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Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Tuesday said the automation of Nigeria’s passport application is 99 per cent completed.

 

Ojo, speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today said the automated application will become operational in a week’s time noting that after completion, Nigerians will only go to immigration centres to do fingerprint biometrics for their passports.

 

He further revealed that with the new system, Nigerians can upload their passport photographs and other supporting documents from the comfort of their homes.

 

The minister said, “We gave a date — December 2023. We are 99 per cent done. In fact, we have done the testing and we should be going live in the next week or thereabouts.

Everything regarding pre-biometrics will be done in the comfort of your homes, including uploading passport photographs and supporting documents.

 

“They will have gone live about two weeks ago but I saw some errors when they came to do the presentation and I said no. We were talking about balancing national security and convenience.

In the interview, the minister also disclosed that e-gate systems would be installed at international airports in the country by February 2024.

 

“By February, all our international airports will have e-gates

 

“Once you are a Nigerian coming to Nigeria, you have no business seeing an immigration officer except if you are a person of interest,” he disclosed

 

By Paul Ejime

Nigerian philanthropist General TY Danjuma (GCON) (Rtd) has commissioned a state-of-the-art high-efficiency Medical Centre in Enugu, Enugu State capital built and equipped by the TY Danjuma Foundation, in furtherance of his commitment to transforming the lives of the poor.

At a ceremony on Tuesday 28th November, attended by dignitaries including government officials and members of the host Umuchimgbo Iji Nike, Abakpa Community in Enugu East Local Government Area, Gen. Danjuma, cut the ribbons to unveil the multimillion Naira Goodwill Medical Centre (GMC).

He was accompanied by the Enugu State deputy Governor Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, who represented Governor Peter Ndubisi Mbah, Prof. Uche Amazigo, her husband, Prof John Amazigo and the Anglican Bishop of Enugu Dioceses Emmanuel Olisa Chukwuma (OON).

“This magnificent edifice can only be built by women at the price they accounted to me,” the General said, in a tribute to Prof Amazigo, the brain behind the GMC project, and an acknowledgement of female fund managers, adding: “Men will take your money and you won’t see any building or money. So, join me to salute and congratulate Prof Uche and her team for a job well done.”

Gen. Danjuma recalled how “Prof Uche, accompanied by two other female professors, had presented a request (to him) to provide financial support for building and equipping a low-cost high efficiency medical centre to provide excellent medical services by predominantly female medical doctors, nurses and midwives, who chose to dedicate their time to humanity.”

Before then, he said, his first encounter with Prof Amazigo was in 2010, when she was Director of the Burkina Faso-based WHO African Programme for River Blindness Control, WHO/APOC.

She had approached him for support to the Programme and in response to that request, Gen. Danjuma donated US$1 million during a meeting in Abuja, where he represented President Goodluck Jonathan. Prof Amazigo as the first female Director, steered the WHO/APOC programme from control to elimination stage freeing 140,000 communities of the debilitating blinding disease in 19-endemic African countries before her retirement from the UN System in 2011.

Gen. Danjuma also disclosed that Prof Amazigo served on the Board of Trustees of TY Danjuma Foundation for eight years free of charge.

Enugu State Governor Mbah, represented by his deputy, Barr Ossai, described Gen. Danjuma as a detribalised Nigerian and commended him for his philanthropic endeavours through the TY Danjuma Foundation.

He said the Enugu Medical Centre would complement government’s efforts in providing accessible and affordable healthcare services to low-income families and the poor in the state.

Speaking in the same vein, the Enugu East Local Government Chairman Livinus Anike praised Gen, Danjuma for his contributions to Nigeria’s development.

In her address of welcome, Prof Amazigo said although she hailed from Anambra state, born and grew up in neighbouring Abia State: “The experiences of working across impoverished areas, the spirit of giving and the desire to honour the students I taught at UNN (University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus), led to the idea of GMC.”

“Among the important lessons I learned from the rural people in many countries is that the high rate of deaths of our children is because mothers and fathers have no voice in any of the systems – particularly in education, health and they have no market power.

“But the people (poor families) are eager and willing to be part of the solution to their problems if we agree to engage them,” she explained, adding that the 2,000 members of low-income families in Umuchimgbo and other Abakpa environs interviewed for the project, expressed their willingness to participate.

“Our objective is to provide quality healthcare for all. This Centre with the assistance of seven Consultant specialists and Professors, will provide low-cost treatment for indigent patients and charge others (the rich) the standard medical fees. The Centre has a plan for the enrolment of 1,000 or more indigent people randomly selected from communities, into the National Health Insurance Authority/ Group, Individual, Family Social Health Insurance Programme (NHIA GIFSHIP),” Prof Amazigo affirmed.

