All Posts in "Month: October 2020"

Airports are viable with specific objectives, Sirika..As commends Obiano on Anambra cargo airport

The Aviation Minister, Senator Hadi Sirika said airport s can be viable if they are built with specific objectives.
Sirika made the while he received the the  Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano feho paid the Minister a visit in his office in Abuja.
While commending Obiano for embarking on a cargo airport project that will positively impact on the economic development of the state and the South East region as a whole.
The Minister said the Federal Ministry of Aviation and its agencies will always give the necessary guide and cooperation to states embarking on airport projects in order to ensure that all internationally set standards are met.
According to Sirika, ” Airports can be viable if they are built with specific objectives in mind “.
He expressed the belief that the Anambra airport will be successful in serving the interests of the trading population of the state and environs.
He also advised the Governor to ” sustain the ongoing collaboration with the regulatory authorities to ensure that all regulations and guidelines for the construction and operation of airports are met “.
Earlier, Governor Willie Obiano had said that Anambra International Cargo Airport, located at Umueri will be ready for commissioning in April 2021 and that the state would be honoured to have the minister perform the task.
“We are sure of the date because we have the money to compete it. We are not asking for any assistance, neither are we taking any loans. I am here personally to brief you on the project and to invite you to commission it for us in April 2021”
Obiano told the Minister that the decision to embark on the airport project was informed by the need to cater for the economic interests of the state and its environs.
The airport, he said, has the second longest runway in the country, after the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, built with the best available materials, with a guaranteed lifespan of 100 years.
“The airport is just a few kilometres from Onitsha town, the economic nerve centre of the south east region. It is strategically located and is a worthwhile investment, ” the governor further said.
According to him, the “construction of the airport has been guided by recommendations and guidelines of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) as it hopes to meet the best international standards”.
Patoma Admin by — October 6, 2020 in Aviation 0
Naicom strengthens ties with Media…preparation for 20 new offices in top gear

by Favour Nnabugwu
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has said that it will continue to collaborate and strengthen its ties with journalists to increase insurance penetration in the country.
He also stated effort to open the Commission 2 new offices are in almost concluded
Mr Adeyemi Abubakar, Assistant Director and Head Market Development of NAICOM, said this in his paper titled “Market Development Initiatives of the Commission and the Role of Media’’ presented during a seminar for insurance journalists, in Uyo, on Friday.
Abubakar said that Nigeria’s insurance market was grossly untapped, hence, the need for journalists to sensitise the public on the value of having insurance.
 “NAICOM is working tirelessly to instil confidence in the public, to assuage the fear entertained by the public about insurance in the country.
“NAICOM is working hard to ensure stability in the insurance industry. The stakeholders must be protected.
“We need you to enhance sensitisation and creation of awareness to make sure that insurance gets to the general public.
“We must increase insurance penetration to all the states of the federation,’’ Abubakar said.
He said that the commission had approved the establishment of 20 more offices to bring the office of the regulator nearer to the people.
He said that the commission had offices in the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Abubakar said that the commission would continue to press insurance companies to pay claims, stressing that timely payment would encourage more people to embrace insurance.
“We need to promote public understanding of insurance and practice based on international standard’’, he said.
He posited that the strategy of the commission for penetration would be to set up weekly insurance Community Development Service for corps members in the states.
According to him, corps members who belong to the insurance CDS group will go round to educate communities on the benefits of insurance.
Abubakar said the move would promote public understanding of insurance mechanism, build confidence and help in the enforcement of compulsory insurance.
He said: “We want to collaborate with NYSC for the establishment of weekly CDS on insurance in the states.
“They will go round to sensitise the people and educate them on to benefits of insurance.
“People need to begin to talk about insurance in schools and other places the way they talk about banking.
“We want to instil trust in the minds of the people to build their confidence.”
On compulsory insurance, Abubakar listed some of them to include builders’ liability insurance, motor third party liability insurance and the group life insurance.
He noted that the commission is also partnering with the states’ fire service, revenue office and states’ Head of Service to help in the enforcement of insurance schemes.
Abubakar regretted that the insurance sector, which had numerous opportunities, was grossly untapped, saying the potentials will help to improve insurance premium and contribute to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product of the country
Also, he said that the Commission zeal to open  new 20 state branch offices across the country is already in top gear.
It maintained that the restructuring exercise is part of the efforts at repositioning the commission for better service delivery.
Patoma Admin by — October 4, 2020 in Insurance 0
NAICOM turns insurance industry to digital compliance

