The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released additional results from the just concluded 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Confirming the development on Tuesday morning, the spokesman of the board, Fabian Benjamin, said 531 withheld results were recently released by the examination body.

Naija News understands that the released results bring the total number of JAMB results released so far to 1,842,897.

“As promised, the Board is proceeding with the screening of over 64,000 withheld results. It has, however, released an additional 531 results, taking the total number of results released to 1,842,897.

“In the course of the exercise, other cases of examination misconduct were also established to make a tally of 92 from the 81 initially discovered.

Benjamin said on Tuesday, “The Board is also looking at cases of unverified candidates and will soon come up with a position.”

JAMB had, on April 29, announced the release of the 2024 UTME results.

However, it noted that the board withheld the results of 64,624 out of the 1,904,189 who sat the examination, which will be subject to investigation.

The Nigerian government has drafted a plan to reintroduce the telecommunications tax previously suspended and other revenue-generating measures to secure a $750 million World Bank Loan.

This is according to the recent Stakeholder Engagement Plan for Nigeria – Accelerating Resource Mobilisation Reforms programme between Nigeria and the World Bank.

The document posted on the World Bank’s website showed that the Nigerian government might reintroduce taxes on telecoms, electronic money transaction levies, and other fiscal measures.

The Washington-based World Bank’s contribution of $750 million constitutes a significant portion of the programme’s budget, and the government is expected to contribute $1.17 billion through annual budgetary. Nigeria requested the loan in 2021 but was earlier stopped.

“Domestic Revenue Mobilisation drive in the government ARMOR program seeks to increase revenue on some targeted industries and sectors of the economy. Specific groups and agencies within affected sectors include the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria: The introduction of excises on telecom services requires that all telcos are mobilised to participate fully in collecting such revenue.

“Committee of Bankers: Introduction of EMT levy on electronic money transfers through the Nigerian Banking System would need the buy-in of all banking institutions”, the document partly reads.

The development comes after President Bola Tinubu, in July 2023, ordered the suspension of the five per cent excise duty on telecommunications and the Import Tax Adjustment levy on certain vehicles.

Recall that the Nigerian government applied for the $750 million loan in 2021 to improve the government’s financial position by enhancing its capacity to manage and mobilise domestic resources effectively, which includes improving tax and customs compliance and protecting oil revenues.

Sectors affected include manufacturers of goods such as alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, sugar-sweetened beverages, telecom and banking service providers, and the general tax-paying public, importers and international traders.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given the Tinubu-led administration 48 hours to withdraw the cybersecurity levy directive issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Naija News reports that CBN had issued a new directive to all financial institutions, including commercial, merchant, non-interest banks, payment service banks, and mobile money operators, mandating the implementation of a 0.5% cybersecurity levy on all electronic transactions.

This move is in line with the provisions of the recently amended Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2024.

The directive, detailed in a circular, instructs that the levy be applied at the point of electronic transfer origination, with the deducted amount to be reflected in the customer’s account as a “Cybersecurity Levy.”

Financial institutions are required to start deductions within two weeks from the date of the circular and remit the accumulated levies monthly to the National Cybersecurity Fund (NCF), which is administered by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

In response to the directive, SERAP took to its X handle to demand the withdrawal of the directive.

SERAP demanded the CBN directive’s immediate withdrawal, implementing a 0.5% cybersecurity levy, threatening legal action if not withdrawn within 48 hours.

In the statement, SERAP wrote: “The Tinubu administration must immediately withdraw the grossly unlawful CBN directive to implement section 44 of the Cybercrime Act 2024, which imposes a 0.5% ‘cybersecurity levy’ on Nigerians.

“We’ll see in court if the directive is not withdrawn within 48 hours.”

The Lagos State Government has justified its reason for deporting some youths believed to be Osun indigenes back to their home state.

Naija News learned that several luxury buses over the weekend dropped off hundreds of young individuals at different locations in the Ilesa area of the state over the weekend, following claims of rounding them up from various parts of Lagos state.

In a statement on Sunday, the Lagos Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said some of those relocated were miscreants arrested in the state who pleaded to be relocated to their home state due to their current situation.

