The Port Harcourt zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arraigned one Kingsley Odum before Justice I. M. Sani of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State for land fraud.

He was docked on one-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N17,550,000.00 (Seventeen Million, Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).

The charge read: “That you Kingsley Odum on or about December, 2016 at Port Harcourt, Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, by way of false pretence and with the intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N17,550,000.00 (Seventeen Million, Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) through the named account of Kingsley Odum with account number 1017521391, domiciled in United Bank for Africa from one Mrs. Njideka Edith Ikeobi-Nwafor in Port Harcourt, purporting the said sum to be full payment of a parcel of land, situated at Rumuchiolu Town in Rivers State, knowing same to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.”

The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charge, upon which prosecuting counsel, N. A. Dodo asked the court for a commencement date of trial and for the defendant to be remanded in prison custody. However, counsel to the defendant, E.C Obasy reminded the court of a pending bail application of the defendant which was not opposed by the prosecution.

Justice Sani granted the defendant bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety in like sum. The surety must show proof of ownership of a landed property in Port Harcourt and deposit two of his recent passport photographs with the court. He remanded him in the prosecution’s custody, pending the perfection of his bail terms and adjourned the matter till September 2, 2020 for trial.

Trouble started for Odum when a petitioner alleged that the defendant, sometime in 2016, sold a parcel of land to her, situated at Rumuchiolu in Eneka Town, Obi/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, for which she paid a total sum of N18,060,000.000( Eighteen Million Sixty Thousand Naira),
She only discovered that the land does not belong to the defendant when she sent workers to commence development on the land.

All efforts she made to retrieve her money proved futile.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Dian Triansyah Djani (Indonesia):

The members of the Security Council expressed their deep concern regarding the recent developments in Mali.  They strongly condemned the mutiny which happened in Kati, Mali, on 18 August 2020, and which led to the arrest of the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and several members of the Government by some mutineers.

They urged those mutineers to release safely and immediately all the officials detained and to return to their barracks without delay.

They also underlined the urgent need to restore rule of law and to move towards the return to constitutional order.

They reiterated their strong support to the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) initiatives and mediation efforts in Mali and expressed their support to the two ECOWAS communiqués of 18 August 2020 as well as to the one from the African Union Chairperson.  They called on all Malian stakeholders to show restraint and give priority to dialogue to resolve the crisis in their country.

They reiterated their support to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) in its efforts to stabilize the situation in Mali.

They expressed their determination to continue monitoring closely the situation.

…Charges operators to boost network capacity

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has listed critical regulatory actions that have been taken by the Commission to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on quality of service (QoS) delivery by the networks to telecom consumers.

Danbatta enumerated the measures while speaking at the first edition of the Virtual Telecom Consumer Parliament (V-TCP) hosted by the Commission in Abuja on Friday, 21st August, 2020 with the theme: “Impact of Covid-19 on Telecoms Service Delivery.” The Telecom Consumer Parliament is NCC’s flagship forum for in-depth engagement with service providers to discuss issues of contemporary interest affecting consumers of telecom services in the country.

Citing an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) report, the EVC said with the pandemic, some telecom operators and platforms are reporting demand spike, especially in data usage and volume of calls, as high as 800 per cent since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Regardless of this, Danbatta said the Commission and the mobile network operators needed to play their roles in sustaining quality of service delivery and quality of experience by the consumers, who are critical stakeholders in the telecoms sector.

Danbatta said the NCC, in conjunction with the supervising Ministry developed e-platforms to handle all requests from the licensees to ensure that regulatory services are provided to sustain service delivery to subscribers.

He said the Commission also approved and encouraged resource sharing among network operators and secured Right of Passage (RoP) for all telecommunications companies and suppliers for easy movement during the lockdown. These measures enabled the operators to service their base stations and ensured seamless services for telecom consumers who increasingly relied on the networks during the pandemic.

Danbatta further stated that the NCC, working with the ministry is resolving the problem of high cost of Right of Way (RoW) with the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), adding that, through such engagements, the state governors have lent their support for a robust broadband infrastructure.

“The Commission is hopeful that with the reduction in RoW, which will automatically result in reduction in capital expenditure (CAPEX) by the network operators, telecom companies will sooner than later reciprocate the gesture by making their services more affordable to Nigerians,” he said.

