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Despite Nigeria’s federal government on Wednesday denouncing insinuations by Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that some fifth columnists in the State House, Abuja, were working to frustrate the victory of All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu in the February 25, 2023 presidential election, First Lady Aisha Buhari seems to have endorsed El-Rufai’s comments.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, while reacting to the allegation after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari held at Abuja, said the government was unaware of anyone within the presidential villa working against any candidate in next month’s presidential poll.
El-Rufai had earlier during an interview on Channels television, blamed some of the government policies including the naira redesign and persistent fuel scarcity in the country on those he termed fifth columnists, saying the naira redesign and persistent fuel scarcity may cause unrest in the country. He alleged that the naira redesign project was the idea of few people in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, adding that it was never the policy of the ruling APC.
However, Mrs. Buhari, on Wednesday shared the video clip of El-Rufai’s comments on her Instagram page, implicitly endorsing the statement by the governor.
Aisha is the grand patron of the Tinubu/Shettima women campaign team and she has been actively campaigning for the party’s presidential candidate.
In reaction, to El-Rufai Mohammed said: “On a more serious note, one thing I can assure you is that no matter who, this administration is focused and determined to ensure a free and fair election and I think in this administration, the most important person is Mr. President and I think he has shown by words and by deeds that he’s committed to a free, fair and credible election.
“Fair, free and credible election actually means not favouring anybody or disadvantaging anybody and everywhere he goes, he makes that very clear, even as recently as Friday, when he was in Daura, he said the same thing.
“So, if there’s anybody who’s working against any candidate, we don’t know officially”, he explained.
Earlier, El-Rufai had alleged that some elements in the Aso Rock were working against the victory of the APC and Tinubu in the forthcoming election.
The governor argued that “those elements” had their candidate in the presidential primary election, but he didn’t win the primary.
He said against this background, they were working against the ruling party and Tinubu.
The governor said the persons in the presidency were hiding behind the president’s desire to do what was right to scuttle the party’s chances.
El-Rufai, however, pointed out that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele was not to blame for redesigning the naira.
The former FCT minister recalled that the president did same as a Military Head of State with the aim of getting those that had stashed illicit funds.
The governor said while the president has his right to redesign the currency, doing it at this time did not make any political or economic sense.
El-Rufai explained: “I believe there are elements in the villa that want us to lose the election because they didn’t get their way; they had their candidate. Their candidate did not win the primary election.
“They are trying to get us to lose the election, and they are hiding behind the president’s desire to do what he thinks is right.
“I will give two examples: This petroleum subsidy, which is costing the country trillions of naira, was something that we all agreed would be removed.
“In fact, I had a discussion with the president and showed him why it had to go. Because how can you have a capital budget of N200 billion for federal roads and then spend N2 trillion on petroleum subsidy?
‘This was a conversation I had with the president in 2021 when the subsidy thing started rising. He was convinced. We left. It changed. Everyone in the government agreed, and it changed.
“The second example I will give is this currency redesign. You have to understand the president. People are blaming the Governor of the CBN, but no. You have to go back and look at the first outing of Buhari as president. He did this; the Buhari-Idiagbon regime changed our currency and did it in secrecy with a view to catching those that were stashing away illicit funds.
“It is a very good intention. The president has his right. But doing it at this time within the allotted time does not make any political or economic sense.”
The presidential candidate of the APC during a rally of the party in Abeokuta, had alleged that the decision to redesign the naira and the fuel scarcity were all meant to scuttle his victory at the poll.
Though the presidency then refused to react to Tinubu’s attack against the Buhari’s government, the APC presidential campaign had in a statement insisted that Tinubu did not mention, blame or accuse Buhari for the current challenges in the country.
However, on Tuesday in Calabar, Tinubu once more attacked the Buhari-led government, saying it met the exchange rate at N200/$ dollar and because of their poor management of the economy, the nation’s currency has depreciated to about N800/$1.
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Credit: https://www.arise.tv/nigeria-first-lady-aisha-buhari-backs-el-rufais-claims-of-saboteurs-within-presidential-villa/
An estimated tens of billions of old naira notes remain in circulation and are predominantly the only means of conducting transactions in exchange for goods and services in many parts of the country.
This is just as the Central Bank of Nigeria’s January 31st deadline for phasing out the old currency is fast approaching. Late last year, the CBN introduced a redesigned currency for the 1000, 500 and 200 naira denominations and asked all holders of the old currency to deposit them in banks before January 31, 2023; which is now three days away.
CBN had also asked the banks to stop dispensing old notes from the Automated Teller Machines, while most bank branches, even in Lagos and the FCT, had drastically reduced the money loaded in ATMs because of the shortage of the new notes as of Friday. Some ATMs observed by our reporters had not dispensed for days.
The acute shortage of the new notes is however been felt mostly on the streets where commuters have been left stranded, markets are struggling to stay open while businesses are being forced to rely on electronic transactions.
Our correspondents were on the streets in major cities and report that the old notes in circulation are still more than the redesigned new notes, and yet are being rejected as a legal tender.
And with just three days to the deadline for old notes to cease to be legal tender in the country, commercial banks are opening up their branches today, Saturday, January 28 and tomorrow, Sunday, January 29 for customers to deposit old notes in their possession.
