Nigeria's ex-interior minister has been charged with fraud over a botched recruitment drive, which resulted in stampedes that left 20 people dead.
Abba Moro led a scheme which encouraged young graduates to apply for jobs in the immigration ministry in March 2014.
Stadiums, which were being used as test centres, were overwhelmed by huge crowds of people turning up to apply.
Mr Moro has pleaded not guilty to his role in an alleged $2.5m (£1.8m) fraud, involving missing application fees.
There is a high level of unemployment in Nigeria, especially among young people.
Court papers filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) allege that more than 675,000 people were defrauded by the scheme, which required them to pay a $6 (£3.50) application fee to take the initial recruitment test.
The case has been adjourned until 2 March.
On 15 March 2014 deadly stampedes occurred at stadiums in the Nigerian cities of Abuja, Benin and Port Harcourt, as well as a school in Mina city, as people scrambled to apply for the new jobs.
Many Nigerians online have been commenting on the irony that a former minister in charge of the country's prisons is facing a lengthy stint behind bars if he is found guilty.
At the time, Nigeria's interior minister rejected calls for him to step down and initially refused to accept any responsibility for the disaster.
He blamed the officials in charge of the stadium for the deaths, as well as the job seekers themselves.
BBC
Related story: Video -16 feared dead in stampede at recruitment drive in Abuja
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Monday, February 29, 2016
Nigeria cuts N2.29bn from government payroll after 2,400 ghost-employees found
Nigeria has removed more than 20,000 non-existent workers from the government payroll following an audit, leading to savings of 2.29bn naira (£8.3m) from its monthly wage bill, the finance ministry has said.
Corruption and mismanagement have long stunted development in Africa’s biggest economy and top oil producer, and are now exacerbating the impact of a sharp fall in global crude prices.
The audit used biometric data and a bank verification number (BVN) to identify holders of bank accounts into which salaries were being paid.
This showed the names of some civil servants receiving a salary did not correspond to the names linked to the bank accounts. In some cases individuals were also receiving salaries from multiple sources.
“The federal government has removed 23,846 non-existent workers from its payroll,” said Festus Akanbi, special adviser to finance minister Kemi Adeosun who took office in November and soon after set up an efficiency unit to cut waste.
“Consequently the salary bill for February 2016 has reduced by 2.293bn naira when compared to December 2015 when the BVN audit process commenced,” said Akanbi, adding that those removed had been paid by ministries, departments and agencies.
The ministry said it would now undertake “periodic checks and utilise computer-assisted audit techniques” and also introduce tougher monitoring of new entrants to the civil service to avert further abuse of the system.
The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, who took office last year vowing a crackdown on graft, said it wanted to cut the costs of running the government rather than slash jobs to help tackle Nigeria’s worst economic crisis in years.
“The ongoing exercise, which is part of the cost-saving and anti-corruption agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, is key to funding the deficit in the 2016 budget,” said Akanbi.
The ministry, which said personnel costs represent more than 40% of total government expenditure, said it had so far checked the details of about 312,000 civil servants.
Akanbi said the ministry was working with the financial crimes agency and the National Pension Commission to identify irregularities and recover salaries and pension contributions related to the deleted workers.
Guardian
Corruption and mismanagement have long stunted development in Africa’s biggest economy and top oil producer, and are now exacerbating the impact of a sharp fall in global crude prices.
The audit used biometric data and a bank verification number (BVN) to identify holders of bank accounts into which salaries were being paid.
This showed the names of some civil servants receiving a salary did not correspond to the names linked to the bank accounts. In some cases individuals were also receiving salaries from multiple sources.
“The federal government has removed 23,846 non-existent workers from its payroll,” said Festus Akanbi, special adviser to finance minister Kemi Adeosun who took office in November and soon after set up an efficiency unit to cut waste.
“Consequently the salary bill for February 2016 has reduced by 2.293bn naira when compared to December 2015 when the BVN audit process commenced,” said Akanbi, adding that those removed had been paid by ministries, departments and agencies.
The ministry said it would now undertake “periodic checks and utilise computer-assisted audit techniques” and also introduce tougher monitoring of new entrants to the civil service to avert further abuse of the system.
The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, who took office last year vowing a crackdown on graft, said it wanted to cut the costs of running the government rather than slash jobs to help tackle Nigeria’s worst economic crisis in years.
“The ongoing exercise, which is part of the cost-saving and anti-corruption agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, is key to funding the deficit in the 2016 budget,” said Akanbi.
The ministry, which said personnel costs represent more than 40% of total government expenditure, said it had so far checked the details of about 312,000 civil servants.
