumstances especially when the matter the documents related to is one that is controversial and has consequences for the sustenance of Nigeria’s democracy. 

He said since the documents surfaced, President Buhari has come under unwarranted abuses and criticism from within and outside the party, including people labeling him a dictator who has hijacked his party members’ right to elect those to lead the party.

“We have consulted those that are familiar with the circumstances behind the leaked documents and have found out that only El-Rufai had custody of the original documents and is consequently the only person that could have leaked them, which we now have cause to believe he did to further his own agenda.

“As a state governor and a public office holder who took the statutory oaths to assume office, El-Rufai should have known the error in releasing such sensitive documents to the public when he was not authorized to do so. It is doubtful that he would take it lightly for any of his aides or subordinates to commit the same crime he has committed.

“We are worried that the same El-Rufai who is acting behind the name of President Buhari and leveraging Nigeria’s first citizen’s name to destroy the APC while at the same time keeping up the pretext of being on the President’s side” he said 

Luqman said t is even more irksome that Governor El- Rufai is justifying his action to his associates as purportedly acting to promote a northwest agenda, which we know to be a pack of lies as he has now proven that his intention is to actualize his cabal’s selfish dreams and ambitions while destroying everything that President Buhari has worked and lived for over the years. 

“BCSN categorically warns El- Rufai that he has done enough damage to the image of President Muhammadu Buhari and should in the name of God and everything he holds dear to his heart allow the President to end his service to Nigerians without further tarnish from people like him.

“We urge President Buhari to order an investigation into the leakage of the documents with a view to confirming the person(s) behind the leak, their motives, and determining the befitting sanctions to discourage such irresponsible behavior in the future.  

“BCSN further urge the leadership of the APC, irrespective of what President Buhari does in this matter, to separately punish the Kaduna State governor, who has effectively pitched party members against each other with the leak. The party must send a strong message by ensuring that all those he got President Buhari to endorse are voted against at the party’s national convention for being part of the maligning the President’s reputation” he added

FEC may review Kaduna – Kano rail project as Amaechi accuses Chinese contractor of playing politics

Obviously displeased Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has accused the China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) of consciously frustrating the delivery of the Kaduna-Kano rail project for political reasons.

The Minister who speaking to journalists during the inspection of the project and other facilities in Kano on Saturday said the CCECC is playing politics with the project.

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He threatened to speak more about the project after Wednesday Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

“I think the CCECC is beginning to play politics. They should move away from politics and focus on construction. And I think they need to complete the Kaduna-Kano rail as planned.

“I think what they’re doing is delay the project for this government to come to end,” he said.

Amaechi explained that the speed is extremely slow. They are supposed to have over 2,000 equipment on this project, they have just 541 so far. They claimed that over 300 are in Kaduna. We have sent a team to check. But even if you add that, you will still have just over 800. Just over 800 equipment compared to 2,000, means something is wrong somewhere” he said.

“I know they will claim that we haven’t funded them but part of their responsibility in the contract is for them to look for the money. CCECC hasn’t given us money. Chinese haven’t given us money. So they can’t afford to delay it because is their responsibility to look for the money. That’s what the CCECC must do. But I will address the press and Nigerians on Wednesday after we meet with CCECC. If there is no difference, I will tell the country what’s going on.

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He said the report from the project consultant show the project is just about five percent completed, which is unacceptable.

He also described as unacceptable the fact that the contractor was yet to commence work on the Port-Harcourt/Maiduguri rail line, saying, “we have given them some money. They ought to have started work by now but if you go there, nothing is happening. It is an old track. We can’t just give you money and you go to sleep.”

The Minister however assured Nigerians that when completed, the project would be of high standard, saying, “quality is guaranteed. Quality is not our problem. Our problem is speed.”

The 204km rail corridor consists of 13 large and medium sized bridges, 17 framed bridges, 60 highway overpasses, 12 pedestrian overpasses and three stations.

Amaechi also visited the Dala Inland Dry Port, Kano where work was going on at impressive speed.

Managing Director, Dala Inland Dry Port, Ahmad Rabiu, told the Minister that all that was left were electrical fittings and minor works for operations to begin at the port just in weeks.

The Minister was accompanied on the trip by the Permanent Ministry, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani: Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria (NRC) among others.

2023: Group to hold one-million-woman Funmi Ayinke for President rally

As the 2023 presidential election edges closer, the clamour for Nigeria’s first female president has continued to gather momentum.

Further pushing this agenda are a group of concerned women across the country who have tipped renowned philanthropist, Amb Funmi Ayinke for the job.

Led by its convener Princess Uju Chukwu, the group have pledged to hold a one-million-woman rally in solidarity with their fellow woman.

According to a statement signed by Princess Uju, as the name implies, women in their numbers from the 36 States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory will participate in the mass action.

She said the women are united in a common course; a female presidency and Ayinke as their preferred choice.

