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NYSC Trust Fund will empower youths, develop Nigeria – Group

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The Open Society for Good Governance (OSGG) has welcomed the proposed National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund describing it as a catalyst for youth empowerment and development in Nigeria.

The group, in a statement today, said the Trust Fund will potentially deal with graduate unemployment and enhance the welfare of staff.

Recall that the NYSC Trust Fund Bill (Establishment, etc.) last week scaled the first reading at the House of Representatives.

Sponsored by Hon. Akinfolarin Mayowa representing Ileoluji Okeigbo/Odigbo constituency in Ondo State, if passed, the Bill, 2021 (HB.1795) will among others provide sustainable source of funds for NYSC, Skill Acquisition training and provision of startup capital to Corps Members as well as train and retrain the personnel of the NYSC.

Throwing its weight behind the Trust Fund, the Open Society for Good Governance commended the lower chamber for considering the bill.

According to the group, the NYSCTF will bridge the funding gap in the skill and entrepreneurship development drive of the NYSC.

It, therefore, commended the Director-General of the NYSC, Brig-Gen Shuaib Ibrahim for his ingenuity in conceiving and proposing the establishment of the Trust Fund.

The group further noted that the DG has yet again displayed an unalloyed commitment to the cause of nation-building.

The Open Society for Good Governance, however, called on well-meaning Nigerians, relevant stakeholders and critics to embrace the Trust Fund.

Read full statement below:

The Open Society for Good Governance as a critical stakeholder in the quest for sustainable growth and development in Nigeria, is commending the efforts of the Federal House of Representatives in its consideration of the bill seeking for the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund.
The assurances by the House Committee on Youth and Sports on the speedy attention to the passage of the bill is indeed reassuring and an indication that indeed greater times await the operations of the NYSC.

This is indeed laudable, and it is succinct to state that the strategic importance of establishing the NYSC Trust Fund cannot be overemphasized. It is thus our considered opinion that the NYSC Trust Fund will support staff training for higher productivity and logistic requirements for particular aspects of Community Development Service.

We also wish to align with the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Youth Development, Yemi Adaramodu, who justified that the proposed establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund would serve as a means of tackling the myriad of challenges facing the noble NYSC scheme.

The Open Society for Good Governance wishes to use this medium to appreciate the Director-General of the NYSC for the ingenuity in proposing the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund to bridge the funding gap in the skill and entrepreneurship development drive of the NYSC.

The NYSC DG has displayed an act of uncommon courage worthy of emulation across the board. And it is our considered opinion that upon establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund, the NYSC as an institution would be better positioned to contribute its quota to the growth and development of the country.

The Open Society for Good Governance wishes to state unequivocal terms that the NYSC Trust Fund is indeed a game-changer in the empowerment of youths in the country that constitute a critical constituency.

This is indeed a welcome development and an indication of the commitment of the NYSC leadership towards creating that platform for youth development and empowerment in the country.

It is our firm position that the NYSC Trust Fund would serve as that medium with which the hopes and aspirations of the teeming youths in the country would be translated into tangible realities.

The NYSC management has once again displayed an unalloyed commitment to the cause of nation-building. It behoves all well-meaning Nigerians to extend a hand of support to the NYSC leadership in our quest to maximise our youths’ potentials.

The Open Society for Good Governance wishes to use this medium to commend the Federal House of Representatives for leading this laudable charge. Their actions are commendable and in the overall interest of the country.

We consequently encourage other critical stakeholders to emulate the actions of the Federal House of Representatives. We must, therefore, create an enabling environment for our young entrepreneurs to succeed to ensure that what these young ones have made should not be erased. We must empower them to create the jobs that would lift the continent to prosperity.
This is what the NYSC Trust Fund aims to achieve, and the onus lies on us to see to the quick passage of the bill that would lead to the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund.

A Legacy and the NYSC Trust Fund

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By Gabriel Agibi

The country has been inundated with the proposed NYSC Trust Fund, a vehicle intended to pool funds to enhance the Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Programme for corps members to actualize their dreams even after the service year.

