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Buhari Approves Transfer of NIMC to Communications Ministry

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President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the transfer of the National Identity Management Commission to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

It was gathered that the approval for the transfer was based on the President’s consideration of the critical role of the NIMC towards the realisation of the objectives of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the spokesperson to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Uwa Suleiman.

The statement was entitled, “President Buhari approves the transfer of NIMC to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.”

The communications ministry explained that the the transfer would ensure that synergy and effective ministry supervisory mechanism is put in place to coordinate, monitor and track the progress of Federal Government’s digital transformation initiatives.

It said, “Furthermore, Mr. President’s directives for NIMC to be under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy is an illustration of Mr. President’s vote of confidence on Dr. Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.”

The statement stated that Pantami had within his first year in office resolved the communications sector’s decade-long dilemma of Right-of-Way charges.

It said Pantami was also able to secure the President’s approval for the provision of security as well as designation of telecommunications infrastructure as critical national infrastructure, among others.

The NIMC is mandated to create, manage, maintain and operate the national identity database established by the NIMC Act, 2007.

In an effort to realise this, the commission has so far registered around 41 million eligible enrollees for the National Identity Number.

The Nigerian Communications Commission on the other hand has details of over 191 million mobile subscribers.

Furthermore, the National Information Technology Development Agency has recorded huge successes in the development and implementation of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, the country’s first codified data protection regulation.

The agency, according to the statement, had also reached an advanced stage on the implementation of the National Public Key Infrastructure.

It added that Galaxy Backbone Limited was also providing services to government agencies, such as infrastructure, software, etc.

“The need therefore for NIMC, NCC, NITDA and GBB to work closely together under the supervision of one ministry towards harnessing what has already been achieved cannot be overemphasised,” the ministry stated.

It assured Nigerians as well as residents that appropriate measures would be put in place to ensure that all the agencies deliver on their respective mandates.

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Binance Executive Detained in Nigeria Escapes from Custody

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One of the two Binance executives detained in Nigeria for alleged tax evasion and other offences, Nadeem Anjarwalla, has escaped from lawful custody, according to PREMIUM TIMES report.

Our sources said Mr Anjarwalla, 38, escaped on Friday, 22 March, from the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were detained after guards on duty led him to a nearby mosque for prayers in the spirit of the ongoing Ramadan fast.

The Briton, who also has Kenyan citizenship, is believed to have flown out of Abuja using a Middle East airliner.

It remains unclear how Mr Anjarwalla got on an international flight despite his British passport, with which he entered Nigeria, remaining in the custody of the Nigerian authorities.

Authorities are also said to be working to unravel his intended destination in a bid to get him back into custody.

An Immigration official said the Binance executive fled Nigeria on a Kenyan passport. He, however, said authorities were trying to determine how he obtained the passport, given that he had no other travel document (apart from the British passport) on him when he was taken into custody.

Another source said the two officials were held at a “comfortable guest house” and allowed many rights, including the use of telephones, a privilege Mr Anjarwalla is believed to have exploited to plot an escape.

When contacted Sunday night on the escape of the Binance executive from detention, the Head of Strategic Communication at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, said he would enquire and revert. He has yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

Mr Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager, and Tigran Gambaryan, a US citizen overseeing financial crime compliance at the crypto exchange platform, were detained upon their arrival in Nigeria on 26 February 2024.

A criminal charge was filed against the two executives before a Magistrate Court in Abuja. On 28 February 2024, the court granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) an order to remand the duo for 14 days. The court also ordered Binance to provide the Nigerian government with the data/information of Nigerians trading on its platform.

Following Binance’s refusal to comply with the order, the court extended the remand of the officials for an additional 14 days to prevent them from tampering with evidence. The court then adjourned the case till 4 April 2024.

Also on 22 March, the Nigerian government approached the Federal High Court in Abuja and slammed another four-count charge on Binance Holdings Limited, Mr Anjarwalla and Mr Gambaryan, accusing them of offering services to subscribers on their platform while failing to register with the Federal Inland Revenue Service to pay all relevant taxes administered by the Service and in so doing, committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 8 of the Value Added Tax Act of 1993 (as Amended).

