Category: News

The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami has extended the deadline given to the Nigerian Communications Commission NCC, on the reduction of data prices in the country.

The Minister had issued a five-day ultimatum to the regulatory body to meet with other stakeholders with a view to review downward the prices of data in the country.

He had argued that his office was inundated with complaints from concerned Nigerians about the high cost of data compared with countries with lesser population.

However, in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday by the Minister’s spokesperson, Uwa Suleiman, the Minister noted that it had received NCC letter that action is being taken on the matter.

The statement reads : Following the five day ultimatum issued by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami to the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) on the 5th of November 2019, to resolve the challenges of illegal data deductions and review the cost of data downward, the commission has risen up to the task and efforts are in top gear to carry out the Minister’s directives.

“In a letter from the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), received by the office of the Honourable Minister on the 8th of November 2019, the telecommunications regulator, intimated Dr Pantami of the strategies been taken to stem the tide of short changing subscribers by Mobile Network Operators.

“In its earlier attempts to tackle the challenges, the Commission informed the Honourable Minister that it had issued a directive to all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) on the attendant penalties associated with Automatic Renewal and Forceful Subscription to Data and Value Added Services. The penalties include considerable financial sanctions on the erring operator.

“The letter stated that, in response to the directive of the Honourable Minister, the Commission reviewed the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003 on its rule-making powers and process. The Commission is in the process of carrying out a study on the End-of-Session Notification for Data Services and depending on the outcome, may issue a direction in accordance with the Act.

“Furthermore, in a bid to protect consumers, the Commission also notified the Honourable Minister of their regulation of the initial directive to include refunds to the consumer in established cases of unauthorized subscription.

“The Nigerian Communications Commission also assured the Honourable Minister that it has been working assiduously round the clock to enforce the Federal Government’s directives and has requested the good graces of the Minister to extend the deadline which expires today, 8th November 2019, to enable it properly re-strategise and fully implement long term solutions as directed, to the challenges.

“Dr Pantami has graciously granted an extension with the understanding that the Commission will resolve these issues within the shortest time possible.

“The Honourable Minister, hereby assures the general public that the current administration will neither tolerate acts of injustice nor the shortchanging of its citizens as it is working tirelessly to ensure that subscribers get full value for their money. “

Two members of the National Youth Service Corps (#NYSC) currently undergoing a 3-week orientation course for the 2019 Batch C Stream 1 in EbonyiState, have been sacked from the orientation camp for refusing to wear trousers.

The duo, it was gathered, refused to wear trousers because according to them, doing so was against their faith and as such preferred to wear skirt, which is meant for female folks.

Spokesperson of the NYSC in the state, Ngozi Ukwuoma, in a statement made available to newsmen, said that the duo were spotted by the camp director, Mrs. Isu Josephine, and her team during routine inspection wearing white t-shirt and white skirt.

She gave the names of the two corps members as Okafor Love Obianuju with registration number EB/19C/0523 and Odji Oritsetsolaye (EB/19C/0530).

The statement partly read: “When they were accosted and interrogated, they disclosed that they could not wear the white shorts and the trousers given to them by the NYSC since it was against their faith.

Efforts were however made by the office of the Camp Director to make them see reason why they must obey the rules and regulations guiding the orientation and NYSC, but all efforts to do that proved futile.

The corps members were queried and subsequently made to face the camp court, where they were found guilty, having made it categorically clear that they were ready to bear the consequences of their actions,” she said.

Mrs Ukwuoma noted that the court recommendations were submitted to the camp Management and the Camp Director was directed to de-kit the Corps Members.

“They were de-kitted in the presence of security agents, who also escorted them to the gate as they left the camp”, the spokesperson added.

Activist lawyer, Femi Falana, has alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari was secretly working towards a third term agenda.

There have been calls by certain groups for Buhari to extend his tenure beyond 2023.

But Buhari has said he would hand over at the end of his second term in office and return to his hometown in Katsina state, Daura.

Falana has, however, called on Nigerians not to believe the president, saying all moves by the President and his men point to tenure elongation ambition.

Addressing journalists over the weekend, the activist lawyer cited some of the moves by the president such as trying to stifle free speech, a crackdown on the media, including the new media, disobedience of court order as a pointer to tenure elongation agenda.

According to Falana: “But you heard his group demanding a third term for him and the president trying to distance himself in a very unconvincing manner. I have no doubt there is a third term agenda, because dictatorship of the kind we are witnessing now, in the past, was to one end; tenure elongation.

