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Price Increase: Consumers Write CPC Over Alleged Insensitivity by Multichoice

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Consumers under the umbrella body of Coalition of Nigeria Consumers has written the Director General of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission over alleged Insensitivity by Multichoice Nigeria Limited in the increase in there subscription rates.
The coalition in petition to the commission dated May 9, 2020, urged the Director-General to intervene, arguing that the increase will be the third in five years.
Multichoice Nigeria limited provides Digital Satellite Television services on (DStv and GOtv) platforms, with about 14.56 million Subscribers on across Africa, Nigeria having 40% of this numbers as at 2019 making it largest and leading satellite Tv service provider in Nigeria.
You will recall that Mutilchoice Nigeria Limited had recently announced that it will be increasing its rates for DStv and GOtv Subscribers from 1st June, 2020, citing the increase in VAT rate as the reason for this imminent price increment. It must be pointed out that the company would by this announcement be increasing it rate for the third time in the last five years. First in 2015, another in 2018 and now 2020. This is inspite of repeated outcries by Nigerians and court injunctions restraining Multichioce from increasing their rate on those previous occasions which were blatantly disobeyed.
According to the petition signed by Festus Onifade, Esq.counsel to the consumers, he said, ”Our Client and many other concerned Nigerians are particularly worried at the insensitive nature of Multichoice Nigeria Limited who despite the global economic downturn and the prevailing CORONA VIRUS crisis seem impervious to the sensitivity of its customers.
”Sir, as you have notice that national lockdown and government ‘Sit at home’ order has directly increase the patronage for the product and services of the providers DStv and GOtv without commensurate increase in contents particularly in view of the suspension of world major sporting live events and TV drama series ect; and yet Consumers are left with no other option not only to pay but with imminent increase.
”Our Client also noted with grave concerns that apart from the pattern of (CONTENT RECYCLING) of repetitive films and programs, many local Tv Channels which ought to be free are paid for by Nigeria Consumers as oppose to the practice of enjoying free local Tv Channels in other part of the world.
”Worst still is that with a monthly premium subscription rate of about N16, 000 Our Client and Nigeria Consumers are greatly surcharge. This is because with an average of 720 hours per month, an average view is about 6 hours per day. If usage is converted to hourly basis this same amount will give a consumer four months value. Hence, we advocate ‘Pay as you use.’
”Sadly, Nigeria with over 40% of its Subscribers in Africa; Nigerians and Our Client in particular continue to groan under the repressive incessant price hike because of the dominant position Multichioce Nigeria Limited occupies where it determines market prices unilaterally without recourse to it closest competitor (StarTimes) or consideration for the welfare of its Customers.
”We believe strongly that Multichoice Nigeria Limited is in gross violation of the provision of Section 72 of Federal Consumer and Competition Law 2018 which amounted to ABUSE OF POWER OF DOMINANCE.
”In view of the above, we implore the Commission to be persuaded by the provision of Section 88(3) of FCCP ACT 2018 to prevail on the Multilchoice Nigeria limited owners of DStv and GOtv satellite cable to suspend its planned price increment as it would amount to anti-competitive act, arbitrariness and against the welfare of the Consumers. And also the Commission should invoke its power under this Act to regulate the price as this would be in the overall public interest”.

Four Armed Bandits Killed, Scores Injured and Logistics Base Destroyed by Air Strikes in Zamfara

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The Air Component of Operation HADARIN DAJI has destroyed a bandits’ logistics warehouse killing four armed bandits and wounding scores in approximately 5Km North of Birnin Kogo in Zamfara State.

In a statement, the Coordinator Defence Media Operations Major General John Enenche said the operation is in continuation of the renewed onslaught against armed bandits in parts of the North West and North Central States.

The air strikes which were executed yesterday, 30 May 2020, sequel to Human Intelligence (HUMINT) reports, which were later confirmed by series of aerial surveillance missions, indicating that the large structure was being used by the bandits to store their ammunition, raw rations and other logistics items.

Consequently, the Air Component dispatched a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) attack aircraft to engage the target scoring accurate hits on the warehouse, which went up in flames as a result of its volatile contents, leading to its complete destruction. Four armed bandits guarding the facility were also neutralized as a result of the attack.

Reacting to the development, The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, commended the Air Component of Operation HADARIN DAJI for their professionalism and directed them to remain resolute in the conduct of air strikes whilst continuing to provide close air support for ongoing ground operations in order to eradicate all armed bandits; thus achieving the directives of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to restore normalcy in the North West and North Central Zones of the Country.

Office of the Chief of Staff: The Imperatives of Nation Building

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By Prof Ahmed Danfulani

When the Office of the Chief of Staff was contemplated in the United States of America, it was purely to oversee the President’s Cabinet. The originators of that idea certainly could not have had Nigeria in mind.