I must add that initially, I was sceptical about the desirability of establishing the NYSC Trust Fund. But not anymore, after extensive research on the pros and cons regarding the benefits derived if such initiative is established.

As a start, the idea is such a brilliant one and can address the critical issue of unemployment in the country. The benefits would also transcend all segments of society because the multiplier effect would trickle down in ways too numerous to mention.

That the bill proposing the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund came up for first reading in the Federal House of Representatives is the more cheering because it indicates that the prospects are high regarding its establishment. The implication of the above is that Nigerians are coming to terms with the vast potentials of the NYSC Trust Fund if established.

However, there another twist that escaped the attention of critical stakeholders. This is the fact that the NYSC Trust Fund would go down in history as one of the legacies of the Muhammadu Buhari in harnessing the vast potentials of the teeming youths in the country.

The growing number of young people in Africa could offer enormous potential gains to the continent, but only if their needs are met, and their rights are fulfilled. In buttressing this position, Corinne Woods, Director of the UN Millennium Campaign, stated that Africa is home to the world’s youngest and most productive population. This is added to the fact that today’s fastest developing economies are in Africa. And this presents enormous opportunities for growth and transformation. Africa’s present and future belong to its youths.

The above summarizes the need to establish the NYSC Trust Fund in my considered opinion to support corps members trained under the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme with start-up capital to develop their businesses as harnessing youthful energy is a sure pathway to peace, prosperity, and growth.

This is one opportunity we must grab with both hands if we desire to attain sustainable growth and development because employment opportunities are few. Governments must do more to ensure young people have the opportunities and tools necessary to succeed. And the NYSC Trust Fund has all it takes for the government to change the narrative.
This is on the heels that, by most accounts, Nigeria’s burgeoning youth population provides a huge social, economic and political capital that is required to drive the nation’s development. Therefore there is the need for government at all levels to show more political willpower by ensuring the effective implementation of the laws to foster youth development in the country.

I must commend and encourage the National Assembly members to take proactive steps in ensuring the speedy passage of the bill proposing the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund. That Hon. Ahmad Abdullahi Kalambaina from Sokoto State has taken the lead in this regard is very heartwarming. And it behoves on other members of the National Assembly to see this as a national concern. But it doesn’t stop there. And this is essentially the reason for this piece for all and sundry to work collectively in the national interest.

I think it also buttresses the fact that the NYSC has continued to play a critical role in the country’s socio-economic development. Its contributions to the vital sectors of the economy have been invaluable. And the NYSC Trust Fund is indeed the game-changer.

We must also commend the current leadership of the NYSC for the display of ingenuity. I recall that I was one of those that expressed excitement with the appointment of the NYSC DG. I knew he would hit the ground running with brilliant ideas from his antecedents. And today, he hasn’t relented despite the myriad of challenges. Instead, he raised the bar in leadership and service to the country.

Today, the operations of the NYSC have been transformed to that medium where corps members actualize their dreams. I am particularly impressed that corps members have been enlightened to see the bigger picture. Nothing can be more reassuring that the country is indeed on that path of greatness.

In the health sector, the services of NYSC doctors have been invaluable. In the educational sector, corps members have been very active and other areas of national concern. I am most glad that the Muhammadu Buhari administration has placed a premium on harnessing the vast potentials of our youthful population through the instrument of the NYSC.

The NYSC Trust Fund is an initiative that would stand the test of time and might go down in history as one of the legacies of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. If all goes as planned and the NYSC Trust Fund is established, Nigeria and Nigerians would be the ultimate beneficiary.

I salute the leadership of the NYSC for this brilliant initiative, and I wish to give a charge to the relevant institutions of government to see to the actualization of this laudable initiative.

Agibi is a public affairs analyst and wrote this piece Abuja.

Over a land dispute, armed hoodlums invade Obafemi Awolowo University and Barricade Road

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Thugs armed with guns, cutlasses, and axes, among other weapons, barricaded the road and caused chaos. A gang of 50 hoodlums stormed Ile-Ife, Osun State, over a land dispute with the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).
Thugs armed with guns, cutlasses, and axes, among other weapons, barricaded the road and caused chaos, according to the Daily Sun.