“He (President Buhari) is trying to cow Nigerians, but no one can successfully do that. All his recent actions are geared towards that; ruling from London, closing borders, arresting opposition and jailing journalists, are meant for him, to be the only voice in the country, it won’t be.”

The emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, on Saturday advocated for jail term for the parents of kidnapped Kano children for neglecting their children to roam aimlessly in the street.

On October 12, the Kano Police Command announced the rescue nine children kidnapped in Kano and trafficked to Onitsha in Anambra State.

The abduction of the children had sparked public outcry, with the presidency, Jama’atu Nasrul Islam, Christian Association of Nigeria, rights groups, among others condemning the act and Kano State Government setting a panel of inquiry on the matter.

Speaking in his palace during the 2019 Public Campaign Against Drug Abuse organised by League for Societal Protection Against Drug Abuse, LESPADA, the emir said the parents deserved to be charged by the police for criminal negligence.

“On the issue of abducted Kano children, I have been speaking with Obi of Onitsha on the issue. We are keeping track on the issue.

“We heard all manner of outrage against the Igbos that our children were stolen. Did the Igbo kidnappers entered into your house to abduct the child? Or, did you allow your child to roam in the street aimlessly? We must tell ourselves the truth. When the first parents reported the case of their missing children to me, I said, had I got the powers I have sent the parents to jail.

“I even directed that the commissioner of police should be asked if we have any law called criminal negligence. Don’t we have such a law? Whoever comes to report abduction of his 4-year-old child while playing deserves to be jailed. Criminal negligence!

“Hausa man must change his thinking. We will always apportion blame on Igbos, Yoruba, when it is actually our fault.

“Now, make attempt to abduct a child in Onitsha and see if you will find one available. Is this not true? Do they leave their 3 to 4-year-old children roaming in the street begging?

“If you can’t feed your family, don’t send your child to beg on your behalf. If we continue to live in self-denial, we will live to cry, shifting blame.

“I am not saying others are not guilty, I know tomorrow people will start saying I am blaming parents for abduction of their children. I know my statement is always misconstrued. I did not say they are not guilty, but Hausa man himself observed in a proverb that ‘if the fly is stubborn, the candy is sweet’,” the emir said.

The monarch further observed that the Hausas show negligence to their family, saying cases of children drowning in well are linked to absence of showing love to family.

“A man will marry a woman without showing her love. A man will father a son or daughter without showing them love.

“That is why Hausa man is the one who abandons his child… As I have always said, the palace courtiers will bear me witness, there are cases presented before us that a 3 or 4-year-old child fell into a well.

“To leave a 2 to 3-year-old child at home with an open well and go to mosque… In my understanding, you killed your child. But you will be crying, and people will be consoling you. If you really love the child why will you allow him to play near a well?

“How did the child fall into the well? [You will hear tales like] He (father) went to farm, the wife went out… You left an open well when you have a 3 or 4-year-old child and left him to play around the well. Only Hausa man will do this in the whole country,” the emir added.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, on Saturday extended the deadline given to the Nigeria Communications Commission to reduce the cost of data, and stop illegal deductions from subscribers by service providers.

The minister on Tuesday directed the commission to act on the directives within five working days.

A statement by the minister’s spokesperson, Uwa Suleiman, on Saturday explained that NCC sought the extension of the deadline in a letter forwarded to Pantami on Friday.

In the letter, according to the statement, NCC informed the minister that it had started taking steps to comply with the directive.

The statement did not specify the time-frame given to the commission to act on the minister’s orders, but it stated that the issues should be resolved “within the shortest time possible.”

The NCC intends to impose considerable financial sanctions on operators engage in illegal deductions.

Also, customers are to get refunds in established cases of illegal deductions.

The statement read in part,

“Following the five-day ultimatum issued by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy to the Nigeria Communications Commission on November 5, 2019, to resolve the challenges of illegal data deductions and review the cost of data downward, the commission has risen up to the task and efforts are in top gear to carry out the minister’s directives.

“In a letter from the Executive Vice Chairman, received by the office of the minister on November 8, 2019, the telecommunications regulator intimated Pantami of the strategies being taken to stem the tide of short-changing subscribers by mobile network operators.

“In its earlier attempts to tackle the challenges, the commission informed the minister that it had issued a directive to all MNOs on the attendant penalties associated with Automatic Renewal and Forceful Subscription to Data and Value Added Services.

“The penalties include considerable financial sanctions on the erring operator.”

The letter sent to the minister by the NCC further stated that, in response to the directives, the commission had reviewed the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, on its rule-making powers and process.

