All Posts in "Day: May 4, 2022"

Pastor Bags  Life Jail  For Defiling 12-Year- Old Twin Girls

..Judge Calls Him Serial Rapist,Irresponsible Pastor

A Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court sitting in Ikeja ,has sentenced a 54-year-old pastor, Michael Oliseh, to life imprisonment for defiling his friend’s 12-year-old twin daughters.

In her verdict on Wednesday,Justice Abiola Soladoye,described Oliseh, an assistant Pastor of the Anointed Chosen Vessel Ministry in Okota, Lagos,  as a “serial rapist” ,who took turns to defile his friend’s daughters.

The judge sentenced Oliseh to life imprisonment on the two-count charge bordering on defilement.

She said that the sentences should run concurrently, adding that should have his name entered in the Sex Offenders Register of the Lagos State Government.

She maintained that the prosecution had proved the charges of defilement against Oliseh beyond any reasonable doubt.

She  added:“The testimony of the defendant portrayed him as a serial rapist who took turns to defile the survivors.What a disloyal and untrustworthy pastor, who shamelessly and audaciously had sexual intercourse with his friend’s children who were entrusted in his care.

“His conduct is unbecoming of a pastor.Having been found guilty as charged with the two offences, the defendant is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment.’’

Soladoye also lampooned the parents of the survivors for lack of discipline by sending the survivors to stay with the convict.

She added:“Parents of the survivors lack discipline and ought not to have sent their children to go stay in Oliseh’s house.Children are not to be entrusted with rowdy adults. They should be kept in the hands of responsible adults who have their goodwill at heart.The need for responsible parenting cannot be overemphasized,” the judge said.

Five witnesses were invited by the court during  the trial and five exhibits were tendered.

The prosecution counsel, Mrs Olufunke Adegoke, had told the court committed the crimes sometimes in November 2017 in Ago, near Okota, a suburb of Lagos.

Adegoke said that the defendant raped the survivors after their father had entrusted them in his care and travelled to the village for a burial.

She said that Oliseh then threatened the victims  that their father would become jobless if they told anyone about the sexual encounter.

She also said that Oliseh was caught by one of the neighbours after he had chased one of the survivors in the compound and dragged her with her pant.

admin by — May 4, 2022 in Crime/Metro 0
US Mission Boosts Intellectual Property Rights in Nigeria

The US government has expressed its commitment to the promotion of public awareness of the importance of protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights (IPR) as a strategic resource for bolstering economic growth in Nigeria.

The mission partnered American Business Council and hosted the second edition of its intellectual property symposium on ‘Intellectual Property and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future’, the theme for World IP Day 2022.

The two-day symposium, led by the United States Department of Justice’s INL-funded Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT)’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Attorney Adviser (ICHIP), brought together key stakeholders in Nigeria’s IPR protection framework, including leading entertainment and creative industry leaders.

In her remarks during the opening ceremony of the symposium in Lagos, US Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard noted that the protection of intellectual property rights is critical for any economy that wants to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

She noted that strong intellectual property rights protection is essential to creating jobs and opening new markets for goods and services. She encouraged stakeholders in the intellectual property space to shore up Nigeria’s IPR legal framework and lay a solid foundation for youth to drive innovation and engender a more prosperous Nigeria.

“Nigerian youth are an incredible source of ingenuity and creativity,” Ambassador Leonard said. “A strong system of intellectual property rights assures inventors, industrial designers, musicians, and artists alike that their creative content will be protected and valued.”

The symposium featured a plenary session, thematic panel discussions, and exhibitions focusing on Nigeria’s burgeoning entertainment and creative industries. Participants discussed how intellectual property rights can support their goals, help transform ideas into reality, generate income, create jobs, and make a positive impact.

Leading industry, legal and academic speakers explored options for making Nigerian IP infrastructure work for innovative youth in Nigeria, on the one hand, while creative industry pioneers discussed negotiating opportunities for Nigeria’s creative industry.

The symposium featured a spirited secondary school debate on the relevance of IPR protection for Nigeria’s better future, as well as thought-provoking art performances to spotlight the place of creativity.

Through economic diplomacy overseas, the United States encourages host-nation governments to establish predictable legal regimes to ensure intellectual property rights can be secured.

