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  • Mar, Mon, 2020
General news

COVID 19: Port Harcourt residents commend banks over sanitary measures

COVID 19: Port Harcourt residents commend banks over sanitary measures

Measures

By Omuboye Sukubo
Port Harcourt, March 23, 2020 (NAN) Some residents of Port Harcourt have commended commercial banks in the city over the sanitary measures put in place for customers to access banking services.
The residents made the commendation during a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), survey on the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
One of them, Mr Onyinye Ofor-Anyanwu, told NAN at First City Monument Bank, Olu-Obasanjo Road, that not more than 10 persons were being allowed into the banking hall at a time.
“I have been on the queue outside the banking hall for more than 30 minutes, only 10 persons are allowed inside in a tranche.
“I am impressed with what I have seen, customers are given hand sanitisers before entering the banking hall, ” Ofor-Anyanwu said.
Another resident, Mr Tams Ibuluya told NAN at Polaris Bank customer, Agip Junction that the level of sanitary measures being taken by the banks was encouraging.
“Every customer visiting the bank is directed by the security guard on duty to use the sanitiser, I see this as encouraging.
“In the banking hall, I noticed that there are barricades creating distance between the bankers and their customers,” Ibuluya said.
Also speaking to NAN, Mrs Eunice Opusunju, a trader, said that she queued for a long time at Access Bank, Agip Junction, before being allowed into the banking hall.
“I commend the bank for the sanitary measures, but there is need to create a conducive environment outside the bank for those waiting.
“I must say that the decision to allow only 10 persons at a time to enter the banking hall is a good strategy to maintain social distance,” she said.
NAN reports that a branch of Unity Bank on Olu-Obasanjo road, with less human traffic, only used hand sanitisers and allowed customers to access the banking hall without any queue. (NAN)
OAS/AZU/DOR
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Edited by Azubuike Okeh/Nyisom Fiyigon Dore
Metro

Ngige threatens to sanction banks that sack workers indiscriminately

Ngige threatens to sanction banks that sack workers indiscriminately

Banks

By Tosin Kolade

Abuja, Aug. 22, 2019 (NAN) The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, has threatened to sanction banks, who sack workers indiscriminately, saying they ought to declare redundancy before taking such decisions.

Ngige, who resumed duty on Thursday alongside the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Sen. Tayo Alasoadura, said it was worrisome that workers were sacked without recourse to due process of disengagement.

According to him, the ministry has introduced time frame of running agreements that have been reached with trade unions in order to make an insurable industrial climate.

“We also have to monitor job loses, we also have to stem the tide of job losses through a proactive action from this ministry.

“We were all here, when the bank started, we had to stop them because we looked into the matter and discover they didn’t actually declare redundancy, which is in labour sections.

“They must observe the article of redundancy, once they do that, the law is the last to come first to go.

‘We discovered that those banks, having used earlier people, want to dispose them and bring relatives and other friends, the same thing in the oil industry.

” We have created an enabling environment for them, we can do better, we can consolidate on our gains, we can also conciliate in a better way.

“We have introduced time frame of running agreements that have been reached with trade unions in order to make an insurable industrial climate.

“We have done it before, we can do it again, I urge all of you to wear your cap as issue of unemployment rest on the government to stem it,” the minister said.

Ngige said through the department of cooperatives, currently managed by the ministry of agriculture, government will ensure that all states of the federation collaborate to promote self employment.

He pledged commitment to continue working with the labour unions, saying due process would be followed to engender peaceful industrial peace and harmony.

He said he delayed registration of the United Labour Congress, following the issue of not meeting the requirements as a trade Union.

“I remain committed to working with the Labour unions. The Nigeria Labour Congress is a federation of labour unions. You have other federations such as the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria and the United Labour Congress, which has not been officially registered, but there are unions that are there.

“I refused to register the United Labour Congress as a labour federation in his first coming to the ministry because they have not met the legal requirement of having 12 brand new labour unions, even though they currently have about 18 unions in their fold.

“We will also extend our hand of friendship to all the labour unions, before I left, we had some family dispute, there is no family that has no problem.

“However, we have resolved it in a family way and will ensure the wounds heals permanently, this is what I have to say for tripartitism,” the minister said.

