Aso Villa Reads for Mon. 05/10/2020
Every day, we bring you the best stories that the Media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a special salary scale and new retirement age for teachers. The president’s gesture, which was announced Monday, by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, was in commemoration of the World Teachers Day. The president increased the number of service years for the teachers from 35 to 40. Over the years, Nigerian teachers have continued to agitate amongst others, an increase in their retirement age, welfare, and salaries. Buhari, at the 2020 World Teachers Day celebration in Abuja, explained that the implementation of the new teachers’ salary scheme was to encourage the teachers in delivering better services.[Vanguard]
The National Pension Commission has said it approved N19.85bn as lump sum payment for 6,006 retirees in the second quarter of 2020. PenCOM disclosed this in its second-quarter report for 2020 financial period. According to the commission, the pensioners comprised 4,684 retirees who chose programmed withdrawal as their retirement option and were granted N15.44bn lump sum, and 1,382 retirees who chose life annuity and were granted N4.41bn lump sum. The report on retirees on programmed withdrawal during the quarter under review said, “The sum of N15.44bn was approved for payment as lump sum and N215.57m as monthly programmed withdrawals to 4,684 retirees.” On retirement by annuity, the commission said it approved a total of 1,382 applications for retirement under life annuity during the quarter. “The 1,382 retirees received N4.41bn as lump sum payment and paid premium of N9.8bn to insurance companies in exchange for monthly annuity of N89.33 million,” it said.[Punch]
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has issued a three-month ultimatum to companies engaged in Cabotage trade in Nigeria to register all vessels used in coastal and inland waters trade. In addition to registration in the applicable Special Register for Cabotage Vessels and Ship Owning companies, and obtaining the Certificate of Cabotage Registration/license, operators with expired registration certificates are to ensure the renewal of their Cabotage Operational Certificate/license for all Cabotage vessels within three months. According to the agency, it would at the expiration of the three months, notify relevant government authorities and International Oil Companies (IOCS) to stop engaging vessels without valid Cabotage certificates. Speaking shortly after the agency released a marine notice to announce the decision, Bashir Jamoh, director-general of NIMASA, said the notice was part of efforts to ensure strict enforcement of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003 and Guidelines on Implementation of the Act.[Business Day]
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu, has disclosed that over 27,000 passengers from abroad have arrived the country since the Lagos and Abuja Airports were re-opened on September 5. Aliyu said 18,000 passengers came in through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while 9,000 persons came in through the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja. Aliyu stated this during a town hall webinar meeting on Saturday organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and hosted by the NIDCOM Chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa. This was contained in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, titled, “Over 27,000 passengers arrive Nigeria despite strict procedures,” issued by the NIDCOM spokesman, Abdul-Rahman Balogun. The PTF coordinator explained that the task force came up with what people considered as stringent procedures “because it was imperative to limit the importation of COVID-19 to Nigeria, prevent transmission during the flight and reduce the quarantine period.” He told the Nigerians in the diaspora who participated in the webinar that public laboratories were not allowed to conduct free testing as the Federal Government cannot afford it, stressing that it was not sustainable. He added that the advantage of testing before boarding was to stop people with COVID-19 from coming to Nigeria as the test was expected to be done 120 hours maximum before boarding. He also advised those travelling out of Nigeria to enquire from the country they are travelling to if COVID-19 test was a requirement for entry.[Punch]
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has approved the release of N10 billion to the National Population Commission for the continuation of the Enumeration Area Demarcation in the remaining 546 Local Government Areas of the country. He also approved an additional N4.5 billion to be included in the 2021 Budget for completion of the exercise as part of the preparations for the next census. The acting chairman of NPC, Dr. Eyitayo Oyetunji, made this known in Abuja on Monday while briefing journalists about the funds and the update on the EAD.[Punch]
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Sunday expressed his anger over the arrests and brutal killing of young Nigerians by the Police. The Vice President, who met with the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu told the police boss to carry out reforms that would change the ugly behavior of some officers. Prof. Osinbajo also told IGP Adamu to ensure that police officers that were found culpable in the maiming and killing of young men and women should be made to face the full wrath of the law. Fielding questions from the State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he said., “I am very concerned, in fact, very angry about what I see, happening to young men and women who are arrested, in some cases maimed or killed by men of the police force.” He was asked about the economic challenges facing the country and Nigerians, and also the reported recent upsurge in the activities of FSARS regarding harassment of people alongside different violations of the rights of especially young Nigerians by some police officers. In his response, Prof. Osinbajo, who had earlier held a meeting with the Inspector General of Police today at his residence said the President and himself had discussed the matter on a number of occasions noting the President’s displeasure about such reports and his resolve to ensure reforms.[Vanguard]
