The Federal Government has announced that Teesside University in the United Kingdom has implemented a more compassionate payment method for Nigerians schooling in its institution.

The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa stated this on Thursday at a press conference ahead of the National Diaspora Day Celebrations 2024 on July 25, in Abuja.

The financial crisis in Nigeria, exacerbated by a shift from a seven-installment to a three-installment payment plan by the university, left many students struggling to cover their expenses.

On May 22, 2024, a group of Nigerian students at Teesside University were ordered to leave the United Kingdom due to difficulties in paying their tuition fees on time.

The students cited the devaluation of the naira as a significant barrier to meeting their financial obligations, which has led to a breach of their visa sponsorship requirements.

Several students found themselves locked out of their university accounts, reported to the Home Office, and mandated to leave the UK. The university maintained that strict external regulations necessitate these actions.

The affected students, numbering 60, expressed deep distress and disappointment, accusing the university of being unsupportive and “heartless.”

They banded together to urge the university for assistance after witnessing their peers face severe consequences for late payments.

On May 29, 2024, the Federal Government stepped in to address the deportation orders issued against some Nigerian students at Teesside University.

A delegation led by a representative of the Nigerian Embassy in the UK, Amb. Christian Okeke, along with leaders of the Nigerian Students Union in the UK, met with the university’s management to seek a resolution.

Giving updates on intervention outcome, Dabiri-Erewa noted that while the students were still required to pay their fees, the new arrangements aimed to make the process more manageable.

For those students who were near completion of their payments and were asked to leave, Dabiri-Erewa stated that an agreement had been reached allowing them to finish their payments and receive their certificates once all fees are settled.

“The Teesside University has come up with a more compassionate payment method. The students are going to pay their fees. It is not charity, but they have devised ways that can be a bit more convenient.

“For those who were almost done with payment and were told to leave, they agreed that they would pay their fees but would not receive their certificate until they complete their payment,” she explained.

The NiDCOM boss also mentioned that Teesside University was not the only institution affected, saying many other universities have Nigerian students facing similar issues.

“We are working closely with the student organisations in the UK and the Nigerian Mission to address these challenges,” she added.

The NiDCOM boss highlighted economic instability, security concerns, and inadequate living standards as the primary drivers behind the increasing migration of Nigerians abroad.

She noted that the theme for this year’s National Diaspora Day, “Japa Phenomena and its Implications for National Development,” reflected growing concerns over the demographic most affected by this migration—Nigeria’s youth.

“Factors such as economic instability, security concerns, and inadequate standard of living are ranked high among reasons for the exodus of Nigerians abroad.

“The consequence of this phenomenon is the decline of strong human resources because most of the Nigerians relocating are the youths,” Dabiri-Erewa noted. “This in turn, makes a downward turn on labour and productivity in the country.”

Despite these challenges, Dabiri-Erewa called for a change in perspective, urging Nigerians to see the positive side of the situation.

“We have to turn our lemons into lemonade. Today, we change the story by celebrating those vibrant Nigerians who are making positive impacts in the Diaspora and making the country very proud.

Also, those who, while abroad, are contributing positively to national development,” NiDCOM Boss noted.

The Yobe State Police Command has begun the probe into the case of a self-proclaimed marabout, Auwalu Haruna, arrested for allegedly abducting and impregnating his wife’s friend.

PUNCH gathered that the 20-year-old girl, after days of disappearance, was found pregnant at Haruna’s custody in Anguwan Arewa, in the Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State.

In a telephone interview, Dungus Abdulkarim, the spokesperson for the state police command, revealed to our correspondent that Haruna was accused of hypnotising the victim with a concoction that rendered her unconscious.

Abdulkarim said the case was transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department, and a discreet investigation was ongoing.

“The suspect is just like a marabout, he does rituals for people. So, he allegedly forced her to drink a certain medical concoction that made her fall in love with him, then he eloped with her to Anguwan at Kano.

“The abduction case was reported to the Tarmuwa Divisional Police Headquarters by her father, who alleged it was Mallam Haruna who perpetrated it. After thorough research, the command operatives arrested him in Kano with the girl, whom he had already impregnated. It was medically confirmed that she was two months pregnant.

“The case is still under investigation at the Yobe SCID, and you know there are processes. After we are done, we still have to transfer his file to the Yobe State Ministry of Justice. The ministry, which is our counterpart, will now go through the file and vet it.”

If satisfied with the investigation, they can now provide legal assistance to the police, and he will be arraigned in court,” Abdulkarim concluded.

PUNCH Metro reported in June that a 71-year-old landlord, identified simply as Adesina, for allegedly defiling and impregnating his tenant’s 14-year-old girl at Akegbeyale Street in Ifesowapo Akute, Ifo Local Government Area of the state.