Although, the Central Bank of Nigeria had last year directed that banks open on Saturdays to allow customers ample time to deposit their old notes, only a few opened up their branches on Saturdays with some opening a few designated branches.
Also established businesses had requested that customers pay either with transfer, use the POS or pay with new notes. Similarly, informal businesses had resorted to accepting electronic payments for goods and services.
“The Okada (commercial motorcycle) I took today refused to collect cash from me” Obinna, a civil servant told LEADERSHIP Weekend. “It was strange but he insisted that I paty with transfer as he said he had no intention of going to deposit old notes in the bank.”
Similarly, a petty trader who also runs an agent banking centre, Mrs Ajoke said she stopped collecting the old notes on Friday afternoon as she had gone to make the last deposit in the bank. “The crowd in the banking hall was too much. I don’t think I want to do that again so I stopped collecting the old notes.”
A survey by LEADERSHIP Weekend around Lagos on Friday showed a large crowd in the banking halls, most of who were depositing cash. There were also long queues at the ATMs for those who wanted to make withdrawals and wanted the new notes.
With barely three days to the CBN deadline on the validity of old naira notes, residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are appealing to the federal government to extend the deadline for the new naira policy, as most traders and motorists have started rejecting the old naira notes.
It was observed that most residents in the territory are presently confused about how to get the new naira notes which they said has been difficult to get, following reports of hoarding of the new notes by commercial banks.
Following the rejection of the old naira notes, LEADERSHIP Weekend witnessed an incident in Dutse Alhaji market yesterday, where a woman, who simply identified herself as Mrs Donald, bought foodstuff to take home to feed her family, but when she paid the trader, the seller rejected the money, saying that it is no longer a legal tender.
The woman angrily dropped the money on the table for the trader after telling her that Tuesday, January 31, is the deadline, saying that she had no other money and that she cannot afford to let her children stay hungry, which did not go down well with the trader who angrily ran after her to collect her wares back from the woman.
“The issue of this money is becoming embarrassing because you have your money but cannot spend it on what your need. I went to where I bank in Dutse but the cashiers refused to change the money I took there, with the excuse that they do not have enough of the new notes. This is wrong and should be corrected,” she said angrily and left.
Also, it was observed that on most major roads in the FCT, passengers were seen stranded, not because there were no vehicles to take them to their destinations or because they do not have money on them, but because commercial drivers were rejecting old naira notes from them.
One of the stranded passengers along Kubwa expressway, Mr Ephraim Chukwuebuka, said that most of the passengers spent hours on the road pleading with motorists to accept the old notes from them because the deadline is Tuesday but that they bluntly refused.
“The whole thing is not funny at all. With the way things are going, there is no way I will go to work until I get the new naira notes which are presently like gold in Abuja because there is no way I can trek to the town where I work.
“The federal government should look into this new naira policy because it is now obvious that it is the poor masses that are suffering from it. When we go to the bank to change money, they will say that the new notes are not enough to circulate. So, how are we going to survive this?” he queried.
Another stranded passenger, Ms Cynthia Oluwole, appealed that if the new naira notes printed are not enough to circulate for public use, there is a need for the CBN and the federal government to extend the deadline until more new naira notes are in circulation.
“I do not want to believe that the banks are hoarding the new naira notes for their selfish reasons, or probably some rich and powerful Nigerians have collected their massive share of the money while they leave the poor Nigerians to suffer because of the policy.
Yobe state residents have decried the rejection and non-availability of the redesigned N1000, N500 and N200 notes by traders and Point of Sales (POS) operators across the state.
Some of the residents who spoke with our correspondent said “it is unfortunate, that traders have started rejecting the old Naira notes even before the January, 31, 2023. Now, I wanted to buy some foodstuff but couldn’t due to lack of the new notes.”
A bank customer, Bukar Baba said “I was at the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) point, but only few machines were dispensing the new notes with long queues while others are still dispensing the old notes. Even the banking hall was filled to capacity as many people were trying to deposit their money ahead of the January 31 deadline.”
Another resident, Abubakar Musa said, “we don’t know what to do. The old currency is scarce and people have started rejecting the old ones. Except fuel stations, most of the traders have stopped collecting the old notes,” he said.
A trader, Mansir Ali said “yes, we have started rejecting the old notes because, we have only few days to the deadline and there are long queues in the banks. So, there is no way we can deposit our cash before the deadline.
“We, too, are in dilemma because if you go to buy goods, the dealers are rejecting the old notes. I don’t have many goods but due to scarcity of the new notes, I can’t buy goods that I don’t have.”
A hotel manager who would not want his name mentioned told our correspondent that, “As I’m speaking with you, we are no longer collecting old notes because if we collect old notes, it will become difficult to deposit them before the deadline and the cash will become useless for us. So, we are accepting bank transfers.
A POS operator, Alhaji Musa said “yes we don’t want to collect old Naira notes because people have stopped collecting it from us and when we get to the bank, there are long queues and even at that, the new notes are difficult to get.”
Anger and frustration best described the feelings of most banks’ customers and other Edo residents following the inability of financial institutions in the state to make available the new naira notes.
Some operators of POS are also not left out as most customers are refusing the old naira notes.
However, some commercial bus drivers popularly known as tuke-tuke still collect the old naira notes from commuters.
A POS operator who spoke with LEADERSHIP weekend, Ighodalo Festus appealed to the apex bank to extend the deadline on the collection of old notes.