OPDAT’s ICHIP Attorney at the US Embassy in Abuja serves as the sub-Saharan African regional hub for developing and administering technical and developmental assistance programmes designed to enhance the capabilities of foreign justice sector institutions and law enforcement to prevent and combat intellectual property offences and cybercrimes.

admin by — May 4, 2022 in News 0
Nigeria Needs N60bn Yearly To Import Palm Oil -CBN

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says the country needs about N60 billion annually for the importation of palm oil to meet domestic consumption.

A total sum of over N45.03 billion had hitherthoo been disbursed to stakeholders in the oil palm industry to aid the cultivation of about 31, 442 hectares to further grow the commodity,the bank’s Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has said.

He explained that the apex bank’s intervention would help unleash the potential of the oil palm value chain with requisite support for the economic diversification plan as well as the industrialisation aspiration of the country.

He added that the importation demand was expected to cover both the Technical Palm Oil (TPO) used in industry and Special Palm Oil (SPO) used by households.

He added that Nigeria’s palm oil production per annum is currently estimated at 1,250,000 million metric tons (MT) with demand valued at 2,500,00 MT per annum.

The apex bank also said, for the country to achieve 50 per cent import substitution through production upgrade within the next 10 years, there was need to bridge demand deficits for domestic production of fresh fruit bunches from 8.5 million MT in 2010 to about 10 million MT.

According to the fourth quarter 2021 trade statistics by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), crude palm oil imports from China totaled N20.28 billion and N16.49 billion from Malaysia as well as palm olein worth N31.43 billion imported from Malaysia.

admin by — May 4, 2022 in Agriculture 0
GSM Operators Plan 40% Tariff Increase

 

The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria has  advocated  a 40 per cent increase in the cost of calls, SMS, and data to the Nigerian Communications Commission on account  of the rising cost of running a business in the nation.

The price floor of calls will increase from N6.4 to N8.95 while the price cap of SMS will increase from N4 to N5.61,they said in a letter addressed the commission,which was titled,‘Impact of the Economic and Security Issues on the Telecommunications Sector’

The telecom companies said there had been a 40 per cent increase in the cost of doing business in the nation.

They also lamented that the telecommunication industry has been financially impacted following the nation’s economic recession in 2020 and the effect of the ongoing Ukraine/Russia crisis,adding that  this had resulted in an increase in energy costs, increasing their operating expenses by 35 per cent.

According to the operators,the introduction of the recent excise duty of five per cent on telecom services had further increased the burden of multiple taxes and levies on the industry.

“As the commission may be aware, the power sector under the supervision of its Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission of the power sector in November 2020 undertook a review of electricity tariffs to cater for the economic headwinds reported above.

“In view of the foregoing, ALTON considers it expedient for the telecommunications sector to undergo periodic cost adjustments through the commission’s intervention in order to minimise the impact of the challenging economic issues faced by our members. Details are hereunder:

“Upward review of the price determination for voice and data and SMS. Given the state of the economy and the circa 40 per cent increase in the cost of doing business, we wish to request for an interim administrative review of the mobile (voice) termination rate for voice; administrative data floor price, and cost of SMS as reflected in extant instruments.

“With respect to voice an SMS cost, ALTON respectfully requests the commission to consider a mark-up approach to address the upward price adjustment desirable for the industry. We have enclosed herein and marked as ‘Annexure 1’our proposal in that regard.

“For data services, we wish to request that the commission implements the recommendations in the August 2020 KPMG report on the determination of cost-based pricing for wholesale and retail broadband service in Nigeria. Excerpts from the report, are attached and marked ‘Annexure 2’ to provide a further illustration.

“In implementing the said recommendations, however, we recommend that the 40 per cent increase in the cost of doing business be factored in to arrive at a cost price per GB in view of the current economic situation.”

They added that to further help telcos during economic crisis, the commission should explore and provide other means of penalising operators rather than punitive monetary sanctions; extend the payment timeline of relevant regulatory levies and fees; prevail on the Federal Government to sign the executive order declaring telecoms infrastructure as a critical national infrastructure to mitigate cost spent replacing damaged and stolen infrastructures, among other things.