Our correspondent gathered that the residents and other tenants were thrown into a state of shock when the septuagenarian suspect was found on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, having sexual intercourse with the minor at about 10:15 pm in the bathroom.

The Anambra State Police Command said it has identified the officers allegedly fingered in a viral video of telephone theft in a community in Otuocha Local Government Area of the state.

In a video that circulated on social media on Wednesday, a resident of the area narrated how police officers from the Otuocha Police Division invaded their houses and forcefully took away mobile phone sets that people were charging.

The voice, who identified himself as a resident of the community, said the heavily armed police officers invaded the locations in a commando-like style, unplugged the telephones from the sockets, one by one, and carted them away for no reason.

According to the voice in the three-minute video, the police officers invaded their community late on Tuesday and carted an undisclosed number of telephones.

He, therefore begged the police authorities in the state to look into the situation and returned the telephones to the owners.

In the video, the residents blocked a major road in the community and used it to protest the action.

The development generated reactions from different quarters with residents calling for a probe of the police officers’ action.

But while reacting to the development in a statement on Thursday, the Anambra State Police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the command had identified the officers involved in the act.

Ikenga called on the victims whose telephones were forcefully taken to come forward to help facilitate the necessary action involved in the investigation.

He said, “The Anambra State Police Command has intercepted a video of a protest against police action and wishes to state that the police team and the officers mentioned in the video have been identified.

“The command also invites the victims to come forward to help facilitate the necessary action involved in the investigation.

“To this end, the Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, calls for calm and urges citizens to utilise the channels of the complaint against police officers rather than being unruly as seen in the video blocking the express road, thereby infringing on the fundamental rights of others which is the very course citizens want to protect.

“We seek for a police that is civil and professional in discharging their duties. Aggrieved residents should make use of police complaint channels to express any grievances.

“These channels include the CP Monitoring Unit of Command, the Police X-Squad under the State Criminal Investigation Department Police Complaints Bureau or the newly resuscitated Complaint Response Unit under the Police Public Relations Department Awka.

“You can call the Command Control Room at 07039194332 or the Police Public Relations Officer at 08039334002 in the event of any distress. Also download the ‘NPF Rescue Me App’, usable on Android and Apple iOS phones, to make reports. Further details shall be communicated, please.”

President Bola Tinubu says a new minimum wage will be fixed after reviewing the “structure” of the wage bill.

Tinubu spoke on Thursday while addressing the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) during a meeting at the State House, Abuja.

Tinubu told the labour leaders that his administration prioritises the welfare of workers, adding that “society depends on the productivity of happy workers”.

“You have to cut your coat according to the available cloth. Before we can finalise the minimum wage process, we have to look at the structure,” Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, quoted Tinubu as saying in a statement.

“Why must we adjust wages every five years? Why not two? Why not three years? What is a problem today can be eased up tomorrow.

“There is much dynamism to this process if we are not myopic in our approaches.

“We can take a surgical approach that is based on pragmatism and a deep understanding of all factors.”

On his part, Joe Ajaero, NLC president, said things are difficult for Nigerian workers, adding that there must be a balance between the living wage and the minimum wage.

Festus Osifo, TUC president, said the rising inflation in the country has eroded the value of the naira.

BACKGROUND

Over the past few months, labour unions, federal and state governments, and the private sector have been deliberating on a new minimum wage.

On June 3, the labor unions grounded the nation’s economy over the minimum wage dispute.

The NLC and TUC had proposed N494,000 as the new national minimum wage, citing inflation and the prevailing economic hardship in the country, while rejecting the federal government’s proposed N60,000 minimum wage offer.

On June 7, state governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), said a N60,000 minimum wage would prove unsustainable.

At the last meeting of the tripartite committee, organised labour rejected the N62,000 proposed by the government and lowered its demand to N250,000.

The federal government had asked the labour unions to demand a more realistic and sustainable wage.

Tinubu had also directed Wale Edun, minister of finance, to present the cost implications for a new minimum wage.

Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, said the presentation would form the basis of further negotiations.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Yemi Cardoso has attributed the rising high interest rates to the excessive ₦27 trillion loan facility issued to the Federal Government.

Recall that the Senate approved a ₦22.7 trillion Ways and Means loan on May 23, 2023, thereby securitizing the debt. This approval followed a request by former President Muhammadu Buhari on December 28, 2022, asking the lawmakers to take this action

Speaking at a CEO forum organized by Business Day in Lagos on July 11, Cardoso emphasized the negative consequences of the surge in Ways and Means and intervention programs on the economy.