Akanbi said the ministry was working with the financial crimes agency and the National Pension Commission to identify irregularities and recover salaries and pension contributions related to the deleted workers.
Guardian
President Muhammadu Buhari orders probe after hundreds killed in Massacre
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered an investigation into communal clashes, which have left hundreds dead in central Benue state.
Mr Buhari expressed "deep shock" at the past week's violence between herdsmen from the Fulani ethnic group and local farmers, an official statement said.
Several thousand people have been displaced, according to local media.
Benue has a history of violent attacks and reprisals between semi-nomadic herdsmen and farmers.
The clashes are often linked to cattle raiding.
Mr Buhari called for unity among Nigerians, saying: "There should not be any reason why Nigerians of any group or tongue cannot now reside with one another."
Different groups of Fulani militants killed a total of more than 1,200 people in 2014, meaning that if taken together they would be the world's fourth deadliest militant group, according to the most recent Global Terrorism Index.
The scope of their attacks is now enough to "pose a serious threat to stability", the report said.
The communal violence in central Nigeria is not connected to the six-year insurgency by Islamist militant group Boko Haram in the country's north-east.
Boko Haram was the world's most deadly militant group, according to the report.
BBC
Mr Buhari expressed "deep shock" at the past week's violence between herdsmen from the Fulani ethnic group and local farmers, an official statement said.
Several thousand people have been displaced, according to local media.
Benue has a history of violent attacks and reprisals between semi-nomadic herdsmen and farmers.
The clashes are often linked to cattle raiding.
Mr Buhari called for unity among Nigerians, saying: "There should not be any reason why Nigerians of any group or tongue cannot now reside with one another."
Different groups of Fulani militants killed a total of more than 1,200 people in 2014, meaning that if taken together they would be the world's fourth deadliest militant group, according to the most recent Global Terrorism Index.
The scope of their attacks is now enough to "pose a serious threat to stability", the report said.
The communal violence in central Nigeria is not connected to the six-year insurgency by Islamist militant group Boko Haram in the country's north-east.
Boko Haram was the world's most deadly militant group, according to the report.
BBC
Friday, February 26, 2016
President Muhammadu Buhari rewards Nigeria national football team after 30-year wait
The Nigeria squad that won the first Fifa Under-16 World championship have been rewarded after a 30-year wait.
New Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari has made good on a promise to reward the players after the 1985 tournament when he was the military head of state.
Nduka Ugbade, captain of the team who beat West Germany 2-0 in the final in Beijing, told BBC Sport: "I have finally received my money.
"I am extremely delighted that our president has fulfilled his promise."
Buhari had promised the players a house, stock in the central bank and a scholarship and other incentives after their success but soon after he was ousted by another military regime and the country's government never fulfilled his pledges.
Following Buhari's election as president last year he announced in January a 2m naira ($10,000; £7,000) reward for each of the players and 1.5m for the officials.
"He's truly a man of his word and on behalf of myself and the team I say a big 'thank you' to our president," added Ugbade.
"I would also like to thank the sports ministry, Alhassan Yakmut of the sports commission, the Nigerian Football Federation, both local and international media, and everyone involved in this great story."
'Minute's silence'
Another of the winning squad Jonathan Akpoborie, who went on to represent the country at senior level, told BBC Sport: "I have spoken to some of my colleagues and they are happy that the president has delivered on his promise.
"This gesture - and not the amount involved - will change the perception of unfulfilled promises in our country."
However, the rewards came too late for Kingsley Aikhionbare, who died in London in 1996. At the presentation to the players a minute's silence was held in his honour.
The Under-16 World Championship was contested three times before it was changed to the Under-17 world Championship in 1991.
Nigeria won the Fifa under-17 World Cup in 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015.
BBC
New Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari has made good on a promise to reward the players after the 1985 tournament when he was the military head of state.
Nduka Ugbade, captain of the team who beat West Germany 2-0 in the final in Beijing, told BBC Sport: "I have finally received my money.
"I am extremely delighted that our president has fulfilled his promise."
Buhari had promised the players a house, stock in the central bank and a scholarship and other incentives after their success but soon after he was ousted by another military regime and the country's government never fulfilled his pledges.
Following Buhari's election as president last year he announced in January a 2m naira ($10,000; £7,000) reward for each of the players and 1.5m for the officials.
"He's truly a man of his word and on behalf of myself and the team I say a big 'thank you' to our president," added Ugbade.
"I would also like to thank the sports ministry, Alhassan Yakmut of the sports commission, the Nigerian Football Federation, both local and international media, and everyone involved in this great story."
'Minute's silence'
Another of the winning squad Jonathan Akpoborie, who went on to represent the country at senior level, told BBC Sport: "I have spoken to some of my colleagues and they are happy that the president has delivered on his promise.