Omotosho said 450 miscreants were arrested under the Dolphin Bridge at the weekend and 371 pleaded for assistance to relocate to their various states due to the hardship they are facing in Lagos.

The commissioner added that 79 persons have been absorbed into some government facilities for rehabilitation due to their medical state.

He said the ongoing operation was undertaken by the government to tackle the security risk in Lagos caused by the influx of miscreants, beggars, and the destitute in different parts of the state.

The statement reads, “The statewide exercise to free Lagos of visible security risks has continued after the arrest of some suspects under the Dolphin Estate bridge.

“The ceaseless influx of miscreants, beggars, and the destitute onto Lagos streets has raised fears of insecurity of lives and property. This is unacceptable.

“As part of the exercise, 450 miscreants were at the weekend rescued. Of the lot, 371 pleaded for assistance to relocate to their various states due to the hardship they are facing in Lagos; 79 have been absorbed into some government facilities for rehabilitation after showing signs of being unwell.

“The exercise will continue as part of the government’s responsibility to keep our citizens safe and secure.”

Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterpart, have given the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, till May 12 to withdraw the recent hike in electricity tariff or face unprecedented industrial action. 

The ultimatum was issued in a joint letter to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, CEO, dated May 3, 2024, and copied to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, the Ministers of Labour and Power and the electricity distribution companies, DisCos, among others, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, President of NLC and its TUC’s counterpart. 

The letter read: “This is to refer you to our May Day address where we expressed grave concerns regarding the recent announcement of an astronomical hike in electricity tariff across the nation from N65/kWh to N225/Kwh by your commission.
‘’We believe that this decision is not just morally reprehensible considering the difficulties Nigerians are faced with currently, but it blatantly disregards fundamental principles and statutory obligations. 

‘’It is a slap in the face of justice and fairness, and we will not stand idly by as the masses and workers are subjected to such unacceptable exploitation.

“As the regulator of the electricity sector, it is imperative that your commission grasps the weight of its responsibilities. NERC’s role entails the regulation of electricity tariffs in the country, a duty outlined in explicit detail within the statutes governing the commission.

‘’Yet, with this recent tariff hike which you have acquiesced, it is evident that the Commission has forsaken its duty and abandoned the people it was meant to protect to the fat cats in the electricity industry.

“We are miffed that NERC has become a tacit collaborator in crafting the oppressive pricing regime being perpetuated against Nigerian workers and people. The Laws that set up the commission mandate it to act as an unbiased ombudsman in the electricity industry. ‘’Unfortunately, the reverse is the case as it has acted in cahoots with the Distribution Companies, DisCos and the Generating Companies, GenCos, to promote their nefarious market practices. 

“The announced tariff hike not only defies the established procedure mandated by law but also tramples upon the rights of Nigerian citizens. It is a flagrant abuse of power and a clear violation of the trust bestowed upon your commission by the Nigerian people. Such actions will not be tolerated, and we refuse to accept them as the new norm.

“Nigerian workers and masses led by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, stand united in denouncing this injustice. We must defend the rights of our fellow citizens against exploitation.
“Therefore, we demand an immediate reversal of the hike in electricity tariff to N65/kwh, immediate cessation of the discriminatory practice of segregating electricity consumers into arbitrary bands, and restoration of the supremacy of the statutes governing the conduct of operators within the electricity industry. 

“We give you until Sunday, May 12, 2024, to comply. Failure to do so will result in swift and decisive action on our part as we will not hesitate to mobilize our members and occupy all NERC’s offices and those of the DisCos nationwide until justice is served.”