“Government should do something about this deadline on old notes. This thing is killing our business. People don’t want to collect the old from us anymore and the banks are not giving us the new notes.
As bank customers besiege commercials banks in Delta State to beat the deadline for cash swap of new naira notes, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has advised that it should not result to panic and apprehension.
In Delta state, there is rush associated with the exchange of old naira notes with old ones amid CBN’s January 31 deadline.
Across the length and breadth of Asaba, it’s a dirge of agonies, woes, dilemma and confusion and frustration from commercial banks over the new naira notes debacle.
Traders are now skeptical and apprehensive on whether to continue their business transactions with the old naira notes or not. They are simply confused on how to handle the issue whether to stop transacting business with the old notes when they don’t have access to the new ones.
Gift Onaiye who sells crayfish, shrimps and other seafoods for customers said she was surprised to discover that the withdrawal she was to make was to be paid in the old naira notes!
“I don’t have the new naira notes as none of my customers have paid me with them. So, how can I stop using the ones I have? I can’t just carry all my money to bank and be waiting for them to give me new notes. What will I use to buy my personal needs if by Monday, the deadline comes? I don’t know what to do.”
She expressed her dilemma: “I only have three 200 hundred naira notes of the new currency which I have kept aside. When I went to bank today to deposit all my money thinking if I withdrew some, they would give me new currency notes, it was still the old currency notes.”
But the director, Banking Services, CBN, Abuja Mr Sam Okejere and the CBN branch controller, Delta State, Mr Godwin Okafor, allayed the fears of the masses, saying there are several payment methods.
During a sensitisation programme on cash swap and facilitation of the circulation of its new naira notes, Mr Okafor mentioned some of the payments to include instant payment, online transfers, bank verification number (BVN), debit/credit cards, international bank transfer, among others.
While saying that the cash swap programme is in partnership with super agents and deposit money banks (DMBs) at different parts of the country, “The agent shall exchange a maximum of N10,000 per person. Amounts above N10,000 may be treated as cash-in deposit into wallets or bank accounts in line with the cashless policy. BVN, NIN, or Voter’s card details of the customers should be captured as much as possible.
They said the super agents refer to companies licensed by the CBN to recruit for the purpose of agency banking and will sensitise customers on opening wallets, bank accounts and the various channels for conducting electronic transactions.
“Designated agents are eligible to collect the redesigned notes from DMBs in line with the revised cash withdrawal limit policy. Agents are also permitted to charge cash-out fees for the cash swap transactions but prohibited from charging any further commissions to customers for this service,” Okafor said.
While revealing principals (super agents, MMOs, DMBs) shall be held accountable for their agents’ adherence to the above guidelines, they said these agents will render weekly returns to their designated banks regarding the cash swap transactions while the banks shall in turn render the same to the CBN on a weekly basis.
The exercise was performed on Friday in Asaba, lllah, lbusa, Ogwashi-Uku, in Oshimili South, Oshimili North and Aniocha South local government areas of the state.
Transporters plying inter and intra-state routes in Akwa Ibom State have expressed dismay at the new currency regime, lamenting that it has come to compound the already tense atmosphere chocked by the prevailing fuel crises with a litre being sold for N400 in the state.
“We don’t have the time to leave our work to go and queue at the bank to deposit the old notes because the banks are already overcrowded with the approaching deadline,” a mini-bus driver plying Uyo-Ikot Ekpene road, Udo Ekanem explained.
“I already have a lot of old notes piled up and I had to tell my wife and children to help me go and bank them, but some of them returned without depositing the cash,” he added.
Calling on government and the National Assembly to intervene by impressing it on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, to extend the deadline, a commuter, Effiong Inyang lamented that “today, I could not board a bus to Eket because the driver pointedly told me it’s either the new notes or perish the thought of joining my bus.
“I was stranded yesterday traveling from Uyo to Eket. The driver suddenly stopped midway to demand for fares, but was disappointed when nearly every passenger thrusted the old notes. He rejected them and offered to coney only those with the new notes to their destination in Eket.”
Less than four days to the deadline for the redesigned naira by the CBN, some Point-of-Sale (POS) operators in Bauchi State who are still using the old currencies have increased charges for transactions in the old banknotes.
A check by LEADERSHIP Weekend showed that the operators increased deposit charges by about 50 per cent.
The operators are now charging between N150 and N200 for N5,000 and N10,000 deposits as against N100, while others simply refused transactions in the old naira notes.
A POS operator, Mrs Grace Simon said she rejected the old naira notes because it was difficult for her to deposit it in the banks due to long queues.
“There is a multitude of customers in the banks, you have to spend several hours in the queue to deposit the old naira notes.
“Honestly, I don’t have the strength, and that is why some of us increased charges for old naira notes.
“The charge for a transaction in the new banknotes still remains the same,” she said.
According to him, the new notes are not readily available. He narrated that all efforts to obtain the new notes from the banks to satisfy his customers proved abortive.
Nwakwe revealed that over 30 percent of cash outlay with him are of the old notes and intends to pay into his account waiting for further details.
A transporter, Chima Ibezim, expressed dismay in respect of the hardship he is passing through, according to him, the new notes are not in full circulation as commuters still pay with the old notes.