"This gesture - and not the amount involved - will change the perception of unfulfilled promises in our country."
However, the rewards came too late for Kingsley Aikhionbare, who died in London in 1996. At the presentation to the players a minute's silence was held in his honour.
The Under-16 World Championship was contested three times before it was changed to the Under-17 world Championship in 1991.
Nigeria won the Fifa under-17 World Cup in 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015.
BBC
Nigeria plans to offer free health care to 100 million Nigeria in two years
The Nigerian government will offer free healthcare to 100 million Nigerians in the next two years under the country’s new health agenda, the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, has said.
Pregnant women across Nigeria will also enjoy free antenatal and delivery services, particularly at the primary healthcare level, the government said.
The minister disclosed this while speaking on a current affairs programme, The Osasu Show, broadcast weekly on African Independent Television.
Mr Adewole said in order to achieve that target, the government would revitalise the primary healthcare services and adopt “the universally accepted concept of one primary healthcare centre per political ward”.
Women with uncomplicated pregnancy and those with uncomplicated past will be expected to visit the primary healthcare centre, Mr.Adewole said.
“One of the things we want to do under the revitalised PHC programme is that each of these revitalised, reinvigorated PHC will have an industrial borehole so that we can offer water to the people, clean drinkable water,”‘ Mr. Adewole said.
“There will be solar electricity so we can have the ability to keep our vaccines in safe conditions. We will then use this new reinvigorated primary healthcare centres for the focus of community development nationwide.
"The primary healthcare facilities, according to the minister,will be managed by nurses, mid-wives and village workers so as to accommodate cultural differences in different parts of Nigeria. “If we do not (do this), people will not use the facilities.”
“We are not going to import someone from Port Harcourt to work in Sokoto. We are looking at people in the Sokoto environment who speak the language and understand the culture.
“The new model we are operating will also have villager workers who will oscillate between the facilities and the community and we will promote ownership by telling them the facilities are theirs and not for the federal government or state but that it belongs to them as a community.”
Mr. Adewole said for a start, the federal government would deliver 110 primary healthcare centres in the next three months across the country.
“When we flag it off, it is going to be one PHC per day to show Nigerians that we mean business,” he said. “We will surprise everybody!”
The minister said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was different from other past administrations in Nigeria.
“We are serving under a leadership that is totally committed to supporting the poor,” he said. “We have an agenda that is entirely pro-poor and as we havementioned we will not just make vague promises, we will deliver.”
Mr. Adewole said the federal government also intends to change the national health insurance from being voluntary to compulsory and universal, so that the “healthy will care for the sick and the rich will care for the poor”.
Premium Times
Pregnant women across Nigeria will also enjoy free antenatal and delivery services, particularly at the primary healthcare level, the government said.
The minister disclosed this while speaking on a current affairs programme, The Osasu Show, broadcast weekly on African Independent Television.
Mr Adewole said in order to achieve that target, the government would revitalise the primary healthcare services and adopt “the universally accepted concept of one primary healthcare centre per political ward”.
Women with uncomplicated pregnancy and those with uncomplicated past will be expected to visit the primary healthcare centre, Mr.Adewole said.
“One of the things we want to do under the revitalised PHC programme is that each of these revitalised, reinvigorated PHC will have an industrial borehole so that we can offer water to the people, clean drinkable water,”‘ Mr. Adewole said.
“There will be solar electricity so we can have the ability to keep our vaccines in safe conditions. We will then use this new reinvigorated primary healthcare centres for the focus of community development nationwide.
"The primary healthcare facilities, according to the minister,will be managed by nurses, mid-wives and village workers so as to accommodate cultural differences in different parts of Nigeria. “If we do not (do this), people will not use the facilities.”
“We are not going to import someone from Port Harcourt to work in Sokoto. We are looking at people in the Sokoto environment who speak the language and understand the culture.
“The new model we are operating will also have villager workers who will oscillate between the facilities and the community and we will promote ownership by telling them the facilities are theirs and not for the federal government or state but that it belongs to them as a community.”
Mr. Adewole said for a start, the federal government would deliver 110 primary healthcare centres in the next three months across the country.
“When we flag it off, it is going to be one PHC per day to show Nigerians that we mean business,” he said. “We will surprise everybody!”
The minister said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was different from other past administrations in Nigeria.
“We are serving under a leadership that is totally committed to supporting the poor,” he said. “We have an agenda that is entirely pro-poor and as we havementioned we will not just make vague promises, we will deliver.”
Mr. Adewole said the federal government also intends to change the national health insurance from being voluntary to compulsory and universal, so that the “healthy will care for the sick and the rich will care for the poor”.
Premium Times
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