One of the biggest problems we face in Africa is the sit-tight attitude of African leaders. We have seen leaders who turned the Presidency of their countries into chieftaincy positions and have worked hard to rule till death separates them from the office. We have also seen African leaders who change or manipulate the Constitution to extend their stay on power perpetually as in Guinea in 2001 and Togo in 2002, Gabon in 2003 and Uganda in 2005. They cling to power not to promote the people’s interest but to satisfy their own greed and in some of the worst manifestations we have seen emergence of dynasties in some of the countries: sons taking over from their fathers as in Gabon, Chad and Togo or watching in the wings to do so as we have seen in Equatorial Guinea. Democracy continues to suffer the hands of these leaders who plan coups against the people thus making Africa’s democratic consolidation a permanent work in progress. Some of Africa’s living dictators include Teodoro Nguema Mbasogo in Equatorial Guinea (44 years in power), Paul Biya in Cameroon (42 years), Dennis Sassou Nguesso in the Republic of Congo (38 years), Yoweri Museveni in Uganda (39 years), Paul Kagame in Rwanda (24 years) and Isaias Afewerki in Eritrea (33 years).  Most recently, President Macky Sall of Senegal attempted a “Constitutional coup” in Africa’s most stable democracy. He was stoutly resisted by the people and the Constitutional Court. The lesson of the Senegalese experience is that the people’s will prevails if the people take ownership of their democracy. 

The people of Togo are however not so lucky. They have failed to resist Faure Gnassingbe’s impunity. Last Friday, the ruling party of Togo, the Union for the Republic (UNIR) was declared winner of 108 out of 113 seats paving the way for President Faure Gnassingbe to extend his rule in Togo.  He became President in 2005, after his father’s death.  He has done more or less what his own father did in 2002, by changing the constitution. The Gnassingbe dynasty has been in power in Togo since 1967.  In March, President Gnassingbe introduced a parliamentary system of government, which means he would be elected by parliament rather than through popular elections. The legislative elections were delayed twice because of protests by the opposition. Now Gnassingbe has had his way. He could remain in power till 2033, if he is re-elected in 2025, which is certain. It is most unfortunate what has befallen the people of Togo and if the Togolese opposition thought that their protests would make any difference, it did not. Unfortunately, dictatorship in African countries has never translated into prosperity for the people, rather, it has served as an ugly vehicle for stagnated growth, kleptomania and the abuse of the people’s potential. Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe was a place of misery. The Democratic Republic of Congo continues to be the theatre of one of the world’s most terrible conflicts.

Faure Gnassingbe needs to be reminded of the fate of Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon. His father, Omar Bongo Ondimba ruled Gabon from 1967 until he died in 2009. Ali Bongo seized power and was President for 14 years. In 2023 he was forced out by a military junta. The international community condemned the coup in Gabon, but the underlying consensus was that Ali Bongo deserved no pity. It is good to report history but African leaders appear to be tone-deaf. The next major theatre of power play is most likely to be Chad where interim President Mahamat Deby Itno confirmed his interest in the country’s Presidential election, and indeed was on the ballot in the presidential election in that country that took place yesterday. Chad has been under military rule since the death of Deby Itno’s father in 2021. The late President was President for more than 30 years. He was killed on the war front, fighting rebels. His son seized power and declared himself interim President.  Deby Itno is expected to win yesterday’s election thus creating another dynasty in Chad. He too will get away with it. Chad is about the only ally of France and the United States in the Sahel, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger having turned against the two countries.  Deby Itno may pretty much do as he wishes and the world will look away. Those who tried to stand in his way ahead of yesterday’s election were either co-opted or they died mysteriously. Sad.     

It is always very embarrassing to read stories of Nigerians who go abroad to give the county a bad name. Nigeria became known as a country of internet scammers and fraudsters not because all Nigerians deserve to be so labelled, but when a few bad eggs behave wrongly in other countries, it is every Nigerian that suffers from the profiling that results and the reputational damage to the country. It got so bad at a point that the Nigerian green passport became a badge of dishonour at many international airports where special attention was always paid to any flight from Nigeria. And yet this is a country of very talented and distinguished persons who have excelled in virtually every field of human endeavour. Those who bring disgrace unto the nation may get sanctioned for their offences or crimes, but that is hardly ever where the matter ends. 

