News
NIN linkage: Nigerians in Diaspora complain of neglect
Nigerians living in the Diaspora have voiced frustration over the lack of assistance from the Central Bank of Nigeria and banks in facilitating the linkage of their bank accounts with their National Identification Numbers.
The President of the World United Consumer Organisation, Clement Osuya, who raised the alarm in an interview on Friday, said the perceived neglect had become a source of discontent, as individuals feel unsupported in the crucial process of aligning their banking details with the mandatory NIN requirement.
He bemoaned the apex bank for not offering any viable means for Nigerians living abroad to link and obtain their NIN.
Recall that the CBN mandated all commercial banks in the country last year to restrict tier-1 accounts without a proper Biometric Verification Number and NIN link by March 1, 2024.
According to Osuya, around 70 million bank accounts are at risk of being frozen by their respective banks.
The CBN also directed that a ‘Post No Debit’ restriction be placed on all bank accounts without the BVN and NIN from March 1, 2024.
‘Post No Debit’ is a term used to describe a restriction imposed by banks on specific accounts, preventing customers from making withdrawals, transfers, or any other debits from such accounts.
This measure effectively freezes the funds in the account, rendering them inaccessible for the duration of the restriction.
Banks have hesitated to block the affected accounts and preferred to reach affected customers through short service messages and e-mails.
Osuya noted that the directive placed a burden on Nigerians in the diaspora as it mandated them to visit enrollment centres for physical biometric capture.
He revealed that those in the diaspora could not comply with the NIN registration deadline owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting travel restrictions.
“This requirement significantly burdens Nigerians, especially those residing abroad, as it mandates them to visit enrollment centres for biometric capture at NIN centres physically. As such, it presents substantial logistical and financial challenges for diasporan Nigerians.
“Compliance with the NIN registration deadline has been made exceedingly difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting travel restrictions, further exacerbating the struggles of diasporan Nigerians.
“It is imperative to highlight that over 70 million accounts are at risk of being blocked if they are not linked with the NIN. Yet, there are no explicit provisions for remote linkage or alternative processes for Nigerians in the Diaspora,” he stated.
He, therefore, demanded an immediate review of the directive and called upon the CBN to introduce robust and accessible means for Nigerians outside the country who do not have NINs to link to their accounts.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers did not fulfil its promise to file a case in court against the Nigerian Communications Commission to extend the NIN linkage deadline.
The President of the association, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, gave an update in an interview on Friday and said the association rescinded its decision because many persons had filed a suit and did not want to abuse the court process.
“A lot of persons, including lawyers, filed a case on that matter that should be cancelled or extended, and we thought it best to stay down since other persons have filed and we are looking at the same result, which may lead to an abuse of the court process.
“We will still be appealing to NCC to please understand that it affects our businesses and a whole lot is going on in the country. They should not add to the current hardship. We are also extending our appeal to the National Assembly to please understand the plight of Nigerians at this moment and just extend the deadline date,” he stated.
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has given accreditation to more foreign schools to write the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The Acting Director, Information and Public Relations, Mr. Azeez Sani, disclosed this in a statement.
The newly accredited schools are in Niger Republic and Equatorial Guinea.
“NECO Accreditation Team visited the Schools to assess their readiness to write the SSCE and BECE.
“The Accreditation Team inspected classrooms, laboratories, libraries, computer laboratories, workshops, examination halls and sport facilities to determine their adequacy and suitability for NECO Examinations.
“After a thorough evaluation and comprehensive assessment, the schools were granted full SSCE and full BECE accreditation status,” the statement said.
The statement added that the accreditation of additional foreign schools is a testament to NECO’s commitment to providing quality education and assessment beyond the shores of Nigeria.
“With its expanding global presence, NECO is poised to become a leading examination body in Africa, offering opportunities for students worldwide to benefits from its expertise, thus contributing to the advancement of education in Africa and beyond.”
In another development, the statement disclosed that candidates are participating in the on-going NECO SSCE External in Diffa, Niger Republic.
“The UNHCR School, Diffa, Niger Republic is the first NECO SSCE External Centre outside Nigeria.”
NECO examinations are now written by candidates in Benin Republic, Togo, Cote’ d’Ivoire, Niger Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Saudi Arabia.
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, suffered the worst defeat of his managerial career as they lost 4-0 to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday night.
The Premier League champions were already on a run of four consecutive defeats ahead of the visit of the North London side.
James Maddison scored twice in the first half to set Spurs on their way to a sensational win.
Pedro Porro drilled in a third, before Brennan Johnson got on the scoresheet late in the game.
The result leaves City in second place with 23 points. They could go eight points behind Liverpool by the end of this Game Week.
Guardiola takes his men to Anfield next weekend.
News
FUOYE Re-Marks Exam Papers of Student Failed By Lecturer Over Sex-for-Grade Scandal, Secures Justice
The Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, has cleared a female student, Ramota Olahanloye, to graduate following the re-marking of her final-year examination scripts.
Olahanloye had alleged that a lecturer, Dr. Anthony Agbegbedia, demanded sexual favours from her, and when she declined, he deliberately failed her in two final-year courses.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Special Adviser on Media to the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Wole Balogun, the university confirmed that Olahanloye’s allegations were investigated, and her scripts were re-marked.
“The young lady’s scripts were re-marked, and she performed fairly better than the scores initially awarded by Dr. Anthony Agbegbedia,” the statement read.
According to Balogun, the university management approved Olahanloye’s revised results, which qualified her for graduation.
“The university management has given executive approval for her results to be processed. She has since commenced her final clearance from relevant units of the university,” the statement added.
Balogun also disclosed that Agbegbedia had been sanctioned by the institution for his misconduct.
Olahanloye expressed her joy over the resolution of the case, saying, “I am happy that I have gotten justice, and I really appreciate the university Vice-Chancellor for setting up the committee that investigated the matter.
“I was shown my entire results, including the graduation list with my name on it. I have started my clearance as a graduating student of the university, and I am truly happy.”
Her father, Rasaki Olahanloye, also lauded the university for its commitment to justice.
“I can confirm to the world that FUOYE has served justice to my daughter. I was shown her upgraded results after her scripts were re-marked, and it is clear that she passed.
“The university fulfilled its promise to ensure fairness, and I appreciate the VC, Prof. Sunday Fasina, and the committee members for ensuring my daughter gets justice,” he said.
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