In 1999, when President Olusegun Obasanjo re-established the idea under a democratic dispensation, the Office of the Chief of Staff became the Alpha and Omega of public, political and diplomatic governance. In other words, the business of governance and all communications there to must be warehoused under a single authority referred delicately as the Chief of Staff.

Credit for this must be given to President Obasanjo who appointed General Abdullahi Mohammed, a very competent professional and security veteran, as the first Chief of Staff. The attributions of the office, with extensive powers left none in doubt, that the occupant must enjoy absolute trust, and who in turn must demonstrate absolute loyalty to the President.

The functions are such that the Chief of Staff could be described as an engine room to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Commander-in-Chief.

Successive democratic political transitions brought two other less celebrated but equally powerful Chief of Staff in the person of Mike Oghiadomhe and Chief Aregbofa, serving as the second

And third respectively. The next all too powerful Chief of Staff happens to be the late Abba Kyari, whom President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) described as the Best of us-and for whom, we crave Aljanatu Firdaus.

The 5th Chief of Staff, appointed by the President is Ambassador/Professor Ibrahim Gambari, and which was described as one of the best decisions taken by President Muhammadu Buhari, based purely on merit and distinction of character.

Gambari, our new Chief of Staff has been acknowledged as being full of integrity, intelligence and capacity to deliver within our complex polity, and who will bring his extensive diplomatic experience to serve the nation. The Chief of Staff has also been adjudged by experts and other analysts as being strategically positioned, by virtue of his academic standing, international exposure and an impeccable career prospects to make very positive contributions to the nation’s socio-economic challenges.

Gambari is seen as an erudite scholar and a perfect gentleman capable of uniting different interests regardless of gender, religion, politics, class and other idiosyncrasies. With this attribute, the Chief of Staff is seen as being absolutely fair-minded capable of uniting the peoples of this extraordinarily blessed nation. Not being a politician and an extremely cautious personality, adogged fighter and superbly principled, Gambari is expected to operate in a manner as to open up more friends, serious academics, business moguls as well as the clergy, the youth, the less privileged, and the elderly in the management of the polity.

Gambari comes to the office with huge experience and Knowledge on governance, strategy and public policy. Gambari, a distinguished scholar, with exposure to several serious institutions at home and abroad, including the diplomatic community, is seen as  a round peg and a loyal friend of Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari spanning four decades. A highly    cultured gentleman, not known for wealth, fat bank account, no properties across the country, Gambari’s emergence came at a time of a misunderstood administration, declining global and national economic fortune, poverty, hopelessness, marginalization and insecurity.

Opinions and enlightened submissions concord that Ambassador Gambari knows the depth of challenges before his office and collectively, our new Chief of Staff needs Allah’s guidance and His blessings on this Nation to harness the opportunities for our survival as a leader nation in Africa.

Prof. Danfulani Ahmed

Former DG, NIPSS.

Expert Analyst on National Issues

 

Court jails six NAF personnel attached to ex-CDS, Badeh

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Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh

A General Court Martial sitting in Abuja has jailed six Nigerian Air Force personnel who were aides to the former Chief of Defence Staff, Late Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.

Badeh was shot dead in December 2018 by gunmen on his way back from his farm along Gitata-Keffi Highway in Nasarawa State.

The six air force personnel were on Friday awarded various sentences by the GCM which sat at the NAF Base, Bill Clinton Drive, Abuja.

According to the NAF in a release on Saturday morning by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the convicted personnel are; Squadron Leader Tom Gwani, Flight Sergeant Amu David, Flight Sergeant Philemon Degema, Flight Sergeant Sabo Simon, Sergeant Mukhtar Abdullahi and Sergeant Alfred Alexander.

The NAF did not specify their jail terms but said four of the personnel were detailed to provide armed escort for the late CDS while the two others were detailed for guard duty at his house.

Daramola, in a release, on Friday, said, “Six NAF personnel, who were aides to the former CDS were awarded various sentences by the GCM sitting at the NAF Base, Bill Clinton Drive, Abuja.

“The personnel were standing trial for various offences. Delivering his judgment, the President of the GCM, Air Commodore David Aluku, pronounced the a six accused personnel guilty of various charges.

“These included their failure to perform military duties, by absconding from the convoy of the deceased former CDS, while it came under attack, as well as conduct to the prejudice of service discipline first-timing false statements.

“The charges against the accused also included other civil offences of criminal conspiracy and miscellaneous offences relating to property, for illegally disposing of 79 rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition issued for the protection of the late CDS, among others.

“While pleading in mitigation, the Defence Counsels urged the court to show leniency, describing the accused persons as first time offenders. The sentences were announced as being subject to confirmation by the Appropriate Superior Authority.”