The latest story in this regard is that of a certain John Nwankwo Noko who was deported from Kenya on Saturday, May 4 by the Kenyan authorities, for beating his partner, identified as Ms. Pauline who happens to be a Kenyan. The story is all over the media in Kenya with the headline: “Nigerian man captured on CCTV assaulting Kenyan woman on wheel deported.”  The Nigerian was caught on a surveillance camera assaulting a woman sitting in a wheelchair. Two ladies were shown trying to restrain him, but he refused. The footage has since gone viral, generating outrage. The woman looked helpless. It was later revealed that John Nwankwo Noko even threatened to kill her and her domestic servants if any word about his actions got out, and in the event of a court case, if they dared testify against him. It was not the first time that Ms. Pauline would be subjected to such violence by her partner. She has children for the Nigerian who has been living in Kenya for years, and has a work permit.

Somehow, the video got out to the public. The matter was taken up by Senator Gloria Orwoba who reported it at the Karen Police Station. Kenyan policemen are like Nigerian policemen. They tried to slow down the case, quoting technicalities. Many would be familiar with what happens in Nigerian police stations. There is that story, probably apocryphal about a woman who had gone to a police station to lodge a complaint against her husband. 

The uniformed man at the counter listened carefully to her, only to ask her: “Madam, did you say this man is your husband?” The woman answered in the affirmative. 

The question was repeated. The woman again affirmed. 

“This your husband, he paid your dowry?” 

“Yes”, the woman replied. 

The policeman reportedly drew himself to full length and said: “Madam, this is a police station, we don’t inquire into husband-and-wife matters here. Go back home and settle with your husband, or call your in-laws make dey settle your quarrel. Person don pay dowry, put you for house, you dey come report am for station.” 

Kenyan policemen are probably like that too. But for the tenacity of Senator Orwoba who took up the matter with higher authorities. The matter went to court. The Ministry of Gender got involved. The Ministry of Interior too. 

However, the Kenyan authorities didn’t bother to spend too much time on the case. John Nwankwo Noko was treated with the utmost contempt that he deserves. Assault and threat to inflict bodily harm or kill, as well as domestic violence are serious offences in Kenya as they are in Nigeria. Section 251 at Chapter 63 of the Penal Code of Kenya prescribes a penalty of five years imprisonment for “assault causing bodily harm”. Section 74 of the 2010 Constitution of Kenya explicitly protects both men and women from any form of inhuman treatment. Taking Nwankwo through a court process would have meant using the Kenyan taxpayer’s money to engage lawyers and the court system, and having to battle with “technicalities”.  A quick decision was taken to expel him from the country. He was thus sent away as a persona non grata, in the fashion of a good riddance. But there are questions: what then happens to the innocent children he has left behind, and the woman in a wheelchair that he has traumatized? He has also given his home country, a bad name. Nigerians are not particularly popular in Kenya. Quite a number of our compatriots have been implicated in money laundering and drug trafficking cases in that country. From Central. Africa to the South, Nigerian men are also not popular with the male folk: they are accused of competing for the attention of local women and acting superior towards their hosts. Whatever may be the legitimate reason for this, the very picture of a man assaulting a woman in a wheelchair is horrendous. Violent behaviour of any sort is unacceptable. Hitting a defenceless person is clearly animalistic. Even animals sometimes behave better.    

This is why I think the wife-beater of Kenya should not just slip into Nigeria and feel relieved that he has escaped the wrath of the law in Kenya. He may have escaped lightly also because as in Nigeria, women in Kenya in a marital situation may refuse to testify against their husband in court. Women often imagine that the man will turn a new leaf, and may generally not want the marriage to end. See for example, Piah Njpoki Kagwai vs. Jackson Kagwai, High Court of Kenya, Civil Case No 1897 of 1986 where a husband gorged out his wife’s eye. Church teachings and local traditions have also not helped. But I think here in Nigeria, anybody that disgraces the country and misbehaves in diaspora should upon return to Nigeria either by deportation or relocation be made to face sanctions. The rule about double jeopardy should not apply to such persons. Our laws should be amended where necessary to make sure that any Nigerian in diaspora who becomes a persona non grata in his or her place of domicile abroad, also gets sanctioned in Nigeria for bad conduct. This is perhaps the only way we can send a strong message to those Nigerians abroad who give the entire country a bad image. We are quick to celebrate Nigerians who do well abroad, including those who may have taken up the citizenship of their host countries, in any case, the Nigerian Constitution allows dual nationality. By the same token, Nigeria must begin to name and shame those who bring shame to the country abroad. 