They said:“For large operators, new interim MTR of N5.46 from N3.90 reflecting 40 per cent increase in the cost of business.For small operators, new interim MTR of N6.58 from N4.70 reflecting 40 per cent increase in the cost of business.”

admin by — May 4, 2022 in Business 0
Africa’s City Dwellers Enjoy Better Livelihoods – Report

Africa’s cities have provided improved access to services, jobs and infrastructure for millions of people in the last 30 years compared to smaller communities, a new report finds.

Africa’s Urbanisation Dynamics: The Economic Power of Africa’s Cities, launched on Tuesday, shows that urban areas in Africa have outperformed the countries in which they are located by higher margins than seen in other parts of the world.

Jointly produced by the OECD-Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC), the African Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the study covered 2600 cities across 34 countries.

Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD and SWAC’s honorary president, said:“African cities have maintained their economic performance despite growing by 500 million people over the last 30 years, providing several hundred millions with better jobs and improved access to better jobs and infrastructure, this in a context of very limited public support and investment.”

It also finds that urbanization has driven approximately 30% of Africa’s per capita GDP growth in the last 20 years. This has contributed to economic transformation in urban areas, where skilled workers account for 36% of the workforce versus roughly 15% in rural—as well as access to financial services.

Larger cities positively influence small towns and rural areas in their vicinity in terms of education, infrastructure, and access to services. For example, the share of rural households that has a bank account is twice as high among rural households that live within 5 kilometres of a city as among those that live 30 kilometres from the closest city.

“Africa’s urban transition is shaping the continent at a very fast pace and this shift is not just demographic. It is an economic and social transition,” said Edlam Abera Yemeru, ECA’s Ag. Director, Gender, Poverty and Social Policy Division.

She added:“Africa also has a unique opportunity to get urbanisation right, as most of its urban growth has not yet taken place. Cities and urban growth need to be planned in advance, it is impossible and sometimes too expensive to undo and redo the physical form of cities once urbanisation happens.”

Yemeru also cited the strong connection between African urbanisation and its youthful population. She added that between 1980 and 2015, Africa experienced a 362% increase in the number of youth residing in urban areas.

According to the report, children in large cities receive almost five years more education on average than children in rural areas.

“Urbanisation is one of the most important transformations the African continent will undergo this century,” said Solomon Quaynor, African Development Bank Vice President for the Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialisation.

Quaynor reiterated Dr Mayaki’s point that evidence should lead to policies and then to funding, and urged stakeholders to pay attention to anticipated demographic, social and economic transitions that will influence and be influenced by Africa’s growing urbanization.

The African Development Bank has raised its financing for the urban sector from an average of €100 million a year in 2005-2009 to over €400 million in 2018. In 2020, it launched the Urban and Municipal Development Fund to scale up support for African urban development in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Bank’s High-5 operational priorities.

admin by — May 4, 2022 in News 0
Our Pilot Aborted P/H-Lagos  Flight -Dana To Save Passengers’ Lives-Dana

Dana Air has explained why its Pilot-In-Command  stopped the take-off of the scheduled Port Harcourt-Lagos flight on Monday.

The  company  stated that the pilot sighted an anomaly in the aircraft and decided to take the precautionary step in line with its in-house and industry safety standard.

Mr. Kingsley Ezenwa, the Communication Manager, Dana Air ,who conveyed this in a statement,said that the aircraft with the registration number 5N JOY operating flight 9J 344 from Port Harcourt to Lagos Monday was set to take-off when the pilot in command noticed  the anomaly.

He hinted that the anomaly led to the pilot querying the Air Traffic Control (ATC) before embarking on a ramp return in line with its strict safety operating procedures
Ezenwa, however, said that the impact on the brakes as a result of the aborted take-off affected the aircraft tyres, which sparked off while the aircraft was taxiing to re-park

According to him,all 50 passengers onboard the aircraft disembarked safely, while its maintenance team immediately grounded the aircraft pending the conclusion of their investigations.