Cardoso pointed out that the interest rate, currently at 26.25 percent, coupled with inflation at 33.95 percent, has pressured commercial banks’ lending capacity, particularly affecting the manufacturing sector and businesses.

He noted that the CBN is aware of the adverse effects of these loan facilities and is working to prevent future occurrences.

Cardoso clarified that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), not the CBN governor, sets the interest rates based on data trends to manage inflation.

He stressed that the current high rates are a temporary measure until inflation moderates.

His words, ‘Nigerians indirectly paying for CBN’s unregulated lending to FG through high inflation’

“The MPC has made it very clear that for them the major issue is taming inflation and has also made it very clear that they will do whatever is necessary to tame inflation.

“Sadly, we have a situation where a lot of money supply went into the system. We all saw ways and means soared to N27 trillion. We saw interventions of N10.5 trillion. It has its consequences. In large respect, that is what we are paying for now,” Cardoso added. 

Cardoso on Naira volatility

Speaking on the volatility of the Naira, Cardoso explained the measures taken to stabilize the currency since assuming leadership. Cardoso highlighted the discovery of systemic distortions, including illicit financial flows and non-compliance with regulations, which necessitated immediate intervention.

“We found that there were distortions within the system, such as illicit flows and rule violations, which we needed to address for a smoother and more efficient market,” Cardoso said.

He acknowledged that the process of correcting these issues sometimes met with resistance. “In the process of doing this, there are pushbacks. We believe that a portion of the volatility and wide swings in the exchange rate was due to these adjustments,” he noted.

Cardoso expressed confidence that stakeholders are now more comfortable with the CBN’s approach to managing the market. He observed that the need for speculative actions, such as frontloading, has diminished. “Even with portfolio investors, some left initially but returned when they saw that there was a clear plan being implemented in a direction they could understand”

According to Cardoso, the transparency introduced by the CBN is beginning to yield positive results, contributing to the stabilization of the Naira. “A lot of the wide swings we saw are gradually smoothing out due to the increased transparency in the market,” he concluded.

The CBN Governor’s remarks underscore the importance of regulatory compliance and market transparency in achieving currency stability and restoring investor confidence.

A federal high court in Abuja has remanded Saleh Mamman, a former minister of power, in the Kuje correctional facility pending the hearing of his bail application.

On Thursday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Mamman on a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering up to N33,804,830,503.

The former minister pleaded not guilty to the charge.

After the plea, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, counsel to the EFCC, sought the date for the commencement of the trial.

Femi Ate, counsel to the former minister, told the court that his client had submitted his bail application.

Olumide-Fusika responded that he was served with the bail application around 12:30pm today.

Afterwards, the defence counsel pleaded with the court to allow the bail application hearing the next day.

The EFCC counsel did not oppose the request.

In his ruling, James Omotosho, the trial judge, adjourned the bail application to Friday.

MAMMAN COLLAPSED OUTSIDE COURTROOM

Before the court proceedings began, Mamman collapsed outside of the courtroom.

Mamman’s counsel informed the judge that his client had fainted due to ill health.

When the hearing resumed, the ex-minister entered the courtroom and the dock while his clothes were partly drenched.

The judge then asked Mamman why he was sweating or whether it was raining.

The former minister said water had been poured on him.

The former minister told the judge that he collapsed outside the courtroom due to the effects of some drugs administered to him without food.

He added that while waiting to be called, his blood pressure dropped.

Mamman told the court that he could take his plea after being asked by the judge if he was fit enough.

The judge, however, asked Mamman if he was fit enough to take his plea, and he responded in the affirmative.

His counsel asked the court to allow him to return the next day to argue the bail application.

The EFCC lawyer did not oppose the request, and the judge adjourned the matter until Friday for the hearing of the bail application.

THE CASE 

Mamman was appointed minister by former President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2019. He was sacked in September 2021.

In May 2023, the former minister was arrested by the anti-graft agency over an alleged N22 billion fraud.

In the charge sheet seen by TheCable, the anti-graft agency alleged that Mamman conspired with officials at the ministry of power and some private companies to “indirectly convert” N33.8 billion, which was meant for the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power projects.

The EFCC alleged that Mamman was aided by one Samson Bitrus to make a cash payment of $655,700 without going through a financial institution.

Nigerian Afrobeats singer, Divine Ikubor, also known as Rema, has revealed that the Nigerian music industry is filled with ‘fake people’, which helped inspire his song.

The singer made this known while speaking at the listening party for his sophomore album, ‘HeIs,’ in Lagos on Thursday night.

According to Rema, one of the tracks on the album “Now I Know” was inspired by the “fake” nature of the Nigerian music scene.