Thirty-four states in Nigeria have domesticated the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act of 2015. Two states, Lagos and Ekiti have domestic violence registers where they list the names of those who have been found guilty of gender-based or domestic violence.  I don’t know John Nwankwo Noko’s state of origin but here at home, his name should be in the black book containing the names of wife-beaters in states where such exists. Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chair of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) interacts regularly with Nigerians in Diaspora across the world and whenever she holds one of her interactive sessions, she always tells her audience that Nigerians have an obligation to respect the laws of the countries where they live. And of course, she always cautions against illegal migration. But there are persons in diaspora who will never listen or accept that they are Nigerian ambassadors abroad. The way to address the matter is to ensure that anybody that breaks the law abroad also faces the full wrath of the law in Nigeria. 

John Nwankwo Noko was deported from Kenya on Saturday. He is probably walking free in a part of Nigeria today. There is no way the Kenyan authorities would not have contacted the Nigerian Embassy in Nairobi to report his conduct before taking a decision to deport him. We have various desks at our embassies abroad: Immigration, Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) etc. On arrival in Nigeria, Nwankwo Noko must have passed through a Nigerian airport. He should have been detained at the Nigerian end, and subjected to serious interrogation. Kenya sends away a violent man, and he would just walk into Nigeria like that? His name should be at every immigration post in Nigeria. Persons like him must never be allowed to go out of this country again. In some other countries, he will be closely monitored. There is the argument about the freedom of movement and how Nigerians are free to choose wherever they want to live in the world, but if anybody is found to have shown a tendency to disgrace this country abroad, such persons must also enjoy the status of a persona non grata inside Nigeria.  Whoever finds himself or herself in such circumstances may go to court to seek enforcement of fundamental human rights, and that is why we need to firm up our laws. Rights under the law are not absolute. We must strengthen our sanctions to re-build the national ethos and value system. 

The big problem we face however is the enforcement of laws. Nigerian state officials choose which laws to enforce and the ones that they would rather ignore. Our law enforcement officials routinely break the law. It is not that they do not know what is right, or their job, but there is an established culture of impunity that creates a crisis of moral turpitude. This is why civil servants will break the law and have the temerity to boast about it in the media; it is also why all kinds of men and women flaunting dubious wealth are among some of the most influential persons in society. The people of Kenya are happy that the problematic Nigerian who battered a Kenyan woman has been expelled from their country. They see the case as a milestone in their country’s fight against gender-based violence. Senator Orwoba who fought for the enforcement of Ms. Pauline’s right to dignity has been praised deservedly for her    intervention: a good case of a woman supporting another woman in distress, and a parliamentarian standing up for one of her constituents. Nigerian women in general have lessons to learn from her example, and all those SUV-riding lawmakers in Abuja and the states who only remember their constituents when they need votes should see what it means to be a lawmaker.     

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is set to boost electricity supply to domestic customers following its order, mandating a department within the Transmission Company of Nigeria, the System Operator (SO) to start capping power supply to international customers, which includes Benin Republic, Niger and Togo.

NERC’s order, published on Friday, May 3rd was dated April 29, 2024, and effective from May 1, 2024, was jointly signed by the commission’s Chairman, Sanusi Garba, and Vice Chairman, Musiliu Oseni.

The directive, outlined in a document titled ‘Interim Order on Transmission System Dispatch Operations, Cross-border Supply, and Related Matters,’ will be in effect for six months, subject to review.

The document stipulated that power delivery to Nigeria’s neighbours must not exceed six per cent of the total grid electricity at any given time.

The electricity sector regulator expressed concern about sub-optimal grid dispatch practices, which have impacted the ability of Distribution Companies, to meet their service tariff commitments to end-users.

“The reliance on limiting Discos’ load off-take while prioritising international off-takers and Eligible Customers has proven neither efficient nor equitable,” the document states.