Monkeys Snatch Coronavirus Blood Samples of Patients in India

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A troop of monkeys snatched the blood samples of suspected coronavirus patients at a government hospital in the Meerut district of the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

The incident happened on Thursday when a lab assistant working with the Covid-19 facility of the hospital was carrying blood samples due for testing, Dr Dheeraj Baliyan, medical superintendent of Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College and Hospital, told CNN.
The monkeys attacked the lab assistant and stole the sample box with three samples, added Baliyan.

S.K. Garg, head of the hospital, told a local newswire that the samples were blood samples, and not the swabs usually taken to test for Covid-19. Garg said that the samples belonged to people who had tested positive for Covid-19, but were taken as part of routine blood tests for the patients.

The monkeys climbed the trees with the samples and threw them after chewing the packets, Baliyan added.

The medical superintendent confirmed to CNN that no individual came into contact with the samples, and the hospital authorities have sanitized the area and disposed of the samples snatched by the monkeys.

The district administration has ordered an inquiry against the hospital authorities for alleged mishandling of the samples.

According to India’s health ministry, the total number of coronavirus cases in the country as of Friday stands at 165,799, including 4,706 deaths.

CNN crew covering racial unrest arrested in Minneapolis

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Police arrested a CNN crew broadcasting live from the US city of Minneapolis early on Friday while covering unrest sparked by the death of a black man at the hands of law enforcement.

The crew was later released.

The network posted footage of correspondent Omar Jimenez speaking calmly to police with batons and riot helmets, then being handcuffed and taken away.

“Do you mind telling me why I am under arrest, sir,” Jimenez is heard saying. “Why am I under arrest, sir?”

No answer was audible.

CNN said a producer and a camera operator working with Jimenez were also arrested.

Earlier, as Minnesota state police surrounded Jimenez while he reported, the correspondent spoke to the officers and said he wanted to cooperate.

“Wherever you want us, we would go,” said Jimenez, who is black. CNN said in a tweet that a white reporter who was also on the ground covering the unrest was not arrested.

Jimenez was back on the air later Friday after police released him. CNN said Minnesota Governor Tim Walz apologized to the network.

Earlier, CNN put out a statement condemning the police behavior.

“A CNN reporter & his production team were arrested this morning in Minneapolis for doing their jobs, despite identifying themselves – a clear violation of their First Amendment rights,” the network said.

Jimenez was in the city covering the third straight night of unrest triggered by the death of George Floyd after he was arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit banknote.

A video taken by a bystander shows an officer kneeling on his neck as he is pinned to the ground. At one point Floyd is heard saying he cannot breathe, and eventually his body goes limp.

Trump cuts ties with WHO as pandemic grips Latin America

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President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump said he is severing ties with the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as the death toll from the disease spiked again in the United States and Brazil.

Trump’s move signals an end to hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to the United Nations agency just when it needs it most, with outbreaks in many parts of the world yet to reach their peak.

Countries in Latin America are bracing for difficult weeks ahead, especially Brazil, where the death toll shot up by 1,124 on Friday and there were a record number of new infections.

Trump initially suspended funding to the WHO last month, accusing it of not doing enough to curb the early spread of the virus and being too lenient with China, where the virus emerged late last year.

On Friday he made that decision permanent in a major blow for the UN agency’s finances, as the United States is by far its biggest contributor, pumping in $400 million last year.

“Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization,” Trump told reporters.

The Republican leader said the US would be redirecting WHO funds “to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs.”

“The world needs answers from China on the virus. We must have transparency,” Trump said.

Beijing has furiously denied US allegations that it played down or even covered up the threat from the virus after it was detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December, insisting it has been forthcoming.

‘Living in fear’ 

The pandemic has since claimed almost 364,000 lives globally and the number of cases is nearing six million.

Populations are now learning to adjust to life with the long-term threat of infection as the virus continues its march around the globe and a vaccine remains elusive.

As the disease spreads across South America, the poor have been hit hard in countries like Brazil, which now has the second highest number of cases in the world after the United States.

Lockdowns have interrupted the meager services many depend on, such as school lunches for hungry children and water deliveries.

“In 26 years, I’ve never seen so many people living in fear, so many people going hungry,” said Alcione Albanesi, founder of charity Amigos do Bem, which distributes supplies to communities in the hot, dry and impoverished Sertao region of Brazil’s northeast.

“Everything has ground to a stop. But hunger doesn’t stop.”

Chile also logged another record number of deaths on Friday, pushing its total to almost 1,000.

The surge in the Americas comes as the number of infections continues to fall in much of Europe, which is pressing on down the path to economic re-opening after months of crippling lockdowns.

Italy’s iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa is set to open Saturday, cinemas will reopen in Austria, and parks are scheduled to throw open their gates in Paris.

Tourism-dependent Greece said it will restart its two main airports for arrivals from 29 countries from June 15 as the summer travel season picks up. But some European nations hard hit by the virus are not on the list, such as France, Spain, Britain and Italy.

