Author: Lawal AbdulSalam Olawale

The Federal Government has launched the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, Self-Service Enrolment System in a bid to make the National Identity Number, NIN, accessible to Nigerians.

The system, powered by Banksforte Limited, was launched by the Minister of Interior, Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the acting Director General/CEO of NIMC, Engr Abisoye Coker-Odusote, at the National Identity Day celebration on Saturday.

 

In an interview with DAILY POST, Dayo Bankole, the Managing Director of Barnksforte Limited, explained that the App would help end the bottlenecks of NIN enrolment, as well as name, age, marital status and other NIN-related updates.

He noted that Nigerians in rural areas can access the App nationwide.

 

According to him, the system is going to be a game changer in NIN enrolment.

 

“The problem this is going to be solving is allowing people to take care of changing their addresses, their date of birth, their names, in case they get married that name change at the comfort of their home rather than travelling spending a lot of money being at the National Identity Management Commission’s office spending more expenses to be able to change names.

Once we have a smartphone, you can download the app, register and change your data and send it in, and those will approve it,” he stated.

 

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says the present corps administration will ensure complete realisation of the five per cent reduction in road traffic deaths and injuries across the country.

 

The Corps Marshal, FRSC, Mr Dauda Biu, said this during the 2023 Special Marshals Sectoral workshop on Saturday in Abuja

.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the workshop was, “Volunteerism In Road Safety Management: Limits and Possibilities.”

Biu, who was represented by Deputy Corps Marshal (DCM), Mr Shehu Zaki, said that five per cent reduction in road traffic deaths was achievable.

 

He said that it could be achieved by improving capacity for data collection,

analysis and management to enhance road safety policy formulation.

 

The FRSC boss said that there was a need to always review the Corps activities and analyse the impacts of these activities in the reduction of crashes on Nigerian Roads.

 

According to him, road traffic crashes are not accidents, but are as a result of the actions or inactions of human beings.

 

“It is therefore preventable. Road Safety advocacy is not for the FRSC alone rather, it is a shared responsibility involving us all.

 

“If we resolve today to play our roles in this task, Nigeria will be saving her precious human capital; and the time for action is now,” he said.

 

Biu said that the Corps in a bid to boost its efforts in achieving its statutory mandate, established a volunteer arm known as Special Marshals.

 

These, he said, are men and women of proven integrity with legitimate and verifiable sources of livelihood in the society, who had interest to serve humanity without any remuneration attached.

He noted that volunteerism was about having a selfless, nationalistic and contributory mind-set as it had no economic undertone.

 

The corps marshal added that Special Marshals should not be perceived as persons who are only volunteering for pecuniary interest.

 

“People should remember that the attributes of a volunteer are delivery of services that must benefit others, and all services should be done without expectation of a reward.

 

“Road safety is a shared responsibility. Therefore, I congratulate you all on the work you do to reduce crashes on our roads.

Together, we will ensure that the FRSC 2023 Corporate Strategic Goal in enhancing road safety partnership for innovative intervention

and accomplishing five per cent reduction in road traffic crashes and injuries is achieved,” Biu said.

 

Speaking, Dr Yusuf Suberu, Squadron Leader, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), FCT, called on the motoring public to avoid speeding to save lives and property.

 

Suberu, who is also the National Coordinator, Road Traffic and Vehicle Inspection Mayors, said that the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) had been collaborating and giving support to the FRSC.

 

He assured that the VIO would continually synergise with the necessary sister agencies to ensure that the roads are safe for all.

 

“We have been collaborating and giving support in all areas. We have worked together in synergy to ensure the roads are free.

I tell drivers and motorists that it is better to be late than to be the late(dead).

 

“Crashes must occur naturally, But you need to slow down and obey traffic rules where and when necessary,” he said.

 

The high points of the event were the cutting of the cake, decoration of honorary special marshals, presentation of certificates of recognition and awards among others.

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, on Saturday, said ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo ordering traditional rulers in Oyo State to stand and greet Governor Seyi Makinde, at a project inauguration in Iseyin, Oyo State, was tantamount to desecration of Yoruba traditional stools.

 

A short video of Obasanjo, who spoke in Yoruba language, had surfaced on the Internet, expressing displeasure to the monarchs for not rising to greet Makinde, describing the action of royal fathers as disrespectful to the office of the governor.

 

Reacting, Oba Akanbi, in a statement signed by his Press Secretary, Alli Ibrahim, condemned the former president’s action and demanded a letter of apology from him.