The land in question was allegedly owned by the OAU but had been encroached upon by some individuals.
For a long time, there has been a land dispute between OAU and the indigenous people of the ancient town.

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In the past, some of the aggrieved parties have invaded the university on several occasions, claiming ownership of some portions of the university’s land.
Some indigenous peoples who claimed their land was taken for the university when it was founded in 1962 were selling some of it.
Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, the Vice-Chancellor of the OAU, petitioned the Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Abiodun Ige, in 2019 to have the perpetrators of the crime arrested.
The Vice-Chancellor had also copied Brown Ekwoaba, the Director of the Department of State Services in Osun State, emphasizing that the university would not engage in any illegal activity in this regard.

US ambassador: Nigerian tech startups raised $1.7 billion in 202

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According to US Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard, Nigerian tech startups raised $1.7 billion in 2021, accounting for 60% of all money raised by tech startups in Africa.

Ambassador Leonard made the announcement at the Nigerian Tech Summit, noting that three tech unicorns were born and bred in Nigeria: OPay, Flutterwave, and Interswitch. She stated that with the right support, there is a lot more that can be done.

“African tech startups have raised over $2.9 billion in funding.” Nigerian startups, which develop new products, services, and platforms, raised $1.7 billion, or roughly 60% of the total. Africa has seven tech “unicorns,” or companies worth more than $1 billion. Three of these companies — OPay, Flutterwave, and Interswitch — are Nigerian-born and bred, which I find very exciting. “We are convinced that, with the right support, Nigeria has enormous potential to achieve even more,” she said.

Read also: Fulani herders in Benue increase the number of orphans – Ortom

According to her, the US will continue to support Nigeria’s tech sector and work to create a conducive environment.

“The United States Mission will continue to do its part to support Nigeria’s burgeoning tech scene and encourage the creation of the enabling environment required to foster a sector that will, in turn, launch even more global businesses and contribute to a more prosperous future for all Nigerians,” Leonard said.

“I also want you to know that the pandemic had no effect on our commitment and support to such important populations in Nigeria.” Mandela Washington Fellows were still being recruited and promoted. We were ecstatic when Vice President Osinbajo met with our most recent cohort of Nigerian fellows in October, encouraging them to participate in political processes and make positive changes in their communities.”

Fulani herders in Benue increase the number of orphans – Ortom

Benue Governor Samuel Ortom has blamed Fulani herdsmen for the state’s soaring number of orphans and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Orphanage homes and IDP camps across Benue State, according to Ortom, are brimming with orphans who have lost hope for the future.

“Some became orphans after their parents were killed by terrorist Fulani herdsmen.

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“My wife and I picked up four orphans from the Mama Abayor Orphanage three years ago, and we’ve been taking care of them ever since,” he said.
Benue Governor Samuel Ortom has blamed Fulani herdsmen for the state’s soaring number of orphans and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Orphanage homes and IDP camps across Benue State, according to Ortom, are brimming with orphans who have lost hope for the future.

“Some became orphans after their parents were killed by terrorist Fulani herdsmen.

“My wife and I picked up four orphans from the Mama Abayor Orphanage three years ago, and we’ve been taking care of them ever since,” he said.

Wike: Buhari has no excuse for not signing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill

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“The ruling party is attempting to deceive Nigerians by claiming that the mere inclusion of direct primaries in the electoral act amendment bill is the reason why the President refuses to sign or does not want to sign.”

Wike asserted, “The major issue is the transmission, the electronic transmission of results.”

The governor went on to say that because clauses in a bill can be further amended, there’s no reason why the President couldn’t have signed it and called for sections to be revisited.

“The problem is that Mr. President signed the Petroleum Industry Bill and then had it returned to him for amendment.

Read also: Bandits Kill 38 In Kaduna Communities

“If Mr President truly cares about this country and has promised Nigerians that he will conduct free and fair elections, then nothing prevents Mr President from emphasizing this amendment and then seeking an amendment regarding the direct/indirect mode of conducting political party primaries,” Wike explained.

