Lagos Rocks as NCC Launched YEAR OF THE NIGERIAN TELECOM CONSUMER Campaign

The Agidingbi neighbourhood and the adjourning settlements felt the unusual presence of persons of all status yesterday when the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, stormed The Blue Roof Events Centre to unveil the YEAR OF THE NIGERIAN TELECOM CONSUMER campaign, earlier launched in Abuja on March 15, 2017, the day set aside by the global community as the World Consumer Rights Day.

Professor Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NCC, told the audience in Lagos that the Nigerian telecom consumer represents the organic springboard of the exponential growth in the telecom industry in Nigeria, adding that the consumers as a collective “made all the success stories we speak about in telecom possible” and thus deserve special attention.

“Today’s event emphasizes the centrality of Lagos State as the telecommunications hub of Nigeria. The Nigerian Bureau of Statistics in its first quarter telecommunications sector report for 2016 placed Lagos voice subscriber base at 19.04 million or 12.8% of the country’s subscribers, and 12.62 million Internet subscriptions or 13.65%. The state is home to many of the key players in the telecommunications sector so it is understandable that is has been selected as the flag off city after the major event in Abuja on March 15 2017”, Danbatta told a medley of elated and enthusiastic audience including the representative of the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Right Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, former Minister of Defence, Honourable Ademola Seriki, top management staff of NCC and the telecom companies as well as a broad spectrum of other stakeholders.     

The campaign, Danbatta emphasized, was conceptualized by NCC to amplify the education of the consumer on several initiatives instituted by the Commission to improve the Quality of Service (QoS), to protect and educate the consumer on steps to be taken to redress the challenges of telecom subscription, and thus reiterate the position of the consumer as the preeminent stakeholder of the telecom industry.    

Earlier, the NCC’s Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Management, Mr. Sunday Dare, had indicated in his remark at the occasion that the drivers of the NCC 2017 Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer campaign are the 2442 Do-Not-Disturb Service Code, the 622 toll free complaints line, Quality of Service (QoS), and correcting misrepresentations about Electromagnetic Field (EMF) radiation. These are the areas the information provided in the course of the campaign would focus on.

Danbatta proceeded to amplify this position and referenced the 8-Point Agenda of NCC Management as the originating compass for the initiative particularly items TWO and SIX that speak to improving QoS, and protecting the consumer. He emphasized that the Commission is closely monitoring, tracking and reviewing the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of operators and promised that greater efforts would also be put in place to ensure compliance monitoring and enforcement of set standards.

Yesterday’s event, where many consumers went away with fantastic prizes, signified another milestone in the campaign which also involves Consumer Conversation - a replica of the municipal campaigns that takes place concurrently in semi-urban and rural areas, and essentially driven by NCC zonal offices across the nation.

Amnesty Office begins vocational training for 100 ex-agitators

The Presidential Amnesty Programme, Office has begun advanced vocational training in Tourism and Hospitality for 100 ex-agitators in Niger Delta.

The training commenced on Saturday, at the Centre for Vocational and Entrepreneurial Studies, Yenagoa.

The Coordinator, PAP, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh, said the trainees were expected to be equipped with skills that would help them earn a living.

Boroh said the training would also enable beneficiaries to gain entrepreneurial education and reduce the high unemployment rate in the region and the country at large.

He added that the training, which would be in batches of 100 each, was expected to be completed in six months.

Addressing the trainees, Boroh urged them to be dedicated to learning and assured them that they would be assisted in their chosen field of specialisation.

He said the training was part of PAP’s reintegration programme and reminded them of the conditions for the training which included beneficiaries must train at least 20 other youths in their field.

“By the time each of you trains 20 of your peers back home, we will have 2,000 skilled workers or farmers in various fields.

“That would generate jobs and wealth for the youths and contribute to our national food security,” he said.

Boroh, who is also the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, was conducted round the huge centre which specialises in training youths in Catering, Fashion Designing, and Bead-making.

In his welcome address, the Rector of the institute, Mr. Samuel Timi, said the institute had the potential to build the capacity of the Niger Delta tourism sector and contribute significantly to the revenue profile of the region.

Timi expressed optimism that if capacity building programmes like the current one were vigorously pursued and sustained, the region would become the next Dubai of Africa.

NAN

 

Beyonce and her daughter Blue Ivy rock matching outfits to the Museum of Ice Cream.PHOTOS

The FORMATION singer and her 5-year-old daughter Blue Ivy whipped out matching outfits to have some fun at the Museum of Ice Cream in L.A.