 

The statement partly read, “I trust myself and my stool. In death, there are certain things my soul will not take let alone when alive, active, and kicking. I only blame the monarchs who stood in obeisance to such an ignoble and desecration of traditional institutions from the old man. Respect should be earned not demanded.

 

“Traditional rulers respect their subjects too. There is a way respect is accorded to people of old age and position by monarchs. Kingship is an institution of God. As such, relating with kings requires a high sense of modesty, courtesy, and respect.

 

“The display by the former president of Nigeria, General Obasanjo was an affront, an intentional desecration and sacrilege against revered stools of Yorubaland. An injury to one is an injury to all. Yoruba traditional rulers are not uniform men anyone can command at will. I don’t blame him, those royal fathers who stood up to obey such an embarrassing direction are to be blamed.

 

Insisting that Yoruba monarchs could not be treated as uniform men who would be ordered around, the Oluwo blamed the royal fathers who responded to Obasanjo’s order.

The show by the former general is condemnable. Yoruba traditional institutions demand an apology for the open desecration to molest and bring down the institution. He needs to prove himself as a core Yoruba man with an apology letter. Kings are not toddlers. We are fathers. He will never dare that against the Northern Emirs.”

President Bola Tinubu will be using the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to exploit his administration’s economic diplomacy, according to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Chief Ajuri Ngelale.

 

Ngelale disclosed this to State House Correspondents on Friday in Abuja.

 

He said that the president would also meet with global business chief executives and world leaders on the sidelines of the annual 78th UNGA holding from Sept. 19 to Sept. 23

 

The 78th Session of the UNGA will feature the High-Level General Debate under the theme, “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all”.

 

The UN General Assembly delivers recommendations on many international issues and manages internal UN appointments and budget approval.

 

Each UN member state gets one vote in the assembly.

 

For years, the assembly has struggled to make its work more substantive and transparent, and experts say reform is needed.

 

The 2023 debate will centre on climate change, the war in Ukraine and countries’ progress toward their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

‘’Aside from the engagements he is going to be having at the General Assembly, aside from the act of participation that the Nigerian delegation will be engaging in at the assembly, there are series of very important side activities that will have wide ranging ramifications on the Nigerian economy.

 

‘’Mr President will be meeting with major chief executives and leaders of multinational firms cutting across multiple sectors of the economy. The President will be meeting with the President of the Microsoft Company worldwide, Brad Smith, and Sir Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs for Meta technologies.

He will also meet with the global CEO of General Electric, the global CEO of Exxon Mobil Oil and Gas Company. We see this as a major opportunity to once again lay out in detail what Nigeria has to offer with respect to the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act, and the fiscal and tax incentives.

Ngelale added that the president would also participate in the Africa Global Business Initiative to showcase Nigeria’s potential to high level chief executives from around the world.

 

He said that Tinubu would also chair Nigeria’s Small and Medium Scale Business Summit where opportunities abound to launch the country’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises into the world market.

 

‘’This is really a very strategic one. The President is determined to ensure that we don’t just look at large industries but that we key in on opportunities that are being presented by MSMEs to make an impact in foreign markets.

 

‘’Yes, the President is focused on attracting foreign direct investment, attracting jobs, attracting new tax revenues into the shores of our country. But he’s also focused in on making sure that home-grown Nigerian companies have fair and equal access to foreign and international markets.

In addition to that, the President will be speaking at the UN High Level reform of the global financial architecture. It will allow our president to lay out his vision for a fairer international financial system that does not any longer leave out developing countries from the decision making table.’’

 

Besides, Ngelale said that Tinubu would have bilateral discussions with various presidents and heads of government including the Presidents of the USA, Comoros, South Africa, the European Union, Brazil, Algeria, Prime Ministers of Netherlands and Spain as well as the King of Jordan.

 

‘’There are some that will still be added, but it’s fair to say that within a very short few days in New York, the President will certainly be one of the most active and sought after with respect to his engagements in both bilateral and multilateral platforms,’’ he said

Brig.-Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed, Director General, NYSC, has urged corps members to embark on massive grassroots gender sensitisation and advocacy campaign against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) against women.

 

The DG gave the challenge in Lokoja on Friday during the commencement of the corps’ Phase one of Grassroots Gender Sensitisation and Advocacy Campaign against GBV in rural communities.

 

Represented by the Kogi NYSC Coordinator, Mrs Mofoluwaso Williams, the DG expressed worry over the spate of gender inequality and gender violence against women and in some cases against men in most rural communities in the North.

 

Ahmed said that the campaign was a well thought out initiative of the Reforms Unit of the NYSC, which would be implemented on the platform of the Corps Gender Vanguards, with the aim of exposing the ills of gender-based violence and gender inequality.