According to Danbatta, regulatory efforts have also resulted in a Presidential approval directing Security Agencies to protect Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and telecom facilities as critical national assets. He said this has helped to safeguard telecom infrastructure for the greater role telecom has to play with the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Danbatta has strongly charged the service providers to constantly upgrade and expand their network capacity in order to deliver top-notch QoS to their consumers.

Earlier in a presentation, the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Barrister Adeleke Adewolu showed the various Quality of Service (QoS) indicators for the second quarter of the year across the networks and how the consumer Quality of Experience compared with the parameters based on the voice of the consumer survey (VoxPop) conducted by the Commission. Speaking further, the ECSM highlighted the challenges facing operators, which impact negatively on quality of service to include fibre cuts, vandalism and theft of telecommunications site equipment.

A panel session of telecoms operators, who participated virtually in the TCP, was held and moderated by the Director, Consumer Affairs, NCC, Mr. Efosa Idehen. The panel session addressed issues of network capacity upgrade, change in consumer data consump

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, has received a Distinguished Award from the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).

The Award was presented to the EVC in his office in Abuja today (Thursday, August 19, 2020) by ATCON President, Olusola Teniola in company of the association’s Executive Secretary, Ajibola Olude.  

Teniola said the award was in appreciation of the laudable contribution of the EVC of NCC towards the successful hosting of ATCON’s virtual national dialogue held for the industry on August 6, 2020.

According to Teniola, ATCON is recognising and appreciating the EVC “for being a panel discussant on ‘Meeting the Interests of the Government, Consumers, Telecoms and ICT Companies in the Era of COVID-19 and Post COVID-19 Pandemic Cum Digital Era’ dated August 2000.”

Responding, the EVC appreciated ATCON for the gesture and for the critical role the association is playing in the overall development of the telecoms and ICT industry as a whole.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has said that the various projects being executed by the Commission and other agencies under the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMoCDE) have been adding significant value to the digital transformation journey of Nigeria.

Danbatta stated this during the 4th phase of the virtual commissioning of additional 12 digital economy projects implemented by agencies under the Ministry by the Minister, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, which also coincided with the Minister’s one year anniversary in office.

He commended the Minister for creating a platform for the commissioning of the various projects executed by the agencies under the Ministry, which has helped to showcase the President’s achievements in leveraging Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to propel the economic development of the country.

Addressing the audience at the event, comprising the Chairman of the occasion, Governor Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State, Federal Ministers, Heads of Agencies and other dignitaries, Danbatta said the projects are auspicious and will have a far-reaching positive impact on Nigerians, who are the ultimate beneficiaries.

Explaining the value-addition, Danbatta stated that “through the various projects, we are building shared and sustainable prosperity for this country. We are also making governance more open and transparent because people are able to participate and have a say in the way and manner the country is governed.”

In addition, the EVC said the “projects will eliminate poverty through skill development; and above all, we are creating a competitive and innovative economy through the promotion of the usage and deployment of various ICT applications and services in the economy.”

According to Danbatta, “all these are value additions that are unprecedented in the sector, noting that the Commission is proud to be associated with the laudable achievements of the Ministry under the leadership of the Hon. Minister of Communications and Digital economy.”

The 12 projects commissioned include the Virtual Examination Centre (VEC) at Enugu State College of Education (Technical), Kano State Emergency Communications Centre (ECC) in Kano State implemented by the NCC.

Three of the projects, including an E-Library at Federal College of Education (Technical) Bichi, Kano State; E-Accessibility Centre (EAC) at Government School for the Deaf, Malumfashi, Katsina State; and School Knowledge Centre (SKC) located at AUD High School, Ikole-Ekiti, Ekiti State, were executed by the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) of NCC.

Other commissioned projects, which were executed by the National Information Technology Development Agencies (NITDA) include the Digital Capacity Training Centre in Elkanemi College of Islamic Theology, Yola, Adamawa State; and ICT Innovation Hub at Oyo State Trade Fair Complex, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The projects also include the digital capacity development programme for artisans (DCDP) with centres in Suleja, Niger State; LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, Oyo State; Federal College of Education, Okene, Kogi State; National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT), Owerri, Imo State and Benchils School, Warri, Delta State.

… As FG Inaugurates Gas Transportation Network Code to Boost Gas Penetration

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has restated its commitment to working with relevant partners and stakeholders in the Oil and Gas Sector to boost delivery of gas to the domestic market.

