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NELFUND: Deputy Speaker, Assures S/East Students Will Be Included In FG’s Loan Soon, Says Governors, NASS Members On Top Of Situation

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NELFUND: Deputy Speaker, Assures S/East Students Will Be Included In FG’s Loan Soon, Says Governors, NASS Members On Top Of Situation

*NELFUND: Deputy Speaker, Assures S/East Students Will Be Included In FG’s Loan Soon, Says Governors, NASS Members On Top Of Situation

 

 

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has given assurance that students from the south east geopolitical zone will soon be included in the Federal Government students’ loan.

NELFUND: Deputy Speaker, Assures S/East Students Will Be Included In FG’s Loan Soon, Says Governors, NASS Members On Top Of Situation

It will be recalled that the South East Caucus in the National Assembly has protested the exclusion of the region after the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUN) released the list of the institutions that will benefit from the loan nationwide.

 

In a statement on Monday, Deputy Speaker said that his office has engaged the authorities in charge of the students loans, expressing optimism that in the coming days, the matter would be resolved.

 

The deputy speaker has already engaged the directors in NELFUN with regards to the issue.

 

During the engagement, issues of poor registration of students from the south east against the total number of students in the schools in the region were identified as the reason for non shortlisting of names.

 

Similarly, there were mistakes with the completion of the relevant forms such as non inclusion of Joint Administration and Matriculation Board (JAMB) results.

 

Kalu however said that steps have been taken by the affected institutions within the south east to remedy situation.

 

He added that the governors of the region are also on top of the situation to increase the number of participating students just as the members of the national assembly have been equally been encouraged to reach out to their constituents for immediate compliance.

 

The Deputy Speaker also said that his office has devised some means to increase awareness.

 

According to relevant statistics, Abia State has 3 Institutions: Abia State Polytechnic, Aba; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike and Abia State University, Uturu.

 

Abia State Polytechnic, Aba has 2,543 students but with no JAMB numbers and therefore, could not get application forms.

 

In Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, there are a total of 21,342 students but only 406 have applied for the loan.

 

In Abia State University, Uturu, a total of 17,928 are eligible for the loan application but none has applied so far.

 

In Enugu State, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, a total of 40, 769 are eligible to apply but 781 students have so far applied.

 

Also, in University of Medical And Applied Sciences in Enugu, 610 students are eligible but only 34 applied.

 

Similarly, in the Federal Polytechnic located in Ohodo, Enugu State, only one person applied while 9 were uploaded and eligible for the loan.

 

Also in the Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu, Enugu State, 2, 491 are uploaded and eligible to apply for the laon but only 11 students applied.

 

In Ebonyi State, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo has a total of 19, 221 that are eligible but only 930 students applied.

 

Similarly, Ebonyi State University has 15, 622 but only 331students applied.

 

In David Umahi Federal University

of Health Sciences, Uburu, 831are equally eligible but only 28 students applied.

 

In Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic

Unwana, Afikpo, Ebonyi State, 4, 774 are eligible but only 188 applied.

 

In Federal College of Education, Isu

Ebonyi State, 128 were uploaded as eligible but none applied for the loan.

 

In Imo State, Federal University of Technology, Owerri has 27, 371 eligible students but only 1,114 applied.

 

Imo State University of

Agriculture and Environmental

Sciences, Umuagwo has 736 but only

14 students applied.

 

Alvan Ikoku Federal University of

Education, Owerri has 1,109 but only 11 students applied.

 

In Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe

University, a total of 509 students are eligible but only 2 applied so far.

 

The Federal Polytechnic, Nekede has 2, 848 but only 16 students applied.

 

Also, in Imo State Polytechnic, Omuma

1,760 are eligible but none applied for the loan.

 

Benjamin Uwajumogu State

College of Education, Ihitte

Uboma has 97 students uploaded but none applied.

 

In Anambra State, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka has a total number of 39, 334 who were uploaded and eligible for application but only 253 applied.

 

In Federal Polytechnic, Oko, 1,577 students were also uploaded and eligible but none applied for the loan.

 

For Federal College of Education

(Technical) Umunze, 2, 778 students are eligible but only 44 applied.

 

In College of Education, Nsugbe, 135 students were uploaded and eligible for the loan application but none applied.