He appealed to the Federal Government to extend the deadline so as to save the citizenry from further sufferings and untold hardship. He urged the CBN to make available the new notes in larger quantities.
A visit by LEADERSHIP Weekend to many POS operators in Damaturu, the state capital, revealed that many are rejecting the old naira notes while few others still collect it.
“I collect the old notes because our ogas said they don’t have problem till on Sunday but, many artisans that we roam about together in the town, reject the old notes,” a cola nut seller, Mohammed Nura said.
Governor Buni had in a statement issued by his director-general on Press Affairs and Media, Mamman Mohammed sought the extension to the deadline as only 4 out of the 17 LGAs have banks.
Commercial Activities have been paralysed in Jigawa State as people spend days on cues to withdraw money from ATM while old notes are been rejected ahead of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) deadline.
Local markets, traders, food vendors as well as other small and medium business are virtually shut down which has consequently thrown families into untold hardship.
Going round the state, people seemed confused as new notes were difficult to get to meet their family needs while many lamented how the CBN policy is unfriendly to rural communities.
A trader in grains, Bashir Maidaura narrated how he kept going to an ATM point for two days to get money for buying grains at local markets as old Naira notes are no longer accepted there.
Saifullahi Ibrahim of Kudai town Dutse local government who was found standing frustrated on a queue at an ATM point said he was very exhausted as he spent more than 12 hours without getting the new note to feed his children.
“This CBN policy is very disgusting, unfriendly and unfair to us the electorate who voted this government into power.
Mustapha Sulaiman of Kuma town Buji local government revealed that, there was no single CBN or any commercial bank agent providing the people with new notes in exchanging with old notes.
“Please, we in villages lack access to the new notes. Life is becoming very unbelievable for us as the old notes are rejected. We are calling on the CBN governor to extend the deadline to avoid total breakdown of law and order in our society. The security situation is already very alarming,” Mustapha stated.
“We are politicians. This policy has potent negative impact on our campaigns.
Please Baba Buhari and the CBN governor should look into our future and the difficulty our rural people are facing. Extend the deadline and increase the withdraw limit for the sake of God,” Talatu called.
Residents of Ilorin, Kwara State are going through difficult times due to the twin-problem of acute fuel scarcity and rejection of old naira notes by petty traders.
Commercial drivers, including motorcyclists and tricyclists, have hiked transport fares as only a few filling stations that dispensed fuel as at the time of filing this report now sell a litre of petroleum at N350.
The hike notwithstanding, there were long queues at the filling stations.
Most poor residents were also starving because of the rejection of the old naira notes by food sellers.
LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that food vendors, especially in the downtown in Ilorin were insisting on collecting new naira notes or N100, N50 and N20 notes.
Three residents of Okelele, Alagbado and Oja-Oba area of Ilorin, Alh Mubaraq Salahu, Raheem Onibembe and Alhaja Adenike Khadija confirmed the rejection of the old naira notes by food vendors and marketers.
Worse still, the commercial banks were still paying their customers with the old naira notes.
A bank customer, Alh Umaru Yerro said:”I was at a bank at Taiwo Road, Ilorin this morning (Friday) to withdraw money. The bankers offered me the old naira notes which I rejected. Apparently, they didn’t have new naira notes. I left the bank dejected.”
A seller of beans cakes popularly called akara, Alhaja Salamat AbdulGaniyu said, “I cannot take the old naira notes again from my customers as the January 31 deadline is fast approaching. I don’t want to be caught unawares.”
On the rise in transport fares, transporters blamed the hike on astronomical increase in the price of petroleum and the man-hour spent at the filling stations queuing to buy fuel.
When LEADERSHIP weekend visited some ATMs at UBA, Unity, Zenith and Access banks along Ahmadu Bello Way in the state capital, customers were on long queues waiting for the management of the banks to put new notes in their ATMs.
Our Correspondent gathered from some customers that most of them were at the banks from as early as 5:30am till midnight.
In Benue State, most banks are still dispensing old Naira notes to their customers, even at the ATM points.
In an interview, one of the customers who vowed to return the old notes he withdrew from the ATM in one of the banks in Makurdi metropolis, appealed to the CBN to extend the time for the usage of the old Naira notes since the new notes are limited in circulation.
Our correspondent who went round to monitor some of the banks observed that most banks were overcrowded because customers who came to withdraw money were rejecting the old notes.
In an interview, one of the bank staff who pleaded anonymity said for over three days now, their bank is yet to get the new Naira notes from the CBN. So, they were dispensing what they had – old notes – to customers.
He said, “We don’t know what is really the problem but most of the commercial banks including ours, since the beginning of this week, are yet to get the new Naira notes from the CBN and our customers are rejecting the old ones.”
A POS operator who did not want her name in print informed that instead of collecting 10 per cent for every amount deposited or withdrawn, they were collecting 20 per cent for anyone that is collecting new notes and 10 percent for new notes.
Credit: https://leadership.ng/billions-of-old-naira-still-in-circulation-3-days-to-deadline/
Nairametrics' findings have shown that most bank ATMs across the country are still dispensing old N1,000 and N500 notes, just four weeks before the deadline set by the main bank.
The old N1,000, N500 and N200 notes will be decommissioned at the end of January 2023, following the launch of new notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria in December last year.
Remember that the CBN had announced in October 2022 the redesign of the N200, N500 and N1,000 banknotes in an attempt to curb counterfeiting and take control of the currency in circulation.
