June 23, 2024

[GIST] 295 PLWDs to get free medical care in Delta

[GIST] 295 PLWDs to get free medical care in Delta

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The Director General/ Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC), Dr. Isaac Akpoveta, at the weekend, adopted and enrolled no fewer than 295 Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) for the State Health Insurance Scheme.

Akpoveta bought the vulnerable’s Insurance Scheme at the premium rate of N7,000 per person, for free meditations.

He said the gesture was to enable them receive quality healthcare services from any healthcare facility of their choice for one year across the State, and be protected from financial hazards of high cost of medical care at this trying period.

He said the commission was poised to surely enrich their lives in line with the saying “good health is better than wealth”.

Akpoveta said through initiatives like the Indigent Enrollee Adoption Initiatives, the Commission strove to break down barriers to create a more inclusive healthcare system that caters for the diverse needs of the people, especially the vulnerable.

While acknowledging the unique challenges faced by PLWD, he declared: “It is the collective responsibility of all citizens to assist in challenging such barriers for the common good of the vulnerable in the society”.

Responding, Chairman, National Association of PLWD, Ernest Igbozor, applauded the commission for the kind gesture, and called on the beneficiaries to be prayerful to get more dividends from the scheme.

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June 22, 2024

[Music] Chiboi Neku ft. Larry Gaga & Kaash Trig – For Me

[Music] Chiboi Neku ft. Larry Gaga & Kaash Trig – For Me


 

[Music] Chiboi Neku ft. Larry Gaga & Kaash Trig – For Me

Chiboi Neku drops an electrifying new single “For Me” and he features Larry Gaga and Kaash Trig, The track, which combines infectious beats with powerful lyrics, is projected to be an instant hit. Chiboi Neku, known for his diverse Afro-beat style, continues to push boundaries with this globally appealing hip-hop sound.

Chiboi Neku has consistently released music in the past two years, enhancing its global marketability. “For Me” showcases Chiboi Neku‘s signature style, blending vibrant rhythms with an edgy and energetic vibe. Fans can expect a dynamic listening experience that is both relatable and empowering.

Kindly Listen & Download “For Me” By “Chiboi Neku” Featuring “Larry Gaga” & “Kaash Trig”.

For Meby Chiboi Neku ft. Larry Gaga & Kaash Trig

📥 DOWNLOAD NOW

[GIST] MCSN commences operations in Abuja

[GIST] MCSN commences operations in Abuja

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In line with its planned expansion programme, the Musical Copyright Society Nigeria Ltd/Gte (MCSN) has commenced operations in Abuja. The new office is to take care of the interest of music creators and consumers in the capital territory and the surrounding states.

The office commenced operations with an intensive five day induction course for the staffs in the capital city on June 4.The one week induction course was handled by experienced experts in copyright law and administration to prepare the staffs for their new assignment of copyright administration.
Other offices are slated to be opened in Ibadan, Kano and Kaduna later in the year.

Commenting on the commencement of business in the Abuja office, the CEO of MCSN, Mayo Ayilaran, said it was the determination of the management to cover the whole Federation so that creators and consumers of music will have the services of the Society at their door steps whenever they need its services.

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[GIST] NFIU raises concern over €36b total fraudulent petitions

[GIST] NFIU raises concern over €36b total fraudulent petitions

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The Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has expressed concern over suspected fraudulent petitions before the body involving individuals and entities to the tune of over €36 billion.

In an advisory on fraudulent petitions involving the tracing and recovery of electronic wire transfers from foreign banks into accounts in Nigeria banks, the NFIU stated that it observed that most of the funds were transferred from top financial institutions in Europe.
   
The NFIU accused some law firms of accepting briefs relating to tracing and recovery of huge sums of money wired via the SWIFT Network from entities and individuals (clients) and immediately swinging into action without due diligence in authentication and validation of documents received from such clients. 
 
 “Our findings suggest that deceptive fraudulent petitions involving the tracing and recovery of funds allegedly transferred from foreign banks to Nigerian banks are becoming a recurrent threat to not only the targeted victims but also financial institutions, Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and other government agencies.
   