“The commission is in the process of carrying out a study on the End-of-Session Notification for Data Services and depending on the outcome, may issue a direction in accordance with the Act.

“Furthermore, in a bid to protect consumers, the commission also notified the minister of their regulation of the initial directive to include refunds to the consumer in established cases of unauthorised subscription,” the statement added.

The NCC, in the letter, assured the minister that it was working round the clock to enforce the directives and requested an extension of the deadline to enable it properly re-strategise and fully implement long-term solutions to the challenges, as directed.

The statement said:

“Pantami has graciously granted an extension with the understanding that the commission will resolve these issues within the shortest time possible.

“The minister assures the general public that the current administration will neither tolerate acts of injustice nor the short-changing of its citizens as it is working tirelessly to ensure that subscribers get full value for their money,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the telecommunication companies have insisted that they are not guilty of illegal deductions, adding that the rates they charge for data in the country was informed by the cost of production.

A 27-year old man, Kevin Williams, has landed in trouble in Lagos after he publicly disgraced a lady by engaging her in public fight, tearing her clothes, bra and stripping her completely Unclad over N200 debt.

According to PM Express, the incident happened at Federal Bus Stop Gate in Ipaja area of Lagos, where Williams accosted the victim, Arike Olaogun.

It was gathered that Williams owed the victim N200 for an undisclosed transaction and she demanded the money from him. Williams was said to have been angered by the demand; he reportedly grabbed her, rained blows on her and she became confused.

He then tore her clothes including bra and then stripped her completely Unclad before their neighbours rescued and covered her unclothedness.

The matter was reported to the Police at Ipaja Division; Williams was arrested and detained at the station for investigation.

During interrogation, he reportedly told the Police that the victim provoked him, which resulted in assaulting her but did not know that he tore her clothes and bra, which left her completely Unclad.

The Police found him culpable and later charged him before the Ejigbo Magistrates Court for conduct likely to cause breach of public peace and assault on the victim.

He pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, Supol Kenneth Asibor, asked the Court to fix a date for hearing since he pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that he actually committed the offence.

The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. T.O. Shomade, granted Williams bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.

He was remanded in prison custody pending when he will perfect his bail conditions. The matter was adjourned till 16th December , 2019.

A Nigerian lady has reportedly passed while trying to birth her child.

The young lady whose name was given as Charity Euzebius Paschal reportedly got married in December 2018.

Reports have it that Charity passed while trying to give birth to her child. The child also died.

News of her death has since been announced on the same Facebook page she announced she was getting married.

May her soul rest in peace.

See below.

Former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari is not considering extending his stay in office beyond 2023.

The political space in Nigeria has been filled with rumours that President Buhari is considering extending his stay beyond the constitutional two terms in office.

Reacting to the rumours, the former minister pointed out that the President does not have a third term agenda.

He went further to say that, what is in the political pipeline is a Northern agenda.

See his tweet below

My brother Femi Falani SAN has suggested that @MBuhari has a third term agenda. He is wrong. There is no “third term agenda” but there is a “northern agenda”. The plan is to ensure that another core northern Muslim from NE or NW takes over from Buhari to finish what he started.

Senator Dino Melaye has accused the governor of Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi of carrying out militia activities in Kogi state.

According to the lawmaker, the Chief Security Officer of the Ekiti governor and his security adviser are waiting to be jailed.

This may be unconnected with the Kogi state governorship election scheduled to hold on 16th November 2019.

Melaye, therefore, advised Fayemi, who is the chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum to retract or he gets the shock of his life as he is aware of every plot.

He tweeted on Saturday thus: The Governor of Jigawa has murdered sleep… Gov Fayemi I also warn you, the activities of your militias in Kogi is known to us. Your CSO and Security Adviser are waiting to be jailed. Retract or you get the shock of your life. No plot hatched that is not known to me.

The Governor of Jigawa has murdered sleep… Gov Fayemi I also warn you, the activities of your militias in Kogi is known to us. Your CSO and Security Adviser are waiting to be jailed. Retract or you get the shock of your life. No plot hatched that is not known to me.

A yet-to-be-identified Nigerian man has been laid to rest together with the bet 9ja coupons which caused his untimely death.

Reports gathered that the deceased who was a bet 9ja player prior to his death, played 2 slips which did not yield the desired result, as they both failed.

He actually played the two slips to get a total income of N41.2million. One slip for N34million and the other slip for N7.2million.

After playing, the two slips cut along the line and the man who couldn’t bear the sad outcome, slumped and died. He has now been laid to rest together with the bet9ja coupons.