What the CBN said: According to the main bank's governor, Godwin Emefiele, the new and existing naira notes will remain legal tender and will circulate together until January 31, 2023, when the existing coins will become legal tender.
“For the purposes of this transition from existing to new notes, bank charges for cash deposits are waiving at this time effective immediately. Therefore, DMBs should note that no bank customer will be required to pay any fees for cash returned/paid to their accounts.” "Members of the public should note that these notes remain legal tender and should not be rejected as a medium of exchange for the purchase of goods and services," the bank stated.Old ATM bills: Meanwhile, several Nigerians have complained that most ATMs are still dispensing old notes, with less than four weeks to go until the deadline, while others told Nairametrics that they have yet to see or feel the new notes.
Nairametrics research notes that several ATMs across the country still dispense the old naira notes. In several southeastern states, tourists confirm that old naira notes are still being dispensed at ATMs. The same was observed in parts of the south-west, north-western states and in the FCT, Abuja. Our findings also indicate that N1000 notes were the most commonly loaded at ATMs and dispensed.The National Assembly rejects: Recently, the Nigerian Senate increased pressure on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to extend the deadline for the withdrawal of old naira notes from January 31 to June 30, 2023.
Senator Ali Ndume cited Orders 41 and 51 to request authorization from the Senate to present a motion on the urgent need to extend the withdrawal from circulation of the old coin. In addition, Senator Uzor Kalu also urged the CBN to go "until the end of April to allow people to deposit their cash in banks." The House of Representatives also requested CBN to stop the cash-out policy (which is also linked to the introduction of new naira notes) and invited the CBN Governor (who was out of the country) to appear before it to explain the reason for the movement.It is important to add that the Senate supported the introduction of new naira notes.
Without term extension: Central Bank of Nigeria Director of Currency Rasheed Adams, in a press briefing after the MPC meeting in November, noted that there will be no extension of the deadline for old notes, stating that the bank had received a sum of 165,000 million naira. of old banknotes as of November 2022.
According to the Central Bank's countdown clock, which it released on its website in early December, the current series of notes will be seized to maintain legal tender for 25 days. However, a major question raised by analysts is whether the remaining 25 days will be enough to swap old notes for new ones. The decision to stay short-term comes in the wake of the major hoarding of nairas, which is believed to be fueling the rising inflation rate in the country, which is already at a 17-year high despite monetary measures taken by the central bank. In an attempt to meet the deadline, the CBN told commercial banks to work on Saturdays. CBN also told Nigerians in the diaspora that it will not wait for them to replace the old naira notes beyond the January 31 deadline.However, older naira notes are still in circulation, casting a cloud of doubt over the January 31 deadline.
Secondly, the CBN revealed its plans to reduce the volume of higher denominations in circulation, citing that the volume of N1,000 and N500 in the economy is fueling Nigeria's high inflation rate.
This informed the reduction of the maximum daily withdrawal limit for OTC products to N500,000 and N5 million for individuals and companies respectively. Along the same lines, the main bank also ordered banks to restrict ATM cash dispensing to a maximum of N200 notes to reduce the volume of higher denominations in the economy.Related
Credit: https://nairametrics.com/2023/01/05/four-weeks-to-deadline-bank-atms-are-still-dispensing-old-naira-notes/President Muhammadu Buhari is building the infrastructure needed to transition Nigeria to a manufacturing economy, the NASENI chief says Thursday.
Professor Muhammad Sani-Haruna, Executive Vice President of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), said this at a ceremony in Bagudo, Kebbi State.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sani-Haruna said this at the inauguration of the NASENI Skills Acquisition Center and the distribution of stoves and pots to 350 households in the area.
The stove and pots were invented by NASENI in collaboration with a German NGO.
“The soft component of the manufacturing or knowledge-based economy is quality human resources. This is the most important component, without which a country will remain an import-oriented economy.
“The technical knowledge necessary to guarantee the sustainability and maintainability of massive infrastructure in railways, aviation, bridges, health, energy and water resources, to name a few.
”(These) are provided by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari; and they are the necessary prerequisite for Nigeria's transition to a manufacturing economy.
"This project is in line with His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari's directives for us to carry out a youth empowerment and skills acquisition program in 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)," said.
He thanked the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, for the donation of 20 hectares of land for the construction of the site in Bagudo.
Laying the foundation, Kebbi Governor Atiku Bagudu praised the federal government for finding Kebbi worthy for the project.
“We thank President Muhammadu Buhari for what he has been doing to Kebbi, especially the 100-bed hospital, the Immigrant Training Center, the only one in Africa, as well as the Federal College of Education (FCE), all in the Government Bagudo local,” he said. .
Bagudu called on the electorate to elect the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upcoming general election to continue enjoying more democracy dividends in his area.
Malami praised NASENI for distributing modern stoves and pots to homes, saying the items would go a long way in minimizing the relentless felling of trees in the area.
He urged the electorate to choose the APC at all levels in the upcoming elections, adding that the Buhari administration has implemented many projects across the area.
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The Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) has warned the general public and applicants in the ongoing 2022 recruitment exercise to beware of job scammers.
In a statement made available to THE WHISTLE On Thursday, Corps spokesman Olusola Odumosu pointed out that messages circulating on different social media platforms by scammers directing applicants to attend a test on January 8 are false.