By Favour Nnabugwu

National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) is resolute about turning the country’s insurance sector into practical entity through information technology to drive the process.
The portal, which Commission put in six years to finalised under the Commissioner for Insurance (CFI), Mr. Sunday Thomas’s watch, revealed at the 2020 seminar organised for insurance journalists in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state pointed out that the  management was able  to stabilise the commission through the cooperation of staff.
He said the new portal was such that wherever anybody is in the world, information on the nation’s insurance sector would be available to him at the click of a button.
“We will be looking at the digital world. Part of what we have done so far is the fact that our portal that was on the drawing board for over six years has been fixed. It is taking us from where we are to the next level.
The CFI said, “We have sensitised the technical people in the industry and they have been going through series of trainings.
“The next thing we are going to do is to engage the industry with IT guidelines. It is no longer going to be historical reporting.”
Thomas noted that  commission would continue to enhance the  confidence President Muhammadu Buhari reposed in the insurance sector while he assured that Nigerians would not be disappointed in the industry.
According to him, “It is not by coincidence that we are having this conference today that we are marking 60th anniversary as a nation.
He reassured, “We want to be seen the way we are so we know where to make amends. NAICOM is an agency of the Federal Government  and has the responsibility to make some impact on the economy. We will  continue to relish the president’s appreciation of the industry.”
Acknowledging that the investment climate was tough, he said, the commission was determined to make a difference as there will be no hindrance to information dissemination.
He insisted that he is not a CFI that waits in the and expect things to fall into places,  based on the position, the Commission visited the Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Kayode Fayemi, to prevail on his colleague governors  to assist in driving the compulsory insurance policy.
Without mincing words, he said that the investment climate was too friendly, inspire of that he said that the commission was determined to make a difference as there will be no hindrance to information dissemination.
“The terrain is tough but we are determined to succeed. Nigeria is not by accident the largest economy in Africa. We must take advantage of the population. There are a lot of things to fast track the process. The digital world will drive regulation,” he posited.
“If there is a need for change let us know and if there is a need for me to explain I will not hesitate to do that. We have challenges ahead of us but we are determined to overcome those challenges. We try as much as possible to let investors, government and stakeholders into our programmes,he charged Insurance Journalists.
Patoma Admin by — October 4, 2020 in Insurance 0
NAICOM sets the stage for next level on IT

National Insurance Commission (Naicom) said the regulatory is set to take iinsurance industry’s to the next level through digitalisation.

The Deputy Director in charge of Information Technology in NAICOM, Mr Abiodun Aribike, said this at a seminar for journalists with theme: “Digital Transformation of the Commission and Market Development Initiatives’’ on Friday in Uyo  Akwa Ibom

He affirmed that ithe strategies, which would be made available through the portal would help to reduce incidences of fake insurance, improve productivity and revenue in the industry.

In a paper he presented with theme: “Digital Transformation of NAICOM’s Processes and Procedures’’, at the 2020 seminar for  journalists,  in Uyo, Akwa Ibom  told journalists that Commission egun training of stakeholders in the sector to effect the digital transformat

He said that the digitisation strategy would help the people to source information about insurers to check their genuineness

“We have trained staff of brokers in the South West and we want to train those in the South-South, South East for them to join the portal.

“This will improve productivity, enhance stakeholders’ collaboration, trust and resource management,’’ he said.

He noted that the digital system would aid easy approval of licensing for insurance companies and tracking of insurance related complaints by policyholders.

He said the strategies, which would be made available through the portal, would help to reduce incidences of fake insurance, improve productivity and revenue in the industry.

Aribike further informed that the Naicom had also begun training of stakeholders in the sector to effect the digital transformation.

He believed that digitisation strategy would help the people to source information about insurers’ genuineness.

“This will improve productivity, enhance stakeholders’ collaboration, trust and resource management.”