He also commended the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for providing an office for Nigeria in Geneva, saying this meant more responsibility for the country as “the whole of Africa now promoted us to take charge of West Africa and Africa region.” (NAN)

TAK/AFA
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Edited by Felix Ajide

 

Uncategorized

We’ve no hidden $470.5m, N8bn in commercial banks – NNPC

We’ve no hidden $470.5m, N8bn in commercial banks – NNPC
By Edith Ike-Eboh
NNPC
Abuja, Sept. 21, 2018 (NAN) The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it has no hidden 470.5 million dollars and N8 billion in any commercial bank as alleged by the Nigerian police.
The NNPC in a statement by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Ndu Ughamadu, in Abuja on Friday, explained that the allegation was not only misplaced but equally misleading.
He stated that the corporation had no funds hidden in any commercial bank as the Presidency, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are fully aware of.
According to Ughamadu, the AGF and CBN receives periodic status reports on balances yet to be remitted to TSA by commercial banks.
“Following TSA implementation, the Corporation had made a report to the Presidency on the failure of some commercial banks to complete transfer of US dollar deposits.
“A Presidential directive was issued for the Central Bank of Nigeria to ensure that the funds were completely transferred to the Corporation’s Treasury Single Account in US dollars.
“Most of the commercial banks have since complied with the Presidential directive and completed transfer to the Corporation’s Treasury Single Account in US dollars, including the reported $470.5 million,’’ he said.
On the purported recovery of N8 billion by the Nigeria Police Force, he said the corporation was not aware of any change in the subsisting Presidential directive to the effect that all of the US dollar balances must be transferred to NNPC’s CBN Treasury Single Account in US dollars.
He noted that no such funds had been deposited into the corporation’s CBN Treasury Single Account.
“Consequently, NNPC’s record of the US dollar funds still yet to be transferred by a few commercial banks cannot reflect the said recovery.
“While the Central Bank of Nigeria executes the Presidential directive to ensure complete transfer of US dollar funds to the Corporation’s CBN Treasury Single Account, it is pertinent to reiterate that NNPC will resist every attempt to subject these funds, which have been in the full view of Government, to five per cent whistle blowing fees,’’ he added.
This, he said, would be unreasonable and a sheer waste of public funds.
Ughamadu said that the NNPC as an entity with fiduciary responsibility to the government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, its commitment to transparency and accountability remained unwavering.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Police Force on Thursday said it had succeeded in recovering monies belonging to the NNPC Brass/LNG Investment, which were supposed to be deposited in the Treasury Single Accounts (TSA) of the federal government.
According to a statement by the police, the money includes “$470,519,889.10 belonging to NNPC Brass LNG Investment hidden in some commercial banks after the directives of the federal government on TSA’’.
The statement also alleged that recovered by the police was the sum of N8,807,264,834.96 belonging to NNPC/Brass Investment that was not remitted to TSA Account of the federal government (NAN)
ENO/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Economy

Expert wants micro-finance banks regulated

Expert wants micro-finance banks regulated
NAN-H-10
Regulation
By Mohammed Lawal
Zaria (Kaduna State), Sept. 28, 2017 (NAN) Dr Ja’afar Sa’ad, a political economist, on Thursday advocated for the re-establishment of an autonomous body to license, supervise and regulate community/micro finance banks in Nigeria for maximum output.
Sa’ad, who is also the traditional tittle holder of Galadiman Ruwan Zazzau, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The political economist, who retired as a Technical Assistant to the Director, Finance and Administration, Sao Tome and Principe Development Commission, is now a proprietor of a micro-finance bank.
He said: “The community and micro-finance banking system we practice in Nigeria is a very good scheme, they are doing it in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, South Africa and U.S. and it is working well.
“The scheme had actually succeeded in these countries and is contributing to the growth and development of their respective economies.
“In Nigeria, the challenge is the responsibility of licensing and supervising rest with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),” he said.
While describing it as a key fundamental error, Sa’ad observed that cooperative societies, community and micro finance banks should not be licensed and supervised by CBN.
“Government should liberalise the process, create an autonomous government agency to license, supervise and manage these institutions instead of CBN.
“At my last count we have 776 micro finance and community banks operating in Nigeria and a lot of them are doing quite well while others are not.
“Most of them are having issues with CBN regulations which is not supposed to be so, that is not what is happening in India, Kenya, South Africa and host of other countries,” Sa’ad noted.
According to him, in India, where the scheme is operating very well, when people collect loan from a community or micro finance bank and unable to pay-back for one reason or the other, they will commit suicide because of shame.
He described the system as a developmental scheme for people that didn’t have access to finance or access to major banks and get loans “and that is called financial inclusion”.
“So, to be able to reach the target or actualise financial inclusion in Nigeria, we need schemes and smaller banks of whatever name.
“It will help us to achieve economic self-reliance for our women and children and encourage financial inclusion for all,” he said.
He recalled that the system was initially practiced in Nigeria where an independent body called “National Board for Community Banks” was established.
“But because of bureaucratic process it didn’t work well, however, it is still there on paper, since it is not scrapped by an Act of National Assembly,” said Sa’ad. (NAN)
KLM/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

NPopC seeks support of govt agencies, banks on data collection

NPopC seeks support of govt agencies, banks on data collection

NAN-HG-8

Data

By Mustapha Sumaila

Abuja, July 6, 2017 (NAN) The Chairman, National Population Commission (NPopC), Mr Eze Duruiheoma, has called for support from government agencies, private organisations and banks for effective national central data collection.