According to the statement, “The attention of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) has been drawn to an erroneously crafted message to applicants regarding the recently announced NSCDC 2022 recruitment exercise circulating in the media, various social media platforms and WhatsApp groups. .
“The Civil Defense, Fire, Correction and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) would like to inform the general public that the Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for recruitment into the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) It will take place on January 8. , 2023 in the 36 states of the federation and FCT.”
Odumosu, however, says the agency provides updates on the exam and the venue, adding that the NIS has also advised shortlisted candidates to always check their emails for informed notifications about their aptitude test.
“Nigeria Civil Defense (NSCDC) update on date, place and time of CBT exams. The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) on Friday advised all candidates shortlisted for the CDCFIB computer-based aptitude test to start checking their email addresses/phones for notifications from their examination centers from midday.
“NSCDC wishes to state clearly and categorically that this message is false, misleading, and a calculated attempt by scammers and cybercriminals to take advantage of the recruitment process to extort money from unsuspecting applicants by causing panic and creating unnecessary tension with said written. until.
“Members of the public and desperate job seekers are hereby warned not to fall victim to extortion and job scams through a grandiose attempt by job scammers to misinform and confuse them into parting with different sums. of money on behalf of helping to shortlist them for the Aptitude Test and Placement at NSCDC.”
He noted that the NSCDC Commanding General, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has ordered his staff to go after the people circulating these false messages.
“NSCDC takes this window to send a strong warning to the elements behind the fake news, that the Corps cyber experts have been ordered by Commanding General, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, OFR, to go after the masterminds of this. False information and very soon they will be brought to light.
“Therefore, scammers are cautioned to be prepared to face the full wrath of the law if they do not desist from this criminal method of amassing wealth at the expense of desperate job seekers who are vulnerable and can easily fall prey to their antics and his Anxiety to get a job.
“The public should be informed that the NSCDC recruitment, enlistment and promotion exercises are coordinated and supervised by the Immigration, Fire, Correction and Civil Defense Service Board (CDCFIB) under the chairmanship of the Minister of the Interior, Ogeni Rauf. Aregbesola”.
In addition, the general public was asked to "remain calm and patient to receive authentic updates and information on the recruitment process."
He added that all updates on the 2022 recruitment exercise will be officially released and made publicly available by the Board in due course.
Credit: https://thewhistler.ng/check-your-e-mails-dont-fall-for-job-scammers-nscdc-warns-applicants/
The Nigerian Civil Defense and Security Corps on Thursday debunked a viral message across social media platforms from an aptitude test on January 8.
This was stated in a statement signed by the body's spokesman, Olusola Odumosu.
The body described the message as "false, misleading and a calculated attempt by scammers and cybercriminals to take advantage of the recruitment process."
The NSCDC warned the public not to fall victim to job scammers, and asked job seekers to remain calm and patient in order to get authentic updates and information about the hiring process.
The statement read: “The attention of the Nigerian Civil Defense and Security Corps has been drawn to a wrongly crafted message to applicants regarding the recently announced NSCDC 2022 recruitment exercise circulating in the media, various social media platforms and advocacy groups. WhatsApp.
“The message that reads in parts states that, 'The Board of Immigration, Fire, Correctional, Civil Defense and Services wishes to inform the general public that the computer-based aptitude test for recruitment into the Security and Defense Corps Civil of Nigeria will be held on January 8, 2023 in the 36 states of the federation and FCT. Nigerian Civil Defense Update on Date, Venue and Time of CBT Exams
The Nigerian Immigration Service on Friday advised all shortlisted candidates for the CDCFIB computer-based aptitude test to start checking their email addresses/phones for notifications from their test centers from noon.
“NSCDC wishes to state clearly and categorically that this message is false, misleading, and a calculated attempt by scammers and cybercriminals to take advantage of the recruitment process to extort money from unsuspecting applicants causing panic and creating unnecessary tension with the said write.
“Members of the public and desperate job seekers are hereby warned not to fall victim to extortion and job scams through a grandiose attempt by job scammers to misinform and confuse them into parting with different sums. of money on behalf of helping pre-select them for the aptitude test and placement at NSCDC.
“NSCDC takes this window to send a strong warning to the elements behind the fake news, that the Corps cyber experts have been ordered by Commanding General, Dr. Ahmed Audi, to go after the masterminds of this false and highly soon they will be fish.
“Therefore, scammers are cautioned to be prepared to face the full wrath of the law if they do not desist from this criminal method of amassing wealth at the expense of desperate job seekers who are vulnerable and can easily fall prey to their antics and his Anxiety to get a job.
“The public should be informed that the NSCDC recruitment, enlistment and promotion exercises are coordinated and supervised by the Civil Protection, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Service Board under the chairmanship of Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola.
“We ask the public to remain calm and patient for the authentic update and information on the hiring process.
“All updates regarding the 2022 recruitment exercise will be officially released and will be made publicly available by the Board in due course.”
Credit: https://punchng.com/nscdc-rules-out-aptitude-tests-for-job-seekers/The Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) has warned applicants in the ongoing recruitment exercise to beware of scammers trying to take advantage of the exercise to extort money from them.
A statement by Corps spokesman Olusola Odumosu on Thursday in Abuja said scammers have been circulating messages on social media urging applicants to attend a test on January 8.