The pregnant singer, who is expecting twins, and her mini-me rocked floral chiffon Dolce & Gabbana dresses for the Mother’s Day festivities. And they are #twingoals! How fun to dress up like your mom!

Credit YBF

PHOTOS: Man Beats His 7-Year-Old Son To Death Over N3,200

A young man has been arrested for allegedly beating his 7-year-old son to death in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

According to multiple online sources, the man accused his child of stealing N3200 on Friday night and beat him till 1am on Saturday. The little boy was found lifeless this morning after the father tried to wake him up to run an errand for his pregnant wife.

It was gathered that the boy had been maltreated by his father and step-mom since his mother left, including being starved on a daily basis.

An Instagram user, @srigeorgeom who witnessed the incident, wrote; What a cruel world. This week Tuesday, between the hours of 8 to 9 am. I saw crowd of people around my vicinity gathered this little boy, so I stopped by and inquired what happened. They told me this little boy on his way to school, stole doughnut from a shop. The people whom he stole the doughnut even gave him more of it and mineral and asked him to go. They all claimed that his father and stepmum have the habit of starving and beating him to stupor on daily basis.

I saw so many scars on his body.I took the boy to my house, interviewed him, and he told me so many things. How he has been suffering since his mother left his father. I gave him some biscuits, asked him to come and eat at my place anytime and promised to see his father this week before he left for school just to wake up this morning with shouting that his father has beaten him to death. His father has finally killed him. This happened in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Purveyors of death have killed President Muhammadu Buhari many times over, cloned the websites of international media houses to announce the hoax-Femi Adesina

Femi Adesina

They showed their pernicious hands again last Sunday, and have been on the prowl since then, roaring like a lion, seeking who to devour.

Purveyors of death they are, and they have killed President Muhammadu Buhari many times over, cloned the websites of international media houses to announce the hoax, but their wishes did not become horses, so they remain stranded, with nothing to ride.

Between January 19, this year, when the President first proceeded on vacation, and March 10, when he returned, they had announced his demise many times.

They even created apocryphal images and footages to back up their inhuman claims, but God showed them He was the ultimate.

The Real Deal, the Special One. President Buhari came back alive, and disclosed that he would still return to London at a later date for medical follow-up. He eventually left on the night of Sunday, May 7.

They learnt nothing, and forgot nothing from the immediate past experience. And you begin to ask yourself, just as the Good Book also asked:”Why do the heathens rage, and the people imagine vain things?” Why do they arrogate to themselves the power that belongs only to God? “I can kill, and I can make alive,” says God in His word.

But these purveyors of hate possibly don’t know God. That is why they declare a man dead, when God has not said so. Once has God spoken, and twice have I heard it, that power belongs to God. Millions upon millions of Nigerians love President Muhammadu Buhari.

They love his simplicity, his forthrightness, incorruptibility, love of country, and many other virtues. And they are praying. Bombarding Heaven with petitions. Baba o, Baba o, Baba o. Olorun da Baba si fun wa, Baba o, Baba o, Baba o. Olorun da Baba si fun wa. Oh God, spare our Baba, the father of the country. Spare him for us, O Lord we pray. And Heaven is listening to the supplications. We await the full manifestation.

Millions of us can follow Baba blindfolded into battle. We love him that much, and it is within our rights. But have you seen a man ever loved by everybody? Show me. Even if you feed an entire city daily, some people still won’t like your guts. So, those who are not Buharists have a right to their convictions.

But must any human being be hateful to the point of wishing another person dead, and indeed broadcasting a death that never happened? Shame.

Shame upon evil wishers, purveyors of lies and wickedness. Do they have blood running in their veins at all? Do they realize that wishing another person dead, is sin before God? Yet they go to churches, mosques, and other worship houses.

Who are they worshiping? The Unknown God. Why do some people, a tiny but vocal minority, wish the President dead? Do they know that if God wills, the man they wish dead could outlive them by many years? There was a lady who was very active on social media in 2015, before the presidential election of that year. She was in the league of anti-Buhari elements. Oh, he was too old. Oh, he was sickly.

Yes, he would soon die. The lady was rabidly pontifical in her convictions, parading herself as someone with a charmed life, who would live forever. And then, it happened! Sometime last year, she died! When I saw the news online, I just shook my head, and prayed for the repose of her soul.

I did not gloat. No need to. Not in her wildest imagination could she have thought that she would pre-decease President Buhari. But who has the final say? Jehovah has the final say. The breath of man is in his nostrils, and God can decide to extinguish his candle at anytime.

Jehovah has the final say. It is not by age, not by how healthy you seem, or how sickly you are. It’s a lesson some people have not learnt. They learn nothing, and forget nothing. Back to the earlier question.