Duruiheoma made the call when he appeared as a guest on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum on Thursday in Abuja.

“It is only NPopC that has constitutional mandate to conduct population of both persons and houses as well as the responsibility to ensure vital registration of births and deaths in the country,’’ he explained.

According to him, efforts and resources being used by some agencies of government would have been given to support his commission in conducting authentic data for the usage of all.

“As far as census is concerned, our commission remains the leading agency for a detailed data collection of human beings and housing while other agencies of government’s data were on narrow range.

“A typical census exercise conducted by NPopC collects more than 60 facts from questionnaires we administered, while that is not the case with other agencies.

“If other agencies of government can support and encourage us to conduct census, the duplication is unnecessary,” he said.

The chairman noted that if the commission got the required support and assistance, it would meet the expectations of Nigerians.

NAN reports that NIMC, FRSC, INEC and banks are generating data on individual citizens, drivers, voters and customers, respectively, as part of security measures.

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed all concerned agencies to harmonise the issue of data collection on Nigerians.

This is yet to be complied by the affected agencies and financial institutions.

Meanwhile, Duruiheoma said that Nigeria has no actual figure for its population since the 2006 census.

He stated that the estimated population figure in public domain was just a mere projection which was done on the baseline of 2006 census.

According to him, the actual population of the country will be known after the census was conducted.

The chairman advised government to focus its attention on the conduct of the head counts because it would help in taking the country out of recession.

He warned that to come out of economic recession requires planning and data collection or else will be difficult to come out of it. (NAN)

MS/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

NYSC boss says Banks ready to give corps members loans

NYSC boss says Banks ready to give corps members loans

NAN-H-46

NYSC

By Yashim Katurak

Abuja, April 7, 2017 (NAN) The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has assured corps members passing out from the one year national service that loan facilities would still be available to them to start their businesses.

Mr Abdulrazak Salawu, the NYSC FCT Coordinator, said this while addressing the 3,468 corps members of the 2016 Batch `A’ Stream I during their passing out in Abuja on Friday.

Salawu, who noted that there were no white-collar jobs lined up, said financial institutions were still ready to grant loans to corps members who were interested in starting up and running their own businesses even after the service year.

“Financial institutions are still ready to give you loans even after your service year.

“The Bank of Industry, Heritage bank, even the NYSC Foundation is still ready to give you loans to start up your businesses.

“Some of you do not know what it means to pass out from national service until next month when the alert will not sound again; that is when you will remember that certainly you are no longer corps members and there is no N19,800 again.

“Because of that, we have prepared you through the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Programme (SAED); some of you, I am sure, are already making money.

“And if you need money to continue, the banks are still open to you.

“Try to be employers of labour, do not be job seekers; it is not easy to live in this present day Nigeria if you are not earning anything,” he said.

Salawu also urged the corps members to remain good citizens of Nigeria as the scheme had tried to imbue them with the spirit of selflessness, discipline, humility and self-reliance.

He said that out of the 3,468 corps members passing out, about 25 were given letters of commendation and awards.

Salawu said that the 25 corps members embarked on projects and participated fully in the community development service and programmes that impacted positively on the lives of people in their host communities.

He also said that the scheme did not hold its usual closing ceremony due to economic and security problems in the country.

“We did not hold a closing ceremony because we are looking at the security situation in the country; right now the economic situation is also not giving us the opportunity to go into serious ceremonies.

“These corps members are coming from different parts of the country and so we cannot give room for any unforeseen circumstances.

“That is why we gathered them here today so we can disperse them within the shortest possible time,” Salawu said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports Mr Salawu Akanni, a graduate of the Federal University of Agriculture, Ogun, was one of the recipients of the award.

Akanni had, during his service year, constructed three water piping systems for the Aghayapho Community and provided a directional signpost for the LEA primary school in the community.

He also rehabilitated the community water borehole, donated 10 wooden chairs to the LEA primary school and trained 40 students in Government Secondary School (GSS) Jabi on Sustainable Development Goals, among other projects. (NAN)

KRY/HAS/MST

Edited By Hajia Sani/Muhammad Suleiman Tola