He noted that the digital system would aid easy approval of licensing for insurance companies and tracking of insurance related complaints by policyholders

Patoma Admin by — October 4, 2020 in Insurance 0
IGP bans FSARS, others from checking citizen’s phone

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, has banned operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and other Tactical Squads of the Force, including the Special Tactical Squad (STS), Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Anti-Cultism Squad and other Tactical Squads operating at the Federal, Zonal and Command levels, from carrying out routine patrols and other conventional low-risk duties.

Such duties, which include stop -and- search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks and traffic checks, among others are to stop with immediate effect according to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, on Sunday.

In addition, no personnel of the Force is authorised to embark on patrols or tactical assignments in mufti, the statement indicated.

“They must always appear in their police uniforms or approved tactical gear. The IGP’s directives come against the backdrop of findings by the leadership of the Force that a few personnel of the Tactical Squads hide under these guise to perpetrate all forms of illegality, contrary to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement establishing the squads.

“Specifically, the IGP has warned the Tactical Squads against the invasion of the privacy of citizens particularly through indiscriminate and unauthorized search of mobile phones, laptops and other smart devices.

” They are to concentrate and respond only to cases of armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes when the need arises.

“The IGP notes that the FSARS and other Police Tactical Squads remain a critical component of the Force in confronting prevailing and emerging violent crimes in the country.

“He however condemns every act of unprofessionalism, abuse of human rights and high-handedness by some personnel of the Squads.

“He has therefore ordered the X-Squad and the Monitoring Unit to embark on immediate and massive nationwide monitoring of activities of Tactical Squads and other police officers on the road.

“They are to ensure prompt arrest, investigation and prosecution of all erring police officers who violate these directives and other extant regulations of the Force

“The IGP has equally warned, that henceforth, the Commissioner of Police in charge of FSARS, Commissioners of Police in charge of State Commands and the FCT as well as their supervisory Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police, will be held liable for any misconduct within their Area of Responsibility (AOR).

“He therefore charged them to ensure effective supervision and mentoring of the personnel of the Tactical Squads under their jurisdiction.

“Meanwhile, two operatives of the FSARS and their civilian accomplice operating in Lagos State, INSPR Sale James, INSPR Monday Uchiola and Okechukwu Ogbonna, have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command, for acts of professional misconduct including extortion and intimidation of innocent citizens.

“The operational vehicle of the men has also been impounded and disciplinary procedure has already commenced against the defaulters.”

Anger and frustration have pervaded the social media following the killing of a young man in Delta State by men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police.

The issue had trended for the past couple of days on social media with many reliving their experiences at the hands of SARS operatives while others called for outright scrapping of the police unit, showing how strongly Nigerians feel about the development.

Patoma Admin by — October 4, 2020 in Metro 0
COVID-19: FG orders all schools to reopen October 12

THE federal government has given directives for the reopening of all schools in the country by October 12.
This came about six months after closure of schools nationwide by the government to stem the transmission of COVID-19 pandemic.
The minister of education, Adamu Adamu who made the announcement on Friday in Abuja, Also directed all Federal Colleges also known as Unity schools, to reopen on October 12.
Adamu who said the decision was reached after exhaustive discussions with education stakeholders in the public and private sector as well ad international and development partners, urged all state and private schools to work out their modalities to reopen their schools.
He advised all institutions to obey and adhere to the presidential task force guidelines on reopening of schools .
Details coming…
Patoma Admin by — October 3, 2020 in Education 0
Dahiru-Umar: Need for continuity in PenCom

The need for contiunity in the National Pension Commission (PenCom) is Paramount, following President Mohammadu Buhari, an ardent believer in continuity to allow Mrs. Aisha Dahiru-Umar as the Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) to finish the teats she started in the Commission

The Executive Director, Centre For Pension Right Advocacy, Ivor Takor said that the appointment of Mrs. Aisha Dahiru-Umar as the Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) pending Senate confirmation.

Takor, who was a former board member of PenCom, noted that the pension Industry looks forward to Senate’s expeditious confirmation of the appointments that will bring a new lease of life in PenCom and the industry that is emerging as the fasted growing industry in the country, creating jobs and value chain across industries within the financial sector of the economy.