“The attention of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) has been drawn to an erroneously crafted message to applicants regarding the recently announced NSCDC 2022 recruitment exercise circulating in the media, various social media platforms and WhatsApp groups. .
“The message that reads in parts states that, 'The Immigration, Fire, Correction, Civil Defense and Civil Defense Services Board (CDCFIB) wishes to inform the general public that the Computer-Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for the Recruitment into the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) will take place on January 8, 2023 in all 36 states of the federation and FCT'.”
Odumosu said the message is false, misleading and a calculated attempt by scammers and cybercriminals to take advantage of the recruitment process to extort money from unsuspecting applicants causing panic and creating unnecessary tension with said article.
“Members of the public and desperate job seekers are hereby warned not to fall victim to extortion and job scams through a grandiose attempt by job scammers to misinform and confuse them into parting with different sums. of money on behalf of helping pre-select them for the aptitude test and placement at NSCDC.
“We ask the public to remain calm and patient for the authentic update and information on the hiring process.
“All updates regarding the 2022 recruitment exercise will be officially released and will be made publicly available by the Board in due course,” it said.
The NSCDC spokesman said Corps Commanding General Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi has ordered the Corps' cyber experts to hunt down the masterminds of the false information.
Credit: https://dailytrust.com/2022-recruitment-nscdc-makes-fresh-announcement/By MOHAMMED MOMOH
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari cannot be seen as a failure. But his two-term tenure as Nigeria's civilian leader may be interrupted by the toll that banditry and terrorism have taken on his security agencies.
Hardly a week passes before the forces declare murders of bandits or terrorists. But terrorist gangs also occasionally exact a price in forces and civilians.
In a recent attack, the bandits killed 83 civilians, most of them women and children, and according to a Nigerian army statement, the bandits had used the civilians as human shields in a battle with the forces.
The rise in banditry has forced the military to deploy aerial firepower in some cases to deal with the threat in Nigeria's north central and northwestern 12 states.
Caught in the crossfireBut the 83 dead on Tuesday, December 20, 2022 in Mutunji, in the Maru Local Government Area, in the northwestern Zamfara States, show the dangers of that. Nigerian Air Force (NAF) planes dropped bombs that killed 215 people, most of them bandits in their hideout.
AdvertisementIt was indiscriminate.
Bandits fleeing NAF airstrikes ran to a small town called Mutunji for shelter but were hit by shells, a military dispatch said. “
Mr. Zailani Bappa, Special Adviser on Public Information, Media and Communications to Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara, conveyed his condolences and deepest condolences to the families of the victims caught in the military crossfire against the bandits.
Read: Nigerian army investigates civilian deaths in airstrikes
The incident, one of the worst so far, is an indication that the army is becoming more desperate in its offensive against bandits who have been legally declared terrorists, Agboola Olayinka, a security expert, told The EastAfrican on Tuesday in Abuja.
Nigeria had been debating whether to classify the bandits as terrorists or simply criminals interested in kidnapping for ransom. Officials recently decided to categorize bandits as terrorists, which would allow security forces to view their threats as dangerous and use weapons that would otherwise draw criticism.
In addition to atrocities, bandits have taken over some remote communities in the 12 Northwest and North Central states, imposed illegal levies and taxes on people, and destroyed social infrastructure, especially schools, telecommunications, and electrical facilities.
In Kwata, a small farming settlement in the Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State and Shirroro in Niger State, bandits invaded, forcing peasants to abandon their homes and farmland.
Bandits, known as terrorists such as Boko Haram, kill, maim, kidnap and rape women in the troubled states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Kaduna, Kogi, Benue, Jigawa, Plateau and part of FCT.
Concerned GovernorsHowever, banditry is older than the Buhari administration. It started as a farmers vs. herders crisis in 2011 and was initially seen as a passing cloud. But it has turned into full-blown terrorism that has displaced more than 2.1 million people.
In Zamfara state, for example, around 69,000 IDPs, Kaduna 71,000, Katsina 61,000, Sokoto 45,000, while at least 3,000 have crossed the borders through the Maradi axis to take refuge in the republics of Niger and Chad.
One of the Shiroro farmers, Mr. Tarka Mohamed, said the bandits demanded the farmers pay 1.2 million naira ($2,500) to allow them access to the farmland and cultivate it.
Usman Kelly, another farmer in Zamfara, who said many farmers have fled his place, said they were forced to pay levies but bandits prevent them from entering their farms.
The Nigerian Red Cross Society has confirmed fears of imminent food insecurity in the north-west and central north saying: "The situation is critical and requires immediate attention."
Read: 13 Nigerian soldiers, 215 bandits killed in Zamfara
Buhari, who is expected to leave his post in 2023, said he wants the forces to eliminate the problem of banditry before the end of 2022, a deadline that has not been met.
“The army is now strong, well fortified and impregnable. If someone or a group dares to test our will now, they may not live to regret it," Nigerian Home Minister Rauf Aregbesola said in Abuja.
But the governors of the affected states are frustrated that the problem is growing.
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of the state of Niger expressed his helplessness in the face of the relentless invasion of various communities by bandits. In his state, some 50 villages are now occupied by bandits.