The defendants were also accused of offering taxable services to subscribers on their trading platform while failing to issue invoices to those subscribers to determine and pay their value-added taxes and, in so doing, committed an offence contrary to and punishable under S.29 of the Value Added Tax Act of 1993 (as amended).

Count Three of the charges accused the three defendants of offering services to subscribers on their Binance trading platform for the buying and selling of cryptocurrencies and the remittance and transfer of those assets while failing to deduct the necessary Value Added Taxes arising from their operations and thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 40 of the Federal Inland Revenue Service Establishment Act 2007 (as amended).

The last count of the charges wants the defendants punished for allegedly aiding and abetting subscribers on their Binance trading platform to unlawfully refuse to pay taxes or neglect to pay those taxes and, in so doing, committing an offence contrary to and punishable under the provisions of S.94 of the Companies Income Tax Act (as amended).

The Nigerian government had, in the past three months, been cracking down on suspected money launderers and terrorism financiers, some of whom it alleged are using the Binance platform for criminal activities

The Nigerian government said over $21.6 billion was traded by Nigerians whose identities were concealed by Binance.

Source: Premium Times

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Kidnapped Kaduna School Children Released Three Days to Expiration of Bandits’ Ultimatum

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The Kaduna State government has confirmed the unconditional release of the 287 school children and teachers who were abducted by bandits on March 7 from the LGEA Primary and Secondary Schools in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area.

The release of the hostages was announced through a statement on Sunday morning signed by Governor Uba Sani, which reads:

“I wish to announce that our Kuriga school children have been released.

“Our special appreciation goes to our dear President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for prioritising the safety and security of Nigerians and particularly ensuring that the abducted Kuriga school children are released unharmed.

“While the school children were in captivity, I spoke with Mr. President several times. He shared our pains, comforted us, and worked round the clock with us to ensure the safe return of the children.”

Sani who also expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Army and other security agencies for their professionalism in the successful rescue of the pupils, said they played a pivotal role in the whole episode.

“The Nigerian Army also deserves special commendation for showing that with courage, determination and commitment, criminal elements can be degraded and security restored in our communities.

“We also thank all Nigerians who prayed fervently for the safe return of the school children. This is indeed a day of joy. We give Almighty Allah all the glory.”

The rescue of the schoolchildren is coming three days to March 27 ultimatum the bandits had given the government for a N1 billion ransom to be paid for the captives to be freed, failing which they would all be killed.

There was also no mention of any ransom paid for the release of the victims by the government in the statement by Governor Sani.

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N30trn Ways and Means: Senate Committee Indicts Emefiele for Illegally Signing Billions of Naira

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The Senate ad hoc committee probing the disbursement and utilization of the N30 trillion Ways and Means loan has discovered 13 infractions in the process of obtaining the loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Isah Jibrin (APC, Benue East), said the former governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele, unilaterally signed billions of Naira in the approval of different tranches of the loan without following due process.

Senator Jibrin alleged that Emefiele illegally signed billions of Naira in 13 documents.

He disclosed this on Tuesday during an interactive session with the CBN team led by Bala Bello, one of the deputy governors of the apex bank.

The committee chairman said Emefiele ought to have approved the loans in conjunction with the CBN board of directors, but he unilaterally signed the loans, which is contrary to the requirement of the CBN Act.

“The committee of governors ought to be the signatories to the ways and means account but in the document we have here, the governor signed billions of naira in about 13 places.

“We want to know the total figure of the ways and means. We want to know the summation of the figure,” Senator Jibrin said.

“On the Anchor Borrowers Programme, you have done well. You did about 70 per cent, but we must ensure the completion of the remaining 30 per cent.”

Senator Jibrin, however, said the committee will summon the CBN governor, Olayemi Cardoso, to give a detailed account of what he knows about the Ways and Means.

“Your governor, who took over from Emefiele, should be able to stand for Emefiele because he took over from him, including his assets.

“Emefiele should provide an explanation to the existing governor. We will invite the governor and in case he does not have a response, he will contact Emefiele,” he stressed.

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