She thanked the Enugu State government, the Local Government Area, the community, and their traditional ruler HRH Chief Jude Agu, for buying into the GMC dream.

She also expressed appreciation to her colleagues for their contributions and her siblings and family for their support.

Prof Amazigo advocated that a philanthropist such as General Danjuma and not-for-profit organisation – the TY Danjuma Foundation, should be encouraged for their contributions and investments in the health of the population through state government financial and technical supports to health initiatives such as the GMC project.

The TY Danjuma Foundation has funded more than 200 pro-poor projects of over 42.2 million dollars implemented by 150 grantees in Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

 

Abuja:  Some eminent Nigerians have urged young lawyers to imbibe the virtue of integrity and hardwork in order to be successful in their career.

Some of the respondents, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Monday night at an event to celebrate Mr Adeola Adedipe on his elevation to the rank of senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged them to be diligent and focused.

Mr Mahmud Magaji, SAN, said young lawyers should emulate Adedipe’s attitude to the profession.

“My advice is that they (young lawyers) should learn from Adedipe. They should try to imbibe the virtues of legal practice as done by Adedipe and they will get their too,” he said.

Magaji described Adedipe as a “very sound lawyer, extremely reliable and very mobile in law.”

“I can suggest him to any person who needs a service of a lawyer. He is a fantastic lawyer,” he added.

On the honour of SAN conferred on him, the senior lawyer said: “If I have my way, I will still recommend him.

“I think he is a person every lawyer will be proud to recommend for the rank of a senior advocate and I am glad he is a senior advocate now.”

A Court of Appeal Judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, described Adedipe as “a thorough-bred professional, hardworking, cool headed and a gentleman.”

Kolawole, who said the rank was deserving, said: “I am sure that being in the inner bar, Adedipe will hard more quality to the quality of advocacy.”

Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi of Department of Communications, Baze University, Abuja, said Adedipe had been a very focused person, disciplined, dedicated and professional.

According to him, I am not really surprised that he has become a senior advocate of Nigeria.
“I have interacted with him, shared opinions with him and sought his legal opinions on so many things happening in the country,especially when it comes to political litigations.

“And of course from his depth; his penetrating insight, something told me that he was going to get to the peak of the profession. So I am not surprised,” he said.

On her part, Sen. Grace Bent, who represented Adamawa South Senatorial District in the 6th National Assembly, said Adedipe was a very phenomenal lawyer and unassuming.
“He is very prolific and dynamic, very bold and courageous
“Few years ago, I told him that I see you having this title to your name. It has happened today.
“It is a very glorious day for us and a day the lord has made and we shall rejoice and be glad indeed.
“This is just the beginning. You have not seen anything yet.
“There is nothing a man gets unless God has given him from above.
“You will be celebrated beyond the shores of Nigeria,” she said.
Brent also commended Adedipe’s wife for the unflinching support.
Responding, Adedipe thanked everyone who honoured his invitation, saying the honour was a spur to do more work.
NAN reports that 58 lawyers were conferred with the prestigious rank of SAN at the Supreme Court on Monday.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

 

Flowerbudnews: Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, has emerged as the Chairman, ECOWAS Inter-ministerial Committee on Social Protection in west Africa Sub-region

Edu automatically becomes the chairman following the approval of the chairman of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government and Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, “a statement on Monday by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Rasheed Zubair, explained.

Speaking following the development, the minister called for private sectors and development partners’ Involvement in the regional social protection framework, saying “time for action is now.”

Speaking in Banjul, the Capital of the Republic of Gambia, during the closing session of the hybrid inter-ministerial meeting to adopt the ECOWAS regional social protection framework and operational plan,

Dr. Edu told the session that the adoption of the social protection framework by member countries and full implementation was key to overcoming humanitarian and poverty challenges in West Africa.

She harped on the imperativeness of member countries of the Economic Community of West Africa States, (ECOWAS) to work towards achieving maximum social protection in the sub-region.

Describing the meeting as crucial and remarkable as it is expected to grow the great initiatives and long-term efforts of the ECOWAS Commission with the support of partners in birthing the social protection instruments in the sub-sub-region, Minister who chaired the event virtually argued that;

 

“Social Protection is a fundamental human right and should not be regarded as a privilege. It is a social and economic necessity that has proven to be a stabilizer in times of crises and shock, and it is meant to be provided throughout life circle”

 

Dr. Edu pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the yawning gaps in the social protection of the world, particularly in the West African sub-region, which has one of the lowest social protections in the continent.