“So if anyone tells you that abinitio, the APC wanted to support the electronic transmission of election results in 2023, that person must be a joker because I do know that the reason the President did not sign in 2018/2019 was because of the card-reader,” he added. Mr. President, you have been warned that signing that will result in your election failure.”

The NASS lacks the confidence to overthrow Buhari.
Further on the issue, the Rivers State Governor stated that under the constitution, the National Assembly has the power to override President Buhari’s veto by two-thirds of the two chambers.

He was disappointed, however, that “the leadership of the National Assembly as we have it today cannot put on the agenda of the two chambers that they will override, veto Mr President’s decline.”

The governor claims that the 9th Assembly lacks members capable of looking the President in the eye and telling him the truth when he makes a bad decision.

Wike came to the conclusion that Nigerians have no choice but to come out and say “enough is enough” based on this premise. He also stated that the ruling party cannot continue to deceive Nigerians.

He declared that the views he was expressing were not those of a political party, but rather those of Nigerians and what was in their best interests.

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“We’re talking about what will earn Nigeria respect in the United Nations Committee of Nations as a country that believes in true, transparent democratic processes to elect its leaders.”

Governor Wike concluded his remarks on the matter by saying that by refusing to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, President Buhari has cast doubt on his promise to ensure a free and fair election in 2023.

court: Andy Uba’s emergence as the winner of the Anambra APC primary is declared illegal

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Justice Ekwo ruled on Monday that Uba was never a candidate in the election because he won an illegally conducted primary election.

The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove Uba’s name from the election’s candidate list, and the APC to refund Moghalu the N22.5 million he paid for expressions of interest and nomination forms because the party failed to hold a valid primary.

Read also: Bandits Kill 38 In Kaduna Communities

Uba received 230,000 votes in the now-cancelled direct primary, but only 43,000 votes in the general election, which was won by Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressive Grand Alliance.

Press Statement: National Communications Commission (NCC) establishes a new mobile international termination rate for voice services

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– Sets the floor price for ITR at $0.045.
– The new rate goes into effect in January.

The new International Termination Rate (ITR) for voice services paid by overseas telecom carriers for terminating international calls on local networks in Nigeria has been set at $0.045 by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The new rate is set out in the Commission’s ‘Determination of Mobile International Termination Rate,’ which was released on November 25, 2021. The $0.045 rate will be the floor price for ITR services beginning January 1, 2022. The rate will be paid in US dollars so that Nigerian operators can benefit from an increasing rate in Naira terms as the currency devalues.

No licensee is permitted to charge and/or receive an effective rate per minute that is less than the ITR floor rate. Payment discounts, volume discounts, and any other concession that lowers the effective ITR below the rate determined will be considered a violation of the new determination and will be subject to sanctions under the Nigerian Communications (Enforcement Process, etc.) Regulations, 2019.

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The ITR Floor is the absolute lowest amount that can be charged. Operators will be free to negotiate a rate that is higher than the floor, and this will be entirely up to commercial negotiations between operators and international carriers/partners.
While the ITR only applies to the cost of bringing traffic into Nigeria, Nigerian operators will continue to pay the regulated Mobile Termination Rate (MTR), also known as the local termination rate.

For local call terminations, the MTR of N3.90 for generic 2G/3G/4G operators and N4.70 for new entrant Long Term Evolution (LTE) operators determined in 2018 will apply until the Commission determines a new rate in accordance with its powers as enshrined in the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003.

The Commission’s Mobile (voice) termination rate, which was issued on June 1, 2018, maintained the existing interconnection rate regime. The ITR of N24.40 determined in 2016 will continue to apply until a new determination is made, according to the determination.

Because the ITR is denominated in Naira, it has had a number of negative effects on local operators, which have been exacerbated by episodes of naira depreciation, which has turned Nigeria from a net receiver of international minutes to a net payer.

The Commission also noted that operators continue to face a number of challenges as a result of the ITR’s Naira denomination, indicating the need for a cost-based study on ITR. In light of the foregoing, the Commission engaged Messrs’ Payday Advance and Support Services Limited to conduct a cost-based study of voice MTR that is most suitable for the Nigerian telecommunications industry, as part of its statutory mandate of periodic review of regulatory policies.

Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), said that in arriving at the new $0.045 MTR, “the Commission has carefully considered the information provided by stakeholders and taken a view on parameters and regulatory measures in light of relevant information such as international experience, cost model results, the state of competition in the sector, and the Nigerian macroeconomic environment.”

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He went on to say that the ITR was reached in a transparent manner, with the goal of providing maximum clarity to all parties while maintaining the confidentiality of commercially sensitive information. “We are confident that the review’s findings will contribute significantly to the development of Nigeria’s telecoms sector, benefiting subscribers, operators, and the country as a whole,” he said.

The EVC expressed the Commission’s gratitude to all operators and industry stakeholders who submitted information relating to the regulation of interconnection rates and costing models, as well as the consultant, for their participation in the process leading to the Determination on behalf of the Board and Management of the NCC.

December 20, 2021, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director of Public Affairs

Bandits Kill 38 In Kaduna Communities

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Nigerians and political parties condemned the latest killings in Kaduna State yesterday.

Their reactions came as the state government confirmed that bandits killed 38 people in Idasu, Giwa local government area, in a series of attacks.

Nine victims have yet to be identified, despite the fact that 29 have been identified as of the time of this report.

“Following the report of attacks by bandits across villages in Idasu, Giwa LGA, contained in an earlier update, security agencies have confirmed to the Kaduna State government that 38 people were killed across the locations attacked,” the commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said in a statement yesterday.

“As of this update, twenty-nine of the victims have been identified, with nine remaining unidentified. The following are the 29 people who have been identified: As of the time of this update, 29 of the victims have been identified, with nine still unidentified. Rabi’u Wada, Salisu Boka, Alhaji Nura Nuhu, Alh Bashari Sabiu, Alhaji Lawal Dahiru, Abbas Saidu, Inusa Kano, Malam Lawal Nagargari, Malam Aminu, Lawal Maigyad, Alhaji Mustapha, Lawal Aliyu, and Sale Makeri are among the 29 people identified.

Sani Lawal, Auwal Umar, Jamilu Hassan, Badamasi Mukhtar, Malam Jibril, Lawal Tsawa, Sule Hamisu, Sadi Bala, Kabiru Gesha, Abubakar Sanusi, Saiph Alh Abdu, Haruna Musa, Lawal Hudu, Malam Shuaibu Habibu, Malam Yahaya Habibu, and Abubakar Yusuf were among those More information will be released as it becomes available.”

“As of the time of this update,” Aruwan said, “bandits attacked Kauran Fawa, Marke, and Riheya villages in Idasu, Giwa LGA.” Houses, trucks, and cars, as well as agricultural produce from various farms, were also set ablaze.”
Governor Nasir El-Rufai, according to Aruwan, was saddened by the security reports and sent condolences to the families of the victims of the brutal attacks while praying for their souls to rest in peace.

“In the meantime, security agencies have maintained patrols in the general area,” the governor said, commiserating with the affected communities and ordering the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency to conduct an urgent assessment of the area in order to provide relief.

Brig. Gen. John Sura (rtd), a governorship candidate for the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State, called on the federal and state governments to establish special courts to try suspected terrorists and bandits operating in various parts of Nigeria.

Sura argued in a weekend interview with newsmen in Jos that those who take lives should be made to pay the ultimate price for their actions. He went on to say that no one or group should be treated as if they were above the law.

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Bandits and terrorists should not be allowed to operate in any part of the country, according to Sura.

However, the gubernatorial candidate emphasized that those charged with protecting lives and property should carry out their constitutional responsibilities.

“To serve as a deterrent to others planning to make life difficult for law-abiding Nigerians in the country, terrorists and bandits should be sentenced to death and made to face the wrath of the law of the land.”

He advised state governors not to be hesitant to sign death sentences for criminals sentenced to death by competent courts.

Sura also called for the strengthening of security intelligence in all parts of the country so that those responsible for security lapses in states are held accountable.

“If we don’t do that, Nigeria is doomed to fail.”