“Financial institutions and the general public are advised to be vigilant and adopt recommendations that will help to further safeguard important documents from being easily accessible to prevent their use as a backup for such petitions,” the NFIU stated.

The body noted that it has never received requests from counterpart FIUs seeking information on international wire transfers in large sums conducted by foreign investors from other jurisdictions but held up in a Nigerian bank. It stated that most of the entities are briefcase companies, as they do not maintain operating business offices in the country. 
 
“This is probably due to the absence of known or existing business track record,” it said.  The NFIU noted that queries conducted on its database revealed that the involved persons/entities usually have no record of large transactions conducted in the past (i.e. transactions above N5, 000,000,00 and N10, 000,000.00 for individuals and entities respectively).
   
It further disclosed that the acknowledged copies of letters written to the entities’ local banks, the CBN and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice were usually done to not only give credibility to the transactions but also portray them as legitimate transactions geared towards supporting the Nigerian economy.
   
Noting that most of the organisations’ supporting documents were forged, it maintained that open source search revealed various websites where some contract agreements were found including the passport photographs of alleged business partners.
  
The NFIU advised the public to exercise some level of skepticism when dealing with telegraphic transfer documents from major European banks as nearly all frivolous claims emanate from the same jurisdictions and banks abroad.
   
The body stated that relevant LEAs should, on their part, take steps to effectively address the problem of fraudulent telex copies by ensuring the prompt prosecution and sanctioning of offenders to serve as deterrent.
   
It also noted that there is a need for the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to sensitise its members on the importance of verifying and authenticating documents received from clients before taking action.

 

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June 21, 2024

[GIST] Public debt hits N121.67tr as FG moves to check revenue loss

[GIST] Public debt hits N121.67tr as FG moves to check revenue loss

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Debt servicing to gulp 34% of earnings in three years
Nigeria’s public debt has risen to N121.67 trillion (approximately $91.46 billion) as of March 31, 2024, just as the Federal Government is making efforts to block revenue loss.
 
The Debt Management Office (DMO) said the country’s public debt was approximately N97 trillion in December 2023.
 
However, as concerns continue to mount on the debt profile, a review of the country’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) shows that Africa’s most populous black nation plans to spend N29.2 trillion on debt servicing between 2024 and 2026, about 34 per cent of proposed earning in the three years.
 


The recent loans from the World Bank, as well as borrowed funds by some state governments, are partly responsible for the hike in the national debt stock.
 
Last year, Nigeria secured $750 million loan from the World Bank for infrastructural development in its power sector, while in June 2023, another $500 million loan was approved to scale up the Nigeria for Women Programme.
 
In September 2023, the Breton Woods institution granted a $700 million loan for the empowerment of adolescent girls.
 
There is also a $2.7 billion loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for economic and budget support, as well as a $750 million loan contingent on the reintroduction of previously suspended taxes and $500 million loan to address challenges faced by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
 
Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, hosted a stakeholder engagement on the implementation of revenue assurance and central disbursement solutions for Federal Government Ministries, Agencies (MDAs) and Government-owned Enterprises (GoEs).
 
The finance ministry stated that the deployment of a central revenue system was to enhance financial transparency and accountability concerning direct payments to beneficiaries and the direct deduction of what is due to the Federal Government.
 
It added: “Once implemented, the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and non-GIFMIS platforms will monitor revenue generation and provide a consolidated dashboard of the revenue situation for all GoEs.”
 
Participants at the meeting included SA to the President on Energy, SA to the President on ICT, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS).
 
Previous governments could only access real-time updates of revenue into the Treasury Single Account (TSA), when MDAs credit the TSA after their ‘supposed deductions’.
 
Now, beyond real-time updates of accretion into a central account (directly and not through MDAs), the government can also monitor disbursement to MDAs as deductions and possibly expenditures.

THE MTEF review shows that in 2024, the country plans to service debts with N8.2 trillion, N10 trillion in 2025 and N11 trillion in 2026.