He maintained that it is to the credit of the Acting Director-General of PenCom, Aisha Dahiru-Umar and members’ of the Management Team that PenCom has been able to move the pension industry forward through effective regulation and supervision of the industry; ensuring increased level of compliance by private sector employers; under their watch, small and medium enterprises are increasingly embracing the CPS; expanding the coverage of the CPS through the Micro Pension Plan, which as at June 2020, witnessed 51,974 informal sector workers enrolling into the CPS, contributing N42.1 million; under their watch, RSA registration grew to 9, 039,727 as at second quarter of 2020 growing pension assets to 11.08 trillion naira during the same period; and by ensuring that pension operators are managed by fit and proper persons, thereby ensuring that the industry continue to be insulated from fraud and maladministration thereby securing pension funds and assets.

He posited that it came as a big relief when it was announced as breaking news on Monday 29th September, 2020 that President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a Chairman, Director General and four Commissioners for the National Pension Commission (PenCom subject to the Confirmation of the Senate, and that the names of the appointees has been forwarded to the Senate in line with Section 19 (3) of the Pension Reform Act 2014.

The Section provides that “The Chairman, Director-General and the Commissioners shall be appointed by the President subject to the confirmation by the Senate”. Section 19 (2) provides that the Board of the Commission shall consist of (a) a part-time Chairman who shall be a fit and proper person with adequate cognate experience in pension matters; (b) the Director-General of the Commission; (c) four full-time Commissioners of the Commission; (d) a representative each of the following agencies and institutions: Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Federal Ministry of Finance; Nigeria Labour Congress; Trade Union Congress of Nigeria; Nigeria Union of Pensioners; Nigeria Employers Consultative Association; Central Bank of Nigeria; Security and Exchange Commission; Nigeria Stock Exchange; and National Insurance Commission, he added.

By the Organogram of PenCom, he said the Commissioners who together with the Director-General are members of the Executive Committee of Pencom, will be heading various departments of the Commission.

“The Board of PenCom was dissolved in 2015 or thereabout and for almost five years, the Commission has been without a Board. It has become a convention in Nigeria that once a new administration is sworn in at the Federal level, all Governing Boards of Federal Government Agencies are dissolved and reconstituted at the pleasure of the President. In the absence of the Board, PenCom has been managed by a Director-General and currently by an Acting Director-Director General,” he said.

“It is important to note that out of a Board membership of sixteen ten of them are Institutional representatives of critical stakeholders in the pension industry, whose inputs are critical in the formulation and provision of general policy guidelines for the discharge of the functions of the Commission; monitoring and ensure the implementation of policies and programmes of the Commission; and carrying out such other functions as necessary or expedient to ensure the efficient performance of functions of the Commission under the Act. It wasn’t only the absence of the Board that was a setback to the work of PenCom. Pencom for the years that there was no Board, had no Executive Committee.”

“The Board of PenCom was dissolved in 2015 or thereabout and for almost five years, the Commission has been without a Board. It has become a convention in Nigeria that once a new administration is sworn in at the Federal level, all Governing Boards of Federal Government Agencies are dissolved and reconstituted at the pleasure of the President. In the absence of the Board, PenCom has been managed by a Director-General and currently by an Acting Director-Director General,” he said.

Patoma Admin by — October 1, 2020 in Pension 0
THE PROVISIONS OF THE PENSION REFORM ACT 2014 GOVERNING APPOINTMENTS TO THE BOARD OF THE NATIONAL PENSION COMMISSION