He added: ”Once again, we sincerely apologize to all the passengers on the flight for the inconveniences caused due to the eventual cancellation of the flight.
”At Dana Air, the safety of our passengers and crew will remain a top  priority in all aspect of our operations and we will continue to operate in accordance with the civil aviation regulations and global best practices.”

admin by — May 4, 2022 in Aviation 0
44% Of Nigerian Firms Pay Ransom To Hackers –Report

Seventy one per cent of Nigerian organisations were hit by ransomware in 2021, while 44 per cent of the affected firms were forced to pay ransoms to get their data back, a new report by Sophos, a United Kingdom-based cybersecurity solutions firm said

The number of Nigerian organisations that were hit with ransomware increased from 22 per cent in 2020 to 71 per cent in 2021,the report said

It reads: “The main findings of the State of Ransomware 2022 global survey from the Nigerian respondents, which covers ransomware incidents experienced during 2021, as well as related cyber insurance issues, include:More victims are paying the ransom — In 2021, 44 per cent of organisations that had data encrypted in a ransomware attack paid the ransom

“The impact of a ransomware attack can be immense — The average cost to recover from the most recent ransomware attack in 2021 was $3.43m. It took on average one month to recover from the damage and disruption. 97 per cent of organisations said the attack had impacted their ability to operate, and 96 per cent of the victims said they had lost business and/or revenue because of the attack.

“Many organisations rely on cyber insurance to help them recover from a ransomware attack – 81 per cent of mid-sized organizations had cyber insurance that covers them in the event of a ransomware attack – and, in 97 per cent of incidents, the insurer paid some or all the costs incurred.

“91 per cent of those with cyber insurance said that their experience of getting it has changed over the last 12 months, with higher demands for cybersecurity measures, more complex or expensive policies, and fewer organisations offering insurance protection.”

It analysed the impact of ransomware on 5,600 mid-sized organisations in 31 countries in Europe, The United States, Asia-Pacific and Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

admin by — May 4, 2022 in News 0
Nigeria Risks Another Recession -NACCIMA

The Federal Government’s food security policies may push the inflation rate to a record high 18.17 per cent that was recorded in March 2021,the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture(NACCIMA),has said.

The NACCIMA President, Ide J. C. Udeagbala, said Inflation, measured on a year-on-year basis, had grown from 15.63 per cent as at December, 2021 to 15.92 per cent as of March 2022.

According to him:“Headline inflation continues to be pushed by rising food prices. It is our hope that food security policies of the Federal Government, its ministries and agencies will prevent a return to inflation rates as high as 18.17 per cent recorded as of March 2021.”

He noted that despite the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the decline in Nigeria’s economic growth as shown by figures from the National Bureau of Statistics called for concern.

He said,:“According to data on national output from the National Bureau of Statistics, the Nigerian economy grew by 3.98 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2021, a drop from 4.03 per cent in the third quarter, which dropped from 5.01 per cent in the second quarter of 2021. We emphasise this slight but continuous drop in growth rate even as we acknowledge that the Nigerian economy bounced back from the COVID-19 pandemic in the fourth quarter of the year 2020 to reach the peak growth rate for the period, of 5.01 per cent by mid-2021.

“This declining trend is most concerning to us, as we consider that statistics on GDP is three or four months behind the present day. Therefore, we estimate that the growth rate of national output for the first three months of 2022 has decreased further considering the state of conflict in Europe which has had a negative impact on energy and food prices.

He said the Federal Government must urgently avert another looming recession.

He added:”It is the position of our association that there is a very urgent need for policy implementation to avert a third recession of this decade by the end of 2022, even as the World Bank projects that the Nigerian economy will grow by 4.1 per cent this year.”

admin by — May 4, 2022 in News 0
Stakeholders To FG: Cancel 2020 Marginal Oil Fields Award Now

 

Stakeholders in the country’s oil and gas sector have advocated the need for the Federal Government to reverse the award of 2020 marginal oil fields in the country.

They said the call was necessary due to the huge bidding cost and signature bonus which have prevented bidders from making headway on the oil fields.

They lamented that the huge increase in the bidding cost and signature bonus between 2003 and 2020,have affected investors and would not do the nation’s oil industry any good if there is no drastic measures in place to right the wrongs .

According to the stakeholders,the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) should consider refund the fund with a view to ensuring profitability of the marginal fields.

They spoke at the recent Arbiterz Marginal Field Conference, tagged: “From Licence to Oil: Fundraising for Marginal Fields”.

In his contribution, Mr. Collins Ibekwe, Subsurface Manager, Energy & Mineral Resources Limited, said: “Those who put the process together were not long term focused; they were too short term focused, but it will not be too late to say, let’s reserve this process, let’s return this money.

“You may say, my interest is to raise money for the government, but is that an optimal expectation? Should it not be better for the expectation to be, let’s grow new businesses; let’s grow these marginal fields and have many new indigenous operators that are capable.