Read: Banditry slows Nigeria's security efforts
Ibrahim Dan-Musa, spokesman for the northern youth lobby group Northern Ethnic Groups Assembly, NEYGA, says the police are poorly funded and motivated, and the army, fighting a decade-long insurgency in the north-east, seems be at the end of his ingenuity on how to reduce the spiral of insecurity.
However, the war against banditry can be helped. The original terrorist groups Boko Haram and ISIS in West Africa are in a deadly battle for supremacy in which fighters kill each other in an attempt to carve out an Islamic state.
Credit: https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/rest-of-africa/community-driven-banditry-taints-nigeria-buhari-legacy-4076528
Supporters of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state on Wednesday organized a procession titled "freedom walk" for the party's presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in Ibadan, the state capital.
The freedom march, which started at 10 am, started from the Total Garden roundabout, headed towards the Agodi gate area via Oje, Beere, and ended at the historic Mapo hill, all in Ibadan. , where the organizers addressed supporters.
The march was led by the trio consisting of a former FCT Minister of State, Jumoke Akinjide; a former Minister of Energy and Steel, Wole Oyelese and a former deputy governor of the state, Hazeem Gbolarumi.
Addressing the crowd, Akinjide asserted that the entire Oyo State is pro-PDP and urged residents to vote for all PDP candidates across the board to ensure a massive flow of democracy dividends and expansion of the state's economy, noting that when Atiku becomes president, Oyo State would be the first state to benefit from the former vice president's administration.
However, he called on the people not to accept any other presidential candidate than the party's choice and urged them not to listen to anyone who wants to denigrate the party's presidential candidate, referring to the 5 aggrieved PPD governors, also known Like the G-5. , who had disagreed with the party's presidential candidate, demanding the resignation of the party's national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
Akinjide stated: “Tomorrow, we will mark Governor Seyi Makinde's second term campaign, but some visitors will come and if they want to put Atiku down, we will say no."
In his comment, Hazeem Gbolarumi pleaded with supporters to vote for Atiku Abubakar and avoid fighting anyone, stressing that there was no reason for PDP members to fight each other as, according to him, they were just people trying to prevent support the PDP. he deserved to be fought.
DPP South campaign coordinator Tunji Adeniji, who represented Atiku Abubakar, highlighted the agenda of the DPP presidential candidate, which he says includes security of life and property, unity of the country, education, restructuring and resuscitation of the country. . The economy, saying that Ibadan, being the seat of the south-west, is very important for the victory of Atiku Abubakar in the upcoming presidential elections.
He described Atiku as a unifier who would stop nepotism, tribalism and religious discrimination if he voted, rebuked the APC-led government for the country's poor economy, and vowed that Atiku would open all land borders and ensure power is returned to the state. while guaranteeing the autonomy of local governments.
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Credit: https://von.gov.ng/pdp-supporters-hold-walk-for-atiku-in-oyo-state/
The People's Democratic Party (PDP) coalition under the auspices of the National Mandate Group, Oyo State chapter, on Wednesday organized a 'Freedom Walk for Atiku' in Ibadan, capital of Oyo State, in support of Atiku Abubakar. , the presidential candidate of the People's Democratic Party in the 2023 general election.
The National Mandate Group, Oyo chapter, comprising party stalwarts, youth, women and mobilizers from across the state, were seen on the main streets of the Ibadan metropolis marching with banners, campaigning for Atiku ahead of the presidential election. of February 25.
Leading the Freedom Walk was former FCT Minister of State, Hon. Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide; Elder Wole Oyelese, former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Alh. Azeem Gbolarumi, former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Eng. Jide Adeniji, Director of Special Service, CCP, Eng. Femi Babalola (Jogor), members of the PDP, Support Groups, Non-indigenous Groups and members of the National Mandate Group.
Speaking to reporters in Ibadan, one of the group's conveners, the Hon. Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide said that Atiku is a pan-Nigerian and that he will lead Nigeria out of the current socio-economic and political challenges from him.
“We will campaign for Atiku in Oyo on the basis of merit and on the basis of loyalty to our great party. There is really no division in the PDP. It is a fight for space. So I don't think the public needs to worry because the day they make up, they'll be on TV smiling and slapping each other on the back and calling each other brother and you wonder why he spent so much energy on that.
"Let's face what worries 200 million Nigerians, which is Atiku's Five Point Agenda to Recover and Restore Nigeria."
“Our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, promises to unite Nigeria, secure the country, build a prosperous economy, restructure and return power to the federative units, an education system that allows our people to compete nationally and globally and these are issues plants that are of interest to the Nigerian people.”
You will recall that the PDP has been embroiled in an internal political crisis since the rise of Atiku Abubakar. Five of its governors, the G5, have called on the party's national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to step aside following the rise of Atiku, who happens to be from the same geopolitical area as Ayu.
Jumoke Akinjide, while addressing PDP members during the Freedom Walk in Ibadan, stated that PDP members in the state should ignore the visitors who will come to Oyo state tomorrow to poison the minds of the people against the candidate. party presidential.
“Tomorrow we will have the rally and the inauguration of the governor. We all intend to be there too, but I want to say something: if some of tomorrow's visitors come and speak against the PDP or Atiku, what are we going to say? No to his antics! We are brave people and we must show it tomorrow, ”he concluded.
Credit: https://leadership.ng/2023-coalition-stages-solidarity-walk-for-atiku-okowa-in-oyo/