He said, “There are a lot of fake people in the [music] industry, the industry is fake. So when people come and say ‘Yo, I love this guy,’ nobody should tell them that they’re chasing clout. No, it’s real.

“When somebody comes out, it’s because they’ve seen someone who’s real among everybody in the crazy industry, mixed with both the fake and the real. And that’s what this song [‘Now I Know] is all about. Now I know who dey for me.

“All those I loved turned enemies. Now I know who dey for me. All those I trust turned enemies.”

As Nigerians’ confidence in govt anti-corruption effort drops

A National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, survey report has shown that Nigerians paid N721 billion in cash bribes to public officials in 2023.

The Survey report titled: “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and trends”, released yesterday, indicated that more than 95 per cent of all bribes Nigerians paid in 2023 were in monetary form.

Meanwhile, the report also showed that Nigerians’ confidence in the government’s anti-corruption effort declined during the review period.

The report stated: “Overall, it is estimated that a total of roughly N721 billion ($1.26 billion) was paid in cash bribes to public officials in Nigeria in 2023, corresponding to 0.35 per cent of the entire Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria.

“In 2023, bribes paid in a public official’s office and the street accounted for around 35 and 36 per cent of all paid bribes, respectively.

“11 per cent of bribes were paid in the respondents’ own homes, while 7 per cent were paid in public buildings such as restaurants, malls, or stations.

“In 2023, the largest share of Nigerian citizens that had contact with health care professionals and public utility officers for bribery was at 30 per cent and 24 per cent respectively.

“Police officers came third, with a contact rate of 20 per cent.”

On Nigerians confidence in government anti-corruption efforts, NBS said: “Nigerians’ confidence in the government’s anti-corruption effort has been declining over time and across regions.

“While in 2019, more than half of all citizens thought that the government was effective in fighting corruption, in 2023, the share declined to less than a third of all citizens.”

NBS report also revealed that private sector bribery increased from 6.0 per cent of citizens who had at least one contact with a private sector actor in 2019 to 14 per cent in 2023.

The Police Command in Lagos State says it has arrested a couple (name withheld) over an alleged attempt to sell their two-year-old son to travel to Canada.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

Hundeyin said that the couple, aged 28 and 22, were arrested on Tuesday while attempting to sell the boy.

The spokesperson said that on Tuesday, at about 2.45 p.m., the Isolo Divisional Police Officer (DPO) received information that a couple went to Isolo General Hospital and declared their intention to sell their baby boy.

“Upon receipt of the information, operatives from the station moved swiftly to the hospital, where they were about to sell their child.

“The baby’s age is two, and he has been rescued. Upon interrogation, the couple confessed that they decided to sell the baby to enable the man to travel to Canada for a greener pasture.

“However, the investigation is ongoing,” he said. (NAN)

The House of Representatives has set up a nine-man committee to investigate the National Hajj Commission or NAHCON on how it spent the N90bn donated to it by the federal government and sundry financial receipts for the 2024 Hajj operation in Saudi Arabia.

The House condemned the performance of NAHCON and FCTA Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board in the 2024 Hajj exercise describing their roles as abysmal.

Also to be investigated apart from NAHCON and the FCTA Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board are their agents, and sub-agents in the 2024 Hajj exercise.

The resolutions emanated from the adoption of a ‘Motion of Urgent Public Importance moved by Hon Mohammed Omar Bio on the Urgent Need to Investigate the National Hajj Commission and FCTA Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board, Their Agents, and Sun Agents Over The Shoody Arrangement And Treatment of Nigerian Pilgrims’ in the 2024 Hajj Exercise.

Omar Bio noted that the Hajj exercise is important in the life of every Muslim and is, in fact, one of the five pillars of Islam.

He said, “NAHCON was set up to provide efficient and effective services to the pilgrims through implementation of NAHCON Act;

“Seamless coordination in the states of the federation, each state has a Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board and that of FCT is the FCTA Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.

“About 50, 865 Muslim Pilgrims across the states in Nigeria were under the care of NAHCON, and some of them were not taken care of in terms of welfare, organisation, guidance and monitoring as expected.”

The Lawmaker stressed that despite the “huge amount paid by the Pilgrims for the 2024 Hajj exercise, NAHCON’s 2024 Budget Allocation, intervention from the Federal Government to the tune of 90 Billion Naira, and support from the Government of Saudi Arabia, NAHCON and FCTA Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board’s below performance in the 2024 Hajj Exercise especially in Makkah and Mina is unexpected.”

He said it’s disturbing that “if this poor performance of NAHCON is not investigated with a view to improve future performance,” further “Hajj exercise for Nigerian citizens may be more complicated and put the entire country in a bad light in the committee of nations.”

The house consequently set up the committee with a mandate to investigate and report back during a legislative day.