Nigeria currently supplies electricity to neighbouring countries, including Benin Republic, Niger Republic, and Togo.

NERC emphasised that the current international and bilateral contracts with Generation Companies often fall short of industry standards.

It stated that many off-takers contracted bilaterally by Gencos exploit this prioritisation, exceeding their contracted levels during peak operations without penalties.

As an interim measure, NERC said the move is aimed at guiding the system operator and TCN in implementing Standard Operating Procedures to enhance transparency and fairness in grid operations.

The order also mandates the system operator to place interim caps on capacities supplied to international customers for the next six months, minimising the impact on domestic supply obligations by Gencos.

The document stated that the system operator must develop and present a pro-rata load-shedding scheme to ensure equitable load allocation to all off-takers (Discos, international customers, and eligible customers) during generation drops or grid imbalances.

“The system operator will log and publish hourly readings, enforcing penalties for violations of grid instructions and contracted nominations. Maximum load allocation to international off-takers in each trading hour shall not exceed six per cent of the total available grid generation.”

It added bilateral transactions between generators and off-takers require express approval from the commission.

The system operator and TCN must install integrated Internet of Things meters at off-take and delivery points to provide real-time visibility of aggregate offtake by grid customers.

Also, TCN announced the commencement of erecting two 132kV transmission towers at the Amukpe substation and restoration work on the Benin-Delta and Delta-Oghara 132kV double circuit transmission lines from May 4 to 17, 2024. During this period, bulk power supply to Benin Disco through specific feeders will be temporarily interrupted.

Part of the document read, “The commission hereby orders as follows: The system operator shall develop and present to the commission for approval within seven days from the issuance of this order a pro-rata load-shedding scheme that ensures equitable adjustment to load allocation to all off-takers — Discos, international customers, and eligible customers — in the event of a drop in generation and other under-frequency related grid imbalances necessitating critical grid management.

“The system operator shall implement a framework to log and publish hourly readings and enforce necessary sanctions for violation of grid instructions and contracted nominations by off-takers in line with the grid code and market.

“The aggregate capacity that can be nominated by a generating plant to service international off-takers shall not be more than 10 per cent of its available generation capacity unless in exceptional circumstances a derogation is granted by the commission.“The system operator shall henceforth cease to recognise any capacity addition in bilateral transactions between a generator and an off-taker without the express approval of the commission,” it added.

It urged “the system operator and TCN to immediately initiate and install integrated Internet of Things (IoT) meters at all off-take and delivery points of eligible customers, bilateral supplies, cross-border trades, and outgoing 33kV feeders of the Discos to provide real-time visibility of aggregate offtake by grid customers.

“The installation of and streaming of data from the IOT meters should be completed within three months from the date of this order.”

Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, has said President Bola Tinubu should not be blamed for Nigeria’s current economic hardship.

Kalu stated this on Sunday while celebrating orphans, widows, people living with disabilities, and the aged at his Bende, Abia country home to mark his 53rd birthday.

According to him, Tinubu is working assiduously to fix Nigeria’s current economic ordeals which were occasioned by the errors of the previous administrations in the country.

“The hardship we are passing through was not caused by this man. It’s a piled-up case of previous administrations and how they mismanaged one or two things.

“We cannot continue to live in lies thinking that all is well. Tinubu wants to clean up the place so that we can have a sustainable livelihood. Let’s keep supporting and encouraging him,” he said.

He predicted a brighter future for the country after the current turbulence, urging Nigerians not to give up but to repose confidence in the current leadership of the country.

Chelsea have reportedly developed a strategy to try and snatch Napoli star, Victor Osimhen this summer.

The Blues are mulling an offer in the region of €80m-€90m plus Romelu Lukaku and an unnamed young player for the forward.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side are, however, prepared to pay the striker well over his current €10m net per season wages.

Osimhen has a release clause of €120m in the contract he signed last December.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is known to be a tough negotiator and it remain to be seen if he will be willing to accept the offer.

Ligue 1 giants, Paris Saint-Germain are also reportedly interested in the Nigeria international.