 

Records, she disclosed, have shown that the coverage of Social Protection in the ECOWAS region is the lowest in the continent with an average of about 17% of the population receiving at least one form of social protection benefits and spending is equally low as studies show that as little as 1% of the GDP of member States is spent on social protection benefits apart from health considered a far cry in comparison to international standards which should not be acceptable in West Africa.

Citing Nigeria as an example, the Minister, however, acknowledged that member states were making giant strides towards addressing issues of social protection at the national level by developing policies and structures/programs to change the narratives.

She said Nigeria is presently implementing one of the highest social protection interventions that covers 15 million households and, by extension, 61 million individuals through conditional cash transfers. This she said was the first of its magnitude and coverage in Africa by President Bola Tinubu, who is also the Chairman of ECOWAS, showing leadership in social protection within the region.

 

“Nigeria has a National Policy on Social Protection developed and other ancillary policies that will facilitate its operationalization, like the Cash and Voucher Assistance policy in Humanitarian context have equally been developed to guide actors in providing cash transfer assistance to the persons of concern in humanitarian setting.

 

“Also in terms of structures, we have Several Agencies and parastatals dedicated to providing various social protection assistance to different categories of the population of Nigeria to lift millions out of poverty through different Social Investment and intervention programs under the watch of the ministry of humanitarian Affairs and poverty alleviation.

 

“All interventions including humanitarian interventions are now redesigned through the lenses of the Humanitarian- Development-Peace nexus to ensure sustainable response.

importantly, a Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund has equally been approved by the Federal Executive Council to ensure the mobilization of resources for social protection interventions,” she said.

 

Dr. Edu who told the audience that the time for action is now, stressed that the Social Protection Framework for West Africa was intended to provide a broad set of guidelines and principles to ECOWAS and the Member States in the design and delivery of social protection interventions.

 

She was of the view that the effort was driven by the principle that the provision of comprehensive and adequate social protection would contribute to the improvement in the quality of life of the citizenry.

 

“In the light of the region’s exposure to a wide range of covariate shocks and common cross-border socio-economic challenges, the Framework aims at fostering higher levels of regional collaboration to broaden existing social protection systems and programs through a more coherent and effective approach to poverty reduction (SDG 1) and food and nutrition insecurity eradication (SDG 2) END HUNGER”, Dr. Edu emphasized.

 

The Framework, according to the Nigerian Minister, contributes to the achievement of several social protection-related SDG targets, especially SDG target 1.3, which seeks to implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all.

Also, speaking at the Closing Ceremony of the ECOWAS Regional Session, the Vice President of the Gambia, Muhammad Jallow, commended the commitment of the member states on social protection in the region.

 

“The framework seeks to address endemic issues such as financing, coverage, climate risk, and informality in our economies amongst others.

 

“One of the fundamental challenges in our region is that project-based social protection is ad hoc and unpredictable. As a region, we must move to mainstream social protection into our annual budgets.

 

“The Gambia hosted an international Social Protection conference earlier this month on the theme “Accelerating Financing for social protection to increase coverage and reach. “

 

“I am particularly pleased to note that the experts have dedicated a similar objective “ Improve fiscal space for comprehensive and inclusive social protection, ” he added.

The the event’s closing ceremony was attended by ministers in charge of social protection in eleven countries and the Nigeria Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, who is the Chairman as well as regional heads of UNICEF, IFAO, WFP among others. (Flowerbudnews)

Abia State government has said that civil servants who did not undergo verification exercise would not receive their salaries, starting from November, 2023.

The commissioner for information and culture, Okey Kanu stated this on Monday in Umuahia while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s executive council meeting, presided over by Governor Alex Otti.

 

He said that all concerned civil servants should have used the two weeks extended period given to them by the State government to complete the verification.

Kanu said that those that could not undergo the verification could still approach the heads of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies to know why they had not been verified.

 

The commissioner also disclosed that the 197 private schools that were recently closed in the State may be reopened if they were able to meet up with the State government’s guidelines and standard.

 

He noted that the closed private schools were met in very poor conditions with low quality teaching staff.

He added that the State government would soon launch a Whistle Blower policy.

 

Adding her voice, the Senior Special Adviser on Special Duties to the Abia State Governor, Betty Emeka-Obasi, said the names of the unverified workers have been put up and advised the workers to approach the heads of their MDAs.