 

“It’s unfortunate that gender issues are often misconstrued as affecting females alone, but in reality it’s a matter of interest to both sexes, including their rights and responsibilities.

 

“It’s also important to remind all and sundry that gender based violence is not only physical and psychological but also constitutes abuse of the fundamental human right of the victims, ” he said.

 

According to him, this misconception informs the choice of the theme: “Gender equality, respect all,” to tell the society the importance of it.

 

He explained that in the past, some societies considered the female as weaker sex and tend to ascribe certain roles that relegated them to the background.

 

The NYSC boss added: “It has since become clear that some societal roles are not necessarily determined by our biological make-up alone and therefore, can change with time and in different situations.”

 

While declaring open the campaign, the DG appealed to all and sundry to support the NYSC gender vanguard through the provision of the enabling environment for greater impact of the campaign for a better society.

 

Earlier In his welcome address, Mr Sunday Aroni, State NYSC Head Reforms Unit, thanked the DG for expressly granting approval for the event in spite of other competing demands for scarce resources.

 

 

 

He noted that the programme could not have come at better time than now when the whole world was clamoring for protection of human rights.

 

Aroni said, “NYSC has been in the fore front in the fight against gender inequality through the instrumentality of corps gender vanguards with the aim of exposing the ills of gender-based violence in our society.

 

“The gender we all know is for both sexes, male and female, whose equal rights to education, protection against all forms of abuse and molestation remain sacrosanct.

 

“Let us all, therefore, say no to all forms of abuse and molestation of our children who are the future leaders.”

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the campaign is taking place simultaneously in rural communities across the northern states. (NAN)(www.

There was mild drama on Friday when former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in a trending video on social media, ordered some Yoruba monarchs to stand up and greet him.

 

Obasanjo who was in Oyo state on the invitation of governor Seyi Makinde made the remarks during the commissioning of a 34.85 km Oyo-Iseyin Road and the completed Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Iseyin Campus, which houses the College of Agricultural Sciences and Renewable Natural Resources.

 

He said in Yoruba, “I greet the kings and chiefs here sitting; I am grateful that you are here. Let me say this: wherever the president or governor is, the kings present must stand up to honour him.

 

“In Yoruba land, there are two things that are most respected among others: age and position. When a governor is still in power, he’s more powerful than any king.

 

“Even when I was president, I prostrated for kings outside, and when we went inside, the kings would prostrate for me. So, let’s always celebrate our culture.

Five persons lost their lives in a road accident that occurred at the dilapidated Odumodu Junction by Nteje, along the Onitsha-Awka Expressway in Anambra.

The junction is prone to accident because vehicles, especially the heavy duty trucks which usually find it difficult to maneuver.

 

The crash involved two vehicles, a Mitsubishi L300 commercial bus with registration number: XE245AWK and a commercial DAF Leyland truck with registration number: T-19094LA.

It was gathered that the accident was caused when the container of the truck fell on the commercial bus at the bad spot as the driver was navigating through the failed portion of the road.

An eyewitness said the two vehicles were moving in opposite directions when the accident happened.

According to the eye witness, 10 people, comprising three male adults and seven female adults were involved in the crash.

The eyewitness said: “Five persons, all female, were killed, while two male adults and two female adults sustained various degrees of injury, while one male adult was rescued unhurt.

“The two vehicles got to the spot at the same time and due to the weight of the truck, the container fell on the bus and crashed as the two drivers were finding a safer spot to put their tyres”

The acting Sector Public Education Officer of Federal Road Safety Corps, Margaret Onabe, who confirmed the accident said the probable cause of the fatal crash was attributed to the failed portion of the road.

 

President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of Dr. Olayemi Michael Cardoso to serve as the new Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

 

According to a press statement by presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, on Friday evening, Cardoso will serve for a term of five (5) years at the first instance, pending his confirmation by the Nigerian Senate.

This directive is in conformity with Section 8 (1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, which vests in the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the authority to appoint the Governor and Four (4) Deputy Governors for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), subject to confirmation by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

Furthermore, President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of four new Deputy Governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for a term of five (5) years at the first instance, pending their confirmation by the Nigerian Senate,” he stated.

 

The new Deputy Governors include Mrs. Emem Nnana Usoro, Mr. Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Mr. Philip Ikeazor, and Dr. Bala M. Bello.

 

“In line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, the President expects the above listed nominees to successfully implement critical reforms at the Central Bank of Nigeria, which will enhance the confidence of Nigerians and international partners in the restructuring of the Nigerian economy toward sustainable growth and prosperity for all,” Ngelale stated