Why do some people want their own President dead? Why do they want the eclipse of a man who is actuated by nothing other than love for his country? Why have they constituted themselves into enemies of national progress, haters of all that is good?

Why do they prefer the dark jungle of infamy to the light of a clear and bright day, signposted by freedom from rapacity and lootocracy?

Who then are these enemies? “Our enemies are the political profiteers, the swindlers, the men in high and low places that seek bribes and demand 10 percent, those that seek to keep the country divided permanently so that they can remain in office as Ministers or VIPs at least, the tribalists, the nepotists, those that make the country look big for nothing before international circles, those that have corrupted our society and put the Nigerian political calendar back by their words and deeds.”

Those were the words of Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, after the country’s first military coup in 1966. You may like Nzeogwu, or you may not, depending on how you view his actions and inactions. But you can hardly deny the veracity of what he said. And 51 years later, the words still ring true. The enemies of Buhari are the political profiteers.

To them, political office is not about service, but about making profit. Ordinary people can go to hell, and stay there. Personal profit is the name of the game. The swindlers, too. Enemies of righteousness and transparency. They swindle man, and even try to swindle God.

Of course, they wouldn’t want a new sheriff in town. They’d rather shoot him, and sing the reggae song:”I shot the sheriff…” Those that seek bribe and demand 10 percent. Enemies. Only that they are not satiated by 10 percent again.

They take the entire 100 percent, and leave the country prostrate. But when a Daniel comes to judgment, and hurls them before the law, knowing neither friend nor foe, they wish that he dies. Gerrout, so that business as usual continues, they shout. Those that seek to keep the country divided permanently. Evil souls. They use all the fault lines. Religion.

Ethnicity. Language. Everything. We saw it all in the 2015 elections. They cashed in on all things that divide us as a people. But Nigerians were resolute for change, and they got it.

But did those people give up? Did Pharaoh desist from pursuing the people of Israel? Hell, no! Till he ended in a watery grave. The stubborn fly follows the corpse into the grave. For the greater part of this year, President Buhari has been away from home. But whether present or absent, he still looms large. The mere fact that his shadow hovers over the land riles evil workers to no end. But what can anybody do?

Jehovah has the final say. The old order is giving way for a new one in Nigeria.

In just two years, the back of insurgency has been broken, corruption is taking a shellacking, and the comatose economy is turning round. Despite it all, some people still wish the President dead. Sad and sorry. But thankfully, they don’t have the final say. However, if they refuse to repent, we can repent on their behalf, lest judgment comes speedily on them.

How dreadful it would be. Lord, we are sorry, We’ve turned around and gone astray, Your trust for us we have betrayed, Your power we don’t recognize Your Lordship we have all despised,
We cannot pretend
We all now repent
Forgive us Lord we pray

Vanguard News.

Photos: Reunion of 82 Chibok in Abuja

Reunion of 82 Chibok in AbujaReunion of 82 Chibok in AbujaReunion of 82 Chibok in AbujaReunion of 82 Chibok in AbujaReunion of 82 Chibok in Abuja

Reunion of 82 Chibok in AbujaReunion of 82 Chibok in Abuja

Reunion of 82 Chibok in Abuja

Reunion of 82 Chibok in Abuja
Reunion of 82 Chibok in Abuja

Source  Vanguard News.

Blogger OKAI VS GOV BELLO: Court adjourns to May 31st

The Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi state has adjourned till May 31st, the ongoing trial of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, youth leader and a blogger,Comrade Austin Usman Okai to rule on the motion whether the prosecution has the right to amend charges pressed against the accused person.
 The adjournment was sequel to the arguments canvassed by both parties representing the prosecution as well as the accused person after the motion was served by the prosecuting counsel on the defence counsel,Mr J. S Okutepa SAN.

At the proceeding counsel for the state attempted to file a motion for amendment of charges earlier brought against the accused person, which was opposed by the defence counsel.

In his argument, Mr Okutepa,a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) argued that the prosecuting counsel has no power to amend a motion without the approval of the court.
“The prosecuting counsel is unqualified to amend charge,section 216 of the administration of Criminal Act stated clearly how a charge can be amended.

“How can a police who is charged with the responsibility of protecting the life and property of citizens turned himself to be a judge,my lordship there’s no charges to amend” he submitted.

The defence counsel therefore appealed to the presiding judge to ” strike out this worthless paper they titled amended charge ”

Earlier Mr okutepa SAN,informed the court that the life of his client is been threatened by the agent of the state.