In Austria, hotels were on Friday allowed to take in tourists again under special guidelines, provided masks are worn.

“It’s of course a lot more effort now. But the most important thing is that guests return,” Gilbert Kratschmann, marketing manager at the Das Triest boutique hotel in Vienna, told AFP.

Turkey too moved ahead with easing its restrictions as mosques opened for the first time in months, drawing hundreds of worshippers in masks for mass prayers in Istanbul.

And Denmark said it would reopen its border to visitors from Germany, Norway and Iceland from June 15, although Britain and the rest of the European Union will have to wait a few more months for access.

Across the Atlantic, the US capital Washington resumed outdoor dining with social distancing precautions in place, and in New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state was “on track” to begin reopening in the week of June 8, even as the death toll in the US spiked again by 1,225 on Friday.

Disney World in Florida said it will be up and running again from July 11.

The economic damage from weeks of lockdowns continues to pile up, with Chile taking out a two-year $24 billion credit line with the IMF Friday to tackle the virus fallout.

India’s economy grew at its slowest pace in two decades in the first quarter, and Canada and Brazil also said their GDP figures shrank.

Germany and the European Commission meanwhile reached agreement on a giant Berlin-funded rescue plan for virus-hit Lufthansa, a commission spokeswoman and a source close to the negotiations said.

But there were signs of progress in the sporting world, with England’s FA Cup final set to take place on August 1, football authorities announced, and competition in Spain’s La Liga will resume on June 11.

Coronavirus: NCDC orders shutdown of Rivers community for 21 days

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The people of Asari-Toru Local Government Area, ASALGA received the directive of the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control,(NCDC) to shut down for 21 days following the sudden demise of the executive chairman of Area, Odiari Princewill, who was said to have died from coronavirus with mixed feeling.

A statement signed by the Vice Chairman of the Council, Mrs Alaso Johnbull-Obi, ordered the residents to adhere strictly to the directive.

But some of the commuters in an interview appealed for palliatives to enable them to cope with the economic woes during the 21- day period.

However, residents of Degema, Asari Toru, Akuku Toru, Bonny and Okrika Local Government Areas in Rivers State were thrown into joy after receiving palliatives from an indigenous oil firm, Eroton Exploration and Production Company Limited in partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,(NNPC).

The residents of the above Local Councils comprising over 60 communities, said the gesture would ease the sufferings occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

Those expected to benefit from the palliatives include pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, youths and adults.

The items distributed by the firm include several bags of rice, cartons of noodles, tomato paste and vegetable oil.

Just In: Former NNPC GMD, Dr Maikanti Baru is dead

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Immediate past Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr Maikanti Kachalla Baru is dead.

His successor, Mele Kyari made the announcement through his verified Twitter handle early Saturday. According to him, Baru died late last night.

The cause of his death is yet unknown at the time of filing this report.

“My brother, my friend and my mentor, Dr Maikanti Kachalla Baru, immediate past GMD of NNPC died late last night. He was of exemplary character and disposition. May Allah forgive him and have mercy upon him” Mele Kyari tweets.

Maikanti Kacalla Baru was born in July 1959.

My brother, my friend and my mentor, Dr Maikanti Kachalla Baru, immediate past GMD of NNPC died late last night. He was of exemplary character and disposition. May Allah forgive him and have mercy upon him.

— Mele Kyari (@MKKyari) May 30, 2020

Controversial Chinese doctors depart Nigeria

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The controversial Chinese Doctors brought into the country by the Federal Government have eventually left the country.

The Doctors were brought in based on the explanation of the Federal Government that they needed to contribute to the body of knowledge on the treatment of Coronavirus Disease.

Nigerians were told that they were to spend a limited number of days and then depart.
However, days after their arrival, the first controversy about the number of days to be spent came up, with the explanation that they will stay in isolation for 14 days before starting their work and then will determine how long they needed to stay.

Then came the issue of their whereabouts, with officials of the Federal Government, especially those in the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, saying they do not know their whereabout.

Days after, the China Civil Engineering Construction Company admitted the Doctors were brought in solely to attend to issues relating to the company.
However, at about evening on Thursday, Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, said the Chinese Doctors were on their way out of the country.

She said this as she shared the photograph of her pilot husband, Matthew Ekeinde, in the cockpit after two months of staying at home because of the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19.
Ekeinde works for Air Peace, the same airline that brought in the Chinese Doctors on April 9, 2020.

Writing on her Instagram page, accompanied with photographs, Jalade-Ekeinde said: “Is this the New Normal ?
“#TheCaptain went on his first Flight today in 2 months!
“Those are the Chinese ppl that flew in some time ago leaving! ? ~~~~ Not sure how to feel ~~~~”

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