This means in the next three years, N29.2 trillion is planned to be spent on debt servicing by the government.
  
In contrast, the country plans to spend N27 trillion in 2024, N27 trillion in 2025 and N29 trillion in 2026, making N83 trillion expenditure in the period under review.
 
By implication, Nigeria plans to spend 34 per cent or N1.3 out of every N4 it plans to earn in the next three years on debt servicing.
 
In a related development, the country hopes to earn N53.5 trillion as revenue between 2024 and 2026 – N18.3 trillion in 2024, N17.3 trillion in 2025 and N17.9 trillion in 2026.
 
This would mean that 54 per cent of the total revenue of the country will be spent on debt servicing between 2024 and 2026, according to the MTEF data published by the budget office of the federation.

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[GIST] U.S. envoy decries SDGs performance in Africa

[GIST] U.S. envoy decries SDGs performance in Africa

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• Offers tips to hasten progress 
United States Charge d’Affaires in Nigeria, Will Stevens, has said Nigeria and other African countries’ progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains slow, stating that the continent is not moving fast enough to meet the ambitious 17 goals on poverty, health, and equality by 2030. 
 
He emphasised the crucial need for African countries to embrace data, better coordination and science to achieve their goals.
 
The diplomat made the submission yesterday while speaking at the 23rd symposium of a non-governmental organisation, Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS), with the theme, “Sustainable Development Goals and their significance in addressing global challenges.” 
 


Noting that progress towards reaching the SDGs is also off track globally, with only two targets on track out of 36 reviewed, the U.S. said uneven progress had been reported in Africa, with some targets requiring enhanced efforts. 

Stevens maintained that the goals’ interconnectedness meant that the success or failure in achieving one would affect others, adding: “For example, achieving Goal 3, which is good health and well-being, would be impossible without achieving Goal 1 on poverty and Goal 4 that deals with quality education.” 
 
He continued: “So, where are we now at the halfway point to 2030. The global sustainable development report of 2023 highlights that progress towards reaching the goals is a bit off track. Of the 36 targets the report reviewed, only two were on track, with eight showing backwards progression.
 
“The report finding shows how recent crises like COVID-19, regional conflicts and climate change have wiped out or slowed progress. 
 
“On the continent, the 2023 Africa Sustainable Development Report noted uneven progress across geographies, agreeing that the number of targets on track is less than those that need enhanced report or reversal. The report calls for accelerated efforts to ensure we all reach our targets by 2030.”

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June 20, 2024

Northwest Climate Peace Hub: A Climate Security Approach to Conflict Prevention

Northwest Climate Peace Hub: A Climate Security Approach to Conflict Prevention

 

Earlier this month, Building Blocks for Peace Foundation (BBFORPEACE) landed in Sokoto and Katsina for a climate security project aimed at combating conflict and insecurity induced by the impacts of climate change such as, environmental degradation, desertification, degraded pastures, and drought in Northwestern Nigeria. 


BBFORPEACE is implementing viable climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives, including: capacity-building training for 500 youths on Dialogue, Mediation, Reconciliation, Climate Adaptation, and Early Warning and Early Response (EWER); establishing climate and conflict EWER structures; and supporting climate activists with micro-grants which will be dedicated to planting of trees in strategic areas that are experiencing desert encroachment.

In Illela border town in Sokoto State, the 250 participants of this climate security training were between ages 15-45, including people with disabilities.

Ijeoma Seraphie Obiedelu, the gender officer for this project, ensured gender balance was factored into the sessions as well as fair representation from the communities.

It was delightful to see the immediate comprehension of the participants as Ijeoma conducted the post evaluation sessions to assess their level of understanding of the training. There were interesting questions asked about conflict sensitivity and how one can mediate a multifaceted conflict situation for example a conflict that has both political and religious elements embedded in it. They were also keen as to how climate change affects their general standard of living including the crime rate. Overall, the results of the post evaluation session revealed an impressive 74% comprehension rate.😊😊

This project is sponsored by United Nations Development Programme Nigeria and the Embassy of Norway in Nigeria.















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