According to him, the report has become necessary in view of the importance of the life of his client:

“I am reporting to my Lordship that the life of my client is been threatened by some Governor’s aides on both their Twitter and Facebook accounts
“We’ve written a petition to the Inspector General of Police and copied the State Commissioner of police and other relevant security agencies in the state “he explained

He therefore submitted that his client be granted leave not to appear in court physically until trial readily commence; ” that for the safety of my client my Lord, my client should be excuse from appearing in court as he cannot face trail after he is killed in view of the life of my client I appeal to my lordship to grant my application ” he submitted.

The prosecuting counsel, who objected to the application without quoting authority from the law appealed to the presiding judge to discountenance the application.

The case has been adjourned to the 31st of May 2017 for ruling on the motions.

The court proceeding was witnessed by Mr Okai supporters who turned out as early as 8 am to witnessed the court proceedings which begins at 9.15 am.

Source Vanguard

Jonathan developed Whistleblowing, TSA, other anti-corruption measures but… – APC Lawmaker

Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and President Muhammadu Buhari

A member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Abiodun Olasupo, representing Iseyin/Iwajowa/Kajola/Itesiwaju federal constituency of Oyo state under the All Progressives Congress, APC, has said that Ex-President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan developed the Whistlblowing policy, the Treasury Single Account, TSA, the Bank Verification Number, BVN, and other anti-corruption mechanisms but lacked the will to use them to fight corruption to its knees.

The lawmaker made the statement while commissioning some projects at the inauguration of some projects in his constituency on Friday.

According to him, “You should not be surprised that all the measures used in the anti-corruption crusade today were developed by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.”

“The Jonathan administration developed the policies of whistle blowing, Bank Verification Number (BVN), Treasury Single Account (TSA) but lacked  the political will to implement them.”

“You can see that the implementation by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is bringing the desired results.”

The implementation of the Biometric Verification Number (BVN) as unique identity number for bank customers as well as the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) are all part of the cost-saving and anti-corruption agenda being aggressively championed by President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

The Finance minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun once highlighted the gains of TSA as such:

In practice, TSA is an essential reform for any government wishing to pursue fiscal sustainability and prudent management of its resources. It increases accountability and transparency, improves the processing of payments and collections and reduces borrowing costs.

TSA at the federal level has allowed, for the first time, visibility of the total quantity of government funds at any point in time. The balance, which changes daily as MDA’s remit revenues and make payments, according to the latest reports from CBN exceeds N2.2 Trillion. I can report that work is now ongoing within The Treasury, to determine how much of these funds can potentially be utilised to part fund the 2016 budget and how much relates to pending commitments. This, of course, will reduce the amount to be borrowed.

The TSA has provided us with financial information on the revenues of agencies funded by government and has reduced revenue suppression. This information is being used to drive our programme to enforce compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act and ensure that Revenue Generating Agencies generate expected surpluses and remit to the Federal Purse.

TSA has eliminated opportunities for brokerage and other corrupt practices that previously encouraged agencies to accumulate funds with commercial banks rather than apply them to their intended uses. We believe that this will reduce payment delays to contractors, minimise late payment penalties and will consequently improve project completion times and service delivery.

TSA has corrected the practice of government borrowing short term funds at high rates of interest, whilst simultaneously having idle funds in various bank accounts. By reducing the number of accounts in operation, monitoring and control has significantly improved.

“All the people cursing my mother, will never become parents” -Tboss curses on Instagram live

Former Big Brother Naija housemate, Tokunbo Idowu a.k.a TBoss, who had a row with a follower who slammed her mum on Mother’s day last Sunday, has a message for those cursing her mum.

T boss and mum

PHOTOS: Igbo man weds Muslim lady in Malaysia

A set of trending photos on social media has shown a Nigerian man claimed to be Igbo by tribe alleged to have gotten married to a Muslim lady in Malaysia.
As claimed, the Nigerian Igbo man identified as Collins tied the knot with his Muslim bride in a wedding ceremony held in Jasin District in Melaka, Malaysia.

The report also claims Mr. Collins’ friends and some members of his family were present to grace the occasion alongside his girlfriend’s family members.

Igbo man weds Muslim lady Igbo man weds Muslim lady Igbo man weds Muslim lady Igbo man weds Muslim lady Igbo man weds Muslim lady

Lol! Nigerian Twitter accuse Ooni of Ife of sending rain to disrupt the Eyo Festival in Lagos today.

Today is the Eyo Festival in Lagos and for some reasons it rained heavily in most part of the state and Nigerians on Twitter with zero chills are involving the Ooni Of Ife in the drama. See the tweets after the cut...