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio has charged the audit firms conducting the forensic audit of the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC to come with a report that will serve as benchmark for reposition the Commission for other development agencies to emulate. Senator Akpabio, who gave the charge, while inaugurating the last batch of eight forensic auditors, weekend in Abuja, further asked them to go through all the nooks and crannies of the region to ascertain all the activities and utilization of funds by the NDDC since inception to August 2019. According to him, “It is expected that at the end of the forensic audit exercise as directed by Mr. President, a new NDDC that will be socially responsive and responsible, as well as a catalyst for economic opportunities for the majority of the people of the region in the provision of good education and health, information technology, infrastructural development, trade and industry, and above all, youth and women development will emerge.”[Vanguard]
Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has listed the benefits of the Kano-Maradi rail line and the economic importance of the Lekki, Bonny, and Warri seaports approved by President Muhammadu Buhari. He also highlighted the role the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line would play in boosting the country’s economy. Amaechi spoke during a marathon of interviews on some TV stations commemorating Nigeria’s 60th Independence Anniversary. He said the Kano-Maradi rail line will afford the country the opportunity to compete in the area of transporting cargoes, goods, and services to and from landlocked neighbouring countries like Niger via the seaports in Lagos, adding that it’s all about economics, not politics. On the timing of the Kano-Maradi project, Amaechi explained that the railway generates employment and can be a means of curbing insecurity in that region as the criminality and banditry may have been as a result of poverty for some people who go into it. For the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line, Amaechi said cabinet approval is imminent and construction would begin before the end of the year or the first quarter of next year. The Port Harcourt to Maiduguri rail starts from Bonny, with a deep seaport approved by the President already but handled by a private firm, and then a rail line from Bonny to Port Harcourt — Aba- Umuahia — Enugu — Makurdi — Lafia — Jos — Kafanchan — Bauchi — Gombe — Damaturu, and Maiduguri, with a spur from Port Harcourt to Owerri. So what is left on that line would be Abakaliki and Awka. Amaechi also stated that the country is working towards four new seaports. They are: Lekki, Bonny, Warri, and the Ibom deep seaport by the Akwa Ibom State government.[Vanguard]
The federal government has started offering financial aids and support to artisans and transport workers across Nigeria through its N75 billion MSME Survival Fund. A total number of 333,000 artisans and transport business operators begun to receive N30,000 grants through the Artisan and Transport Support Scheme which commenced simultaneously recently across all the geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The grant which is under the MSME Survival Fund under the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan was formed by the federal government in July 1, 2020 to assist citizens and businesses operating in Nigeria. The first phase of the Artisan/Transport Support Scheme would focus solely on 333,000 artisans for a start, which is 9009 from all the 36 states and the FCT and would then move to businesses operating in the transport sector at a later date. The Vice Chairman of the Steering Committee for Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, during the commencement of the scheme in Lagos, recently, stated that it was aimed at providing soft landing for small businesses in Nigerians who have had their businesses disrupted from the Covid-19 pandemic. Awosika who is also the Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria, moved on to announce that the government would directly work with artisans who are members of registered trade associations in their respective States, adding that its process would assist the funds to reach the required beneficiaries.[This Day]
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami has said the TD’s Tech Experience Centre, which houses global technology companies in Nigeria, will enhance Nigeria’s relevance in the global technology race and shore up the country’s march to technology independence. Pantami said this in Lagos recently, while unveiling the centre, put together by Technology Distribution Africa (TD), an arm of Zinox Group. For the first time, Nigeria, through the Tech Experience Centre, will play host to the latest global technologies including those not normally available in Africa, offering all classes of visitors a first-hand experience of new gadgets, solutions and infrastructure that would have previously required a visit abroad, thereby saving corporate organisations, government establishments and individuals money or scarce foreign exchange expended on these trips.[This Day]
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