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, made the commitment Monday at the launch of the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code (NGTNC) which is designed to enhance the use of gas as a catalyst for national economic development.

In a goodwill message at the event, the NNPC GMD said the corporation was at the centre of gas delivery to the domestic market, stressing that it was involved in all the available gas delivery infrastructure in the country either directly or indirectly through joint venture partnership.

He said the inauguration of the Network Code was an opportunity to enhance gas delivery and utilization in furtherance of the Federal Government’s objective of transforming gas into a key component of the nation’s energy mix and revenue sources.

“We will continue to give our support to this process to ensure that the full delivery of this process is achieved. We commit to working closely with the DPR to ensure that the target of the government is attained. This opportunity has provided the right framework for the transportation of gas from the source to the end user in order to get value. We are happy to have this framework on ground and we are ready to collaborate with all our partners, the gas off-takers, gas producers, transportation companies, shippers, and all those involved in the gas value chain,” Mallam Kyari enthused.

Speaking on the significance of the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code (NGTNC), the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, said it would help to grow gas infrastructure, expand gas utilization, curb gas flaring, and provide codes to standardize the gas value chain in line with global best practices.

The Minister said the NGTNC was part of the key reforms instituted by the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration to expand domestic gas-to-power, gas-to-Industry, gas-to-manufacturing and mitigate the challenge associated with gas flaring in the country.

He noted that the gas codes would go a long way in deepening economic development, improve gas supply, boost Liquefied Petroleum Gas supply, and attract more investment opportunities in the nation’s gas value chain.

Chief Sylva commended NNPC and its gas subsidiary, the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), for partnering with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to meet the six-month target to bring the Network Code to life.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Director of DPR, Engr. Saraki Auwalu, noted that the Department has emplaced the network code platform and would continue to work with all Industry players for the success of the NGTNC.

The highpoint of the ceremony was the unveiling of the Network Code Electronic Licensing and Administrative System (NCELAS) portal and the supervision of the signing of framework agreements between NGC, Gas Hub, and Dangote Fertilizer Limited by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.

The Nigerian Gas Company will serve as the transporter while Gas Hub and Dangote Fertilizer Limited will serve as the shippers, with the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria Limited (GACN) in the role of agent as provided by the framework.

Dr. Kennie Obateru
Group General Manager
Group Public Affairs Division
Nigerian national Petroleum Corporation
NNPC Towers, Abuja.

Hi, Nigerians we are here by announced that NIMC have removed the app from google playstore. reason is the app is still in test enviroment and NIMC will upload the app soon, once uploaded we will notify you on that, and while that is going here is the NIMC apk being extracted for you to download and view things your self to know more about the NIMC, and your information, do follow the procedures below on how to download the NIMC apk app. to download the PAK app you have to install the APK installer or look for any APK installer from google playstore then you install the App directly on your phone and login with NIN number and Phone number.

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with the MWS NIMC Mobile ID you can view and print the NIN slip online, check date of birth and information about your NIMC, Verify NIN number and more features embeded. remember after installing the MWS NIMC Mobile ID visit https://dashboard.nimc.gov.ng to print your NIN slip online using the MWS NIMC Mobile ID APP
To enrol for any Child and adult Download the NIMC Enrollment form for Adult and Children through your whatsapp; to Download it , chat/whatsapp +2347015309813 and the admin will send the form straight to your whatsapp, Download it, Print it and fill the form for both children and adult whom you want to register with, then take the form to any NIMC enrolment center when they resume. thank you

For those who have not enrolled for the NIMC Data base both Adult and Childtrn can Download the NIMC Enrollment form for Adult and Children through your whatsapp; to Download it chat/whatsapp +2347015309813 and the admin will send the form straight to your whatsapp, Download it, Print it and fill the form for both children and adult whom you want to register with, then take the form to any NIMC enrolment center when they resume. thank you

Supporting Documents
Walk into the nearest NIMC Enrolment Centre with your BVN if you have one and any of the following required Original and Valid supporting documents:
Old National ID Card
Driver’s License
Voter’s card (Temporary or Permanent)
Nigerian International passport
Certificate of Origin
Attestation letter from a prominent ruler in your community
Birth certificate
Declaration of age
Attestation letter from religious/traditional leader
NHIS ID card
Government staff ID card
Registered/recognized private organization staff ID card
School ID Card (private/public)
Tax Clearance certificate
Valid immigration documents