 

Kalu however urged the institutions to encourage their students to apply for the loan.

 

The Deputy Speaker also asked every stakeholder to set up a registration point in their locations to increase the number of students to benefit from the federal government loan scheme.

 

Kalu said: “The various governors are equally on top of this to increase the number of participating students. The members of House of Representatives from the south east as well and senate have been asked to reach out to their respective constituents for immediate compliance.

 

“To increase the awareness, the Deputy Speaker has produced jingles in English and Igbo languages in addition to pigeon English to be played in various radio stations of the region.

 

“These it is believed will increase the number of participants”.

 

He therefore called for patience among the students and the people of the south east, assuring that the needful would be done.

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OGUN APC FULLY PREPARED TO WIN THE NOVEMBER 16TH LG ELECTIONS – OLADUNJOYE

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*OGUN APC FULLY PREPARED TO WIN THE NOVEMBER 16TH LG ELECTIONS – OLADUNJOYE

…”Thank you very much for that question. For the November 16th local government elections coming up in Ogun State, I want to assure you that Ogun State APC is fully prepared for that election not only to participate but also to win.

 

We are not only a political party, we are also the ruling party in Ogun State. We thank God and thank the people of Ogun State, for the privilege given to our Party to serve the people of Ogun State at the state level and at the local government level. As at today, among the parties vying for the local government position; it is only APC that has projects and programmes with which we can campaign, which we have been campaigning, when we talk of primary health care, we talk of renovation and construction of primary schools, roads, and what have you.

APC is the only party that can point to what it has achieved apart from that, we are about the only party that is even campaigning for the local government election, we are going round all the 236 wards, all our polling units, We can hardly see any opposition party; what they plan to do or the magic they plan to achieve, we don’t know, We as a party, APC Is not taking anything for granted.
We have achievements to point to, we are campaigning, we are mobilizing our members, and we are getting assurance from people of Ogun State, that their support remains unshaken and is for All Progressives Congress (APC).

On the part of the OGSIEC, we pray that, they will continue uphold the credibility of the agency, the impartiality of the agency. As at today, even the PDP has attested to the fact that OGSIEC is credible and impartial. It is in the press they issued this morning (Sunday); it is a big kudos for the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, that has allowed the agency to run without meddlesomeness on the part of the government.

For the November 16th election, we are very sure that APC will not only win but will also win overwhelmingly.
Thank You”

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EFCC’s Olukoyede has done a yeoman’s job -Akinnola

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EFCC’s Olukoyede has done a yeoman’s job -Akinnola

EFCC’s Olukoyede has done a yeoman’s job
-Akinnola

 

Popular human rights activists and media laws expert, Mr Richard Akinnola, has described the achievements of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, within one year in office as a “yeoman’s job”.

EFCC’s Olukoyede has done a yeoman’s job
-Akinnola

Addressing some journalist while assessing the first year in office of the chairman of the Commission, the prolific author and publisher remarked that “I am not someone that panders to adulating public officials but I must say without any equivocation, that I have been greatly impressed by the accomplishments of the EFCC Chairman in the past one year.”

Speaking further, Akinnola who is the publisher of CORRUPTION CASES DIGEST said: “If you knew the humongous task it is to fight corruption in this system, with limited staff and resources, you would praise the gentleman at the helm of affairs. Fighting corruption is not a tea party because the corrupt political class would fight back as it’s currently happening. In June this year, the EFCC Chairman said the Commission received 14, 000 petitions within a year. With limited staff and resources, how do you start sifting through this plethora of petitions and investigating the same?”

“The EFCC Chairman once recalled that a few minutes to midnight on December 31 last year, he received intelligence on his phone how multiple billions of Naira were being moved from some ministries and MDAs to certain banks and that he immediately called the bank MDs to warn them not to allow any withdrawal of such humongous amounts. You know that usually such unspent money ought to be returned to the treasury but these people decided to fleece them.”

“These are accomplishments you don’t hear in the public space and it takes a proactive and diligent anti-corruption helmsman to detect and nip this in the bud. So, it’s not an accident that the current media onslaught against the current leadership of the Commission is suspected to be sponsored and financed by a former governor and his surrogate successor. You see the whole media place with heavy media and legal advocacy, including sponsored editorials and press conferences, protests by all manner of groups and the rest. All these are to change narratives in the public space because they are feeling the heat of one man called Olukoyede,” Akinnola added.