Uju said Ayinke was selected from a strong list that consisted of nine other distinguished women who have not only excelled in their professional careers but shown competence, capacity and capability to govern.

Of the 10, she noted that Ayinke had an edge due to her philanthropy, humanitarian and selfless services.

“If it has happened in Liberia, Malawi and Tanzania, we believe Nigeria is ripe for a female president. Now is the perfect time,” Uju said.

“Women are no longer begging to be included anymore, no. Rather they want to take over the helms of affairs.

“Ayinke is our choice. She ticks all the boxes; young, visionary and selfless. She is an accomplished professional who has carved a niche for herself in the engineering sector and would definitely transform the nation if she emerges president.

“Yes, she wasn’t the only choice. There were over 50. We narrowed the list to 10 and ultimately Ayinke was picked by the overwhelming majority of our selection committee members.

“At the last polls, it was gathered that over 40 per cent of the actual voters were women. However, this isn’t reflected in the representation that we get”.

Uju, therefore, urged other women to join the movement, noting that this is for the future of their daughters.

She added that if these over 40 per cent of the country’s voters can settle for a fellow woman, then Ayinke can emerge.

Uju, however, appealed to Ayinke to publicly declare her interest in the presidency.

She also urged females from all works of life to join the one-million-woman rally.

GANDUJE TO UNVEIL DALA DRY PORT LOGO, THEME ON MONDAY

Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, will on Monday March 7, 2022 unveil the Theme and Logo of the Dala Dry Port at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.

The event which will hold at the Lagos room of the hotel by 11 am is a prelude to Kano Economic Investment summit which will
showcase the DALA DRY PORT as a major transport infrastructure and other sectors like the Kano economic city that will stimulate industrialisation and commerce.

According to a statement signed Thursday by the Kano State Commissioner for information, Mohammed Garba, the Dry Port will make Kano a hub of domestic and international trade.

“It will diversify the economic base of the country,” he said.

The statement revealed that the unveiling of the Logo and Theme shall have in attendance major stakeholders in the industry including; The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA), Shipping lines, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), National Inland water ways Authority (NIWA) and Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding (CRFFN).

Others are the Chairman Dangote group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, The Chairman BUA group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu, a host of others from the business community and Royal Fathers led by the Emir of Kano, His Royal highness Aminu Ado Bayero.

Process for establishment of national carrier resumes next week, Sirika assures aviation correspondents

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has announced that the ministry will advertise for requests for proposals on the establishment of a national carrier next week Monday.

He also said the process for the concession of Nigeria’s four major international airports will be completed in the second quarter of 2022.

Sirika disclosed this Wednesday while playing host to the Executive Committee members of the Abuja Transport and Aviation Correspondents Association (ATACA) in his office in Abuja.

The Federal Government has been making efforts to concession Nigeria’s major international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano.

Sirika said, “The transaction advisers for the concession have finished the Outline Business Case and had got the Request for Qualification. We’ve pre-qualified the people and they’ve been issued Request for Proposal.

“They’ve turned the proposals in and we are analysing them to announce the successful bidders and this will be soon. Our timetable is for the first quarter of this year.

“Well, I can see that it is still happening, let’s be very ambitious, but certainly it will end in second quarter and all the (identified) airports will be concessioned.”

The minister further noted that many airports have been established since the current administration took over government in 2015.

He said, “There are more airports today than when we came in 2015. There’s Anambra and Lafia airports; there is Ekiti airport, going on; Makurdi airport, going on; Yobe airport, Ebonyi airport and many other airports.

“We have about 12 new airports added since we came and this is growth. And we have the same in other aspects of the sectors, as more runways are being added, more capacities for the airports are being delivered.

Sirika said the government was diligently implementing the key components of the aviation sector roadmap, adding that “we are very sure that before the end of the term of Mr. President, these things will be achieved and realised.”

The minister also revealed plans to begin the issuing of requests for proposal to intending investors for the establishment of the national carrier on March 8, 2022.

He said, “The transitional adviser is going to request for proposal next week Monday. Government will own five per cent, Nigerians will own 46 per cent and the international partners airlines will take 49 per cent shares.

“We will give them some weeks to respond to the request, then we will announce the winning bidder. However, in the interim, because government intends to own only five per cent of the airline shares, we are going to go ahead with the AOC (Air Operator Certificate) which has commenced since.”

Sirika added, “I believe that by April, we should be able to have our AOC ready, which means, we are ready to start. And once the AOC is in our hands, the offices are secured, the interim board is being constituted, and when they finish signing the contract, we will announce who they are.

“Currently, they are called interim because they will hold the airline on an interim bases up to the time the investors will come and take over.”

Sirika said the interim board members “are noble people, some are Nigerians, some are not. I think they are about nine of them to run the airline and they will begin operations between now and July.”

He said that within the period, Nigeria Air would run Lagos and Abuja, “and as the situation demands, they may extend to Port Harcourt and other parts of the country.”