 The relevant statutory provisions governing the appointment to are the following:
i. Section 19(3) of the PRA 2014 provides that the Chairman, the Director General and Commissioners shall be appointed by the President subject to confirmation by the Senate.
ii. Sec 19(4) of the PRA 2014 requires that each of the appointees represents each of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
iii. Section 19(5) of the PRA 2014 provides, among other things, that the Chairman and members of the Board of the Commission shall not own controlling shares in any PFA or PFC prior to and during their tenure of office.
iv. Sec. 21(1)(h) of the PRA 2014 provides that a person would cease to be member of board if the President is satisfied that it is not in the interest of the Commission or the public for the person to continue in office.
v. Section 21(2) of the PRA 2014 provides that in the event of a vacancy in the board of the Commission, the President shall appoint a replacement from the geopolitical zone of the immediate past member that vacated office to complete the remaining tenure.
vi. Section 106(4) of the PRA 2014 provides that notwithstanding section 19(2)(a) and 26(2)&(4) of the Act, where a Board of the Commission is yet to be reconstituted after six months of the dissolution of the last Board, the President of the Federal Republic may appoint fit and proper persons with pension cognate experience to constitute the Board at the first instance, subject to confirmation by the Senate.
vii. S. 171 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) vests in Mr. President the power to appoint persons to hold or act in certain offices and to remove such persons. These offices include heads of all Federal Government extra-ministerial departments, howsoever designated.
Section 21(2) of the PRA 2014 provides that “In the event of a vacancy, the President shall appoint a replacement from the geopolitical zone of the immediate past member that vacated office to complete the remaining tenure”. The PRA 2014 did not define what constitutes ‘vacancy’, a situation that created ambiguity as to the exact occasion when S. 21(2) of the PRA 2014 becomes operational. However, it will appear from the context that the subsection contemplates the ceazation of membership of the board through any of the scenarios listed in S. 21(1)(a)-(h) of the PRA 2014, which include resignation, death, bankruptcy, conviction of a felony, removal by the President, etc.
The argument therefore is that Mrs. Amazu’s replacement as DG of PenCom must come from the Southeast zone to complete here remaining term. However, contrary to this submission , a careful review of the relevant provisions of the PRA 2014 would lead to the following conclusions:
a) A reading of both subsections (1) & (2) of Section 21 of the PRA 2014 indicates that they consistently use singular phrases such as ‘a member’; ‘a vacancy’; ‘a replacement’; ‘immediate past member that vacated office’ etc. According, it is submitted that the correct interpretation of S. 21(2) of the PRA 2014 is to hold that it addresses only cases of occasional vacancies created by the exit of individual members of the board of PenCom as enumerated in subsection (1) of the same section, rather than where the whole board is dissolved or all executive management are removed by Mr. President.
b)  S. 21(2) of the PRA 2014 seeks to ensure compliance with the provision of S. 19(4) of the Act, which requires that at all times, the Chairman, Director General and four Commissioners of PenCom shall each represent each of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
c) There had been a precedent which illustrates the application of a similar provision under the defunct PRA 2004. Thus, in 2006 when the then President Obasanjo removed only the Chairman of PenCom, Mr. Fola Adeola, who was from the Southwest, his replacement came from the Southwest when late Chief Wole Adeosun was appointed to complete the term started by Mr. Fola Adeola.
d) The provision of S. 21(2) of the PRA 2014 applies not only to the office of the Director General but also the Chairman and other four Commissioners of PenCom where the respective individuals vacate office leaving others in office.
7. The new appointments to the board of PenCom could also be considered from the perspective of S. 106(4) of the PRA 2014 which provides that notwithstanding section 19(2)(a) and 26(2)&(4) of the Act, where a Board of the Commission is yet to be reconstituted after six months of the dissolution of the last Board, the President of the Federal Republic may appoint fit and proper persons with pension cognate experience to constitute the Board at the first instance, subject to confirmation by the Senate.
It is noted that in 2015, the Federal Government dissolved the Boards of ALL Federal Parastatals including that of PenCom. Since that time, board issues of PenCom were referred to Mr. President through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) for approval. Consequently, it our considered opinion that Mr. President has legal right under S. 106(4) of the PRA 2014 to appoint fit and proper persons with pension cognate experience to constitute the board of PenCom at the first instance. This right is absolute and is uninhibited by S. 21(2) of the PRA 2014. Thus, the argument with regards to the requirements of Sec. 21(2) of the PRA 2014 will not stand in the light of S. 106(4) of the PRA 2014 and there is no legal obligation on Mr. President to appoint anyone to complete an unspent term of office of any of the erstwhile DG and Commissioners.
Without prejudice to the foregoing submissions, we would like to draw attention to the overarching provision of S. 171(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which gives the president unfettered powers to appoint or remove head of any Federal Government extra-ministerial department, howsoever called. This includes appointments to the office of the Director General of PenCom. This constitutional power cannot be eroded by any Act of parliament in the light of the provision of S. 1(3) of the Constitution which provides that “if any other law is inconsistent with the provision of this Constitution, this Constitution shall prevail, and that other law shall to the extent of the inconsistency be void”
Patoma Admin by — October 1, 2020 in Pension 0