“One of the ways to achieve this is for the government to tell itself the truth and say, ‘let’s return this money; let’s return this signature bonus and give these people a chance’’. It may sound unrealistic but thinking outside the box, that will be the real thing to do because it will give them the rest of inputs they will need to gather all the data they need to kick-start the process.”

Speaking, Ayodele Fasakin, CEO, Tritekk Consulting Limited and former Geoscience Business Manager, France, Schlumberger, also advised that the payment made for signature bonus be returned.

According to him,NUPRC should be involved and see itself as a partner to the point of ensuring that operators secure funding rather than a regulator interested in earning revenue.

Earlier, Chief Executive, NUPRC, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, who was represented by Edu Iyang, Head, Basinal Assessment and Lease Administration, NUPRC, had said that the commission has engaged awardees to resolve issues arising from the 2020 Marginal Field award and has also concluded drafting of model licence document, which is critical for issuing the Petroleum Prospecting Licences (PPL) to the awardees.”

He offered recipes on how marginal field operators in Nigeria can access funds to bring their fields to production.

He said the commission understands that funding is a critical success factor in bringing the fields to production

He said investors should consider private equity, capital market, strategic alliance and debt financing to bring their fields alive

According to him,the Petroleum Industry Act,under section 95 (5) has also made provisions for holders of licence or lease by way of security, to assign, pledge, mortgage its interest, in whole or in part under the applicable licence or lease provided the consent of the commission is obtained.

This provision,he said, has provided a safety net for the financiers to provide funds for the development of oil and gas assets in Nigeria.

He emphasized the need for the marginal field operators to leverage on this provision to raise funds for their operations.

He disclosed that the commission is taking necessary steps to encourage funding and reduce cost per barrel by initiating measures to improve due diligence protocols to enable investors and operators access information prior to taking investment decision,encourage synergies in the use of shared facilities as well as facilitate crude handling/transportation agreements to ensure favorable terms for all parties.

He added that such measures would ensure field development will be carried out in line with approved work programme commitments and develop regulations to enable ease of implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act.

He also said concerted effort is being made by the NUPRC in collaboration with stakeholders to tackle the decurity issues in oil and gas assets in the country.

admin by — May 4, 2022 in Oil&Gas 0
MRA Seeks  Safe, Conducive Environment For Journalism Practice In Nigeria

Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has advocated the need for governments at all levels in Nigeria to take urgent measures to create a safe and conducive environment for journalism practice in the country.

The group noted that the rising spate of uninvestigated attacks against journalists in recent years undermines the Government’s obligation to protect media practitioners.

In a statement to commemorate this year’s World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), the group urged the Federal Government to make a commitment to protect journalists and other media workers from various forms of attacks, including online, saying such a move would signal its appreciation of the importance of the theme of this year’s WPFD, which is “Journalism Under Digital Siege”.

MRA said in the statement signed by its Communication’s Officer, Mr. Idowu Adewale, that “recent advancements in surveillance technologies all over the world and Nigeria’s acquisition of such technologies in recent years is having a significant negative impact media freedom and freedom of expression more broadly, the safety of journalists, access to information and the right to privacy, thereby putting all of these rights at risk. It is also putting journalists under siege.”

“Human safety and security as well as respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms should underpin any national cybersecurity effort.  There can be no justification for the indiscriminate interception, monitoring or surveillance of people’s private communication, which leaves innocent citizens fearful for their safety and of their government.”

He said where the government or its security agencies plan to engage in targeted communication surveillance, such action may only be carried out within the framework of a law that conforms with international human rights law and standards, upon a specific and reasonable suspicion that a serious crime has been or is being carried out and after the prior authorisation of an independent judicial authority has been obtained.

He implored the government to put an end to practice by security agencies and regulatory bodies of interfering in different ways with the rights of individuals to seek, receive and impart information or to communicate with others through any means of communication and digital technologies, such as by blocking or otherwise intentionally disrupting access, saying actions constitute a violation of international human rights law and standards.

He said in addition to refraining from engaging in any such intentional disruption of access to the Internet and other digital technologies, the government’s international human rights commitments also impose an obligation on it not to condone any such action by other actors, including private companies and criminal groups.

admin by — May 4, 2022 in Media 0