Sura bemoaned the fact that the security situation has deteriorated to the point where leadership has failed.

“Leaders must stand with their people in good times and bad times or else they are not worthy to be called leaders,” Sura stressed, adding that Nigerian leaders must begin to speak out against systemic wrongdoings.

Also yesterday, the PDP challenged the federal government led by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to identify the source of funds used by terrorists in the country.

The PDP stated this yesterday, condemning the APC’s insensitivity to the increased terrorist killings in Sokoto, Niger, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau, and other parts of the country.

Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the PDP’s national publicity secretary, said the APC leaders’ apparent indifference to bloodletting, as well as the party’s failure to offer any tangible solution or forcefully hold its government accountable on security, validate apprehensions about the APC’s reported complicity in the country’s worsening insecurity in the last six years.

“The least Nigerians expect from the APC is for it to forcefully give its government a marching order to develop a comprehensive strategy to proactively address insecurity, including targeting the source of funds to terrorists, many of which have been revealed by a foreign government, but the APC government has refused to act,” Ologunagba said in a statement.

“Is it not unpardonable that while the APC failed to show empathy on the gruesome murder of scores of travelers who were burned alive in Sokoto state, the massacre of over 15 worshippers in Niger state, and other compatriots killed in Kaduna, Katsina, and other parts of the country in the last few days, its leaders and officials in government had the time to attend President Muhammadu Buhari’s son’s turbaning ceremony in the same troubled Kat

“Isn’t it also provocative, vexatious, and heartless of the APC and its leaders to party while Nigeria burns?”

“Such callous assault on Nigerian sensibility, which equates to dancing on the graves of the victims of the attacks, further exposes the APC as a party that is completely uncaring about killings, places no value on lives, and has no commitment to fighting terrorism in our country,” he said.

“The PDP, in solidarity with Nigerians, calls on the APC to come clean about its alleged ties to assassinations, the benefit it derives from violence and bloodshed, and why it places no value on human life.”

“Nigerians will recall that, despite the PDP’s demands, the APC and its leaders have failed to account for the “political mercenaries” they allegedly imported as thugs, gangsters, and hoodlums to inflict violence on Nigerians during the 2019 elections. The APC has also failed to explain why a self-proclaimed terrorism apologist remains in its government.

The PDP has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to show leadership and empathy by personally visiting troubled states, as part of his campaign promise to lead the fight against terrorism from the front, rather than delegating responsibility to others.

Read also: Flights to and from Kenya have been halted in Dubai for the next 48 hours.

The opposition party, on the other hand, expressed condolences to the victims of the horrific attacks and urged Nigerians to remain hopeful and focused as “we scale up our collective efforts to rescue and rebuild our nation from misrule.”

Flights to and from Kenya have been halted in Dubai for the next 48 hours.

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Customers who have been affected by the strike have been advised not to call immediately and instead to hold on to their tickets until flights resume.
For the next 48 hours, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) has banned all inbound and transit passenger movements from Kenya.

The suspension went into effect around 10:30 a.m. on Monday, December 20, 2021.

According to Kenyans.co.ke, Fly Emirates announced the latest development in a statement.

Flights from Dubai to Nairobi, on the other hand, would remain unchanged.

“Customers will not be accepted for travel on Emirates flights at Nairobi during this time,” Fly Emirates stated.

Customers who have been affected by the strike have been advised not to call immediately and instead to hold on to their tickets until flights resume.

“…make new travel arrangements with their travel agent or booking office. Emirates apologizes for any inconvenience this has caused “It was stated.

The reason for the flight cancellations was not immediately clear. The Emirates Nairobi office stated that it was receiving a high volume of calls and that it was dealing with the problems within 48 hours.

“Please be advised that due to a high volume of calls, you may be placed on hold for up to 48 hours.”

Flights were halted after Health CS Mutahi Kagwe confirmed the presence of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in the country.

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In order to protect themselves, Kagwe advised Kenyans to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

“Our experts are still debating the issue and observing and sequencing variants in our labs to determine what type of variant we have. Variants will appear and disappear “he explained.