According to Akinnola, “Many people are not even aware that the liberalization of financial transactions through the use of MasterCard and Visa, was the handiwork of the EFCC, after the global financial anti-corruption institutions had to delist Nigeria among those barred from such transactions. So, there are more positives one can point to regarding the activities of the EFCC.”

On the case filed at the Supreme Court by Kogi State Government and 15 other states challenging the constitutionality of the EFCC, the veteran journalist declined to go into the details of the case saying “it is left for the Supreme Court”. He however noted that: “The same people who were against financial autonomy for the local governments and state judiciary, are the same people who want the EFCC to be scrapped. Otherwise, if their intention were pure and altruistic, they would have approached the apex court to give effect to justifiability of chapter two of the constitution regarding free education and other welfare packages for the citizens but because they are afraid of what would befall them after leaving office, they want the Commission scrapped. We all wait for the Supreme Court judgment.”

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EFCC summons foreigner, guests over Naira-spraying at Kano wedding

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EFCC summons foreigner, guests over Naira-spraying at Kano wedding

EFCC summons foreigner, guests over Naira-spraying at Kano wedding

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has summoned a Nigerien national, Ibrahim Mohammad, his family, and other guests, over alleged naira abuse at his wedding to Amina Babagana Zannah, in Kano.

 

The invitation follows a viral video depicting individuals spraying naira notes at the event, drawing public attention and backlash as part of the agency’s ongoing campaign against currency abuse.

A statement issued by Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity for the EFCC, confirmed the commission’s response to the incident.

Initial reports mistakenly attributed the naira-spraying incident to the wedding of Fauziya Danjuma Goje, daughter of Senator Danjuma Goje, leading to widespread public concern and editorial coverage from a major national newspaper.

However, Oyewale explained that EFCC’s investigation clarified that the naira abuse actually occurred at the wedding dinner of Zannah, daughter of Hajara Seidu Haruna, also known as Hafsat Gold Nigeria, the CEO of Hafsat Jewellery Enterprise with offices in Abuja, Kano, and Dubai.

He stated that Haruna acknowledged the incident, explaining that the groom’s family, hailing from Niger Republic, sprayed naira and dollar bills as part of the celebrations.

 

EFCC, emphasizing its dedication to upholding currency regulations, stated that it will act against anyone who violates these rules, regardless of status or nationality, while ensuring that no one is wrongfully accused.

The commission noted the importance of public vigilance and the impact of its currency-protection campaign across the country.

The statement read, “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a viral video where the nation’s currency, Naira, was freely sprayed at a wedding ceremony in Kano, Kano State on Friday, October 24, 2024.

“Allegations of the abuse of the Naira were imputed to Mrs Fauziya Danjuma Goje, daughter of Senator Danjuma Goje, by Nigerians from all walks of life, including an Editorial by a leading and respected National Newspaper.

“As a responsible and accountable anti-corruption agency campaigning against currency mutilation and dollarization of the economy, the EFCC swung into action by analysing the video and findings showed that the alleged naira abuse actually happened but not at the wedding of Goje’s daughter but at the wedding dinner of Amina Babagana Zannah held on the afore-mentioned date.

“Zannah is the daughter of Hajara Seidu Haruna(a.ka. Hafsat Gold Nigeria) who is the Chief Executive Officer of Hafsat Jewellery Enterprise with offices in Abuja, Kano and Dubai (United Arab Emirate).

“Haruna confirmed the viral video. She admitted that the alleged naira abuse took place at the wedding dinner of her daughter. The bridegroom, Ibrahim Mohammad hails from Niger Republic and those that allegedly sprayed naira notes and dollar bills were from the groom’s family in Niger Republic.

“The Commission has invited the Nigerien groom, Mohammad, to report at its national headquarters in Abuja, with everyone that sprayed naira notes at his wedding with Zannah

 

While the EFCC appreciates the consciousness its campaigns against naira abuse is building across the country, it will not move against anyone wrongly accused of an alleged crime. The Commission remains steadfast in this crusade and would spare no offender, no matter how highly placed.”

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