News
ASUP reacts as NYSC rejects HND graduates without one year IT experience
By Mario Deepromoter
The National Youth Service Corps has said polytechnic graduates or holders of the Higher National Diploma without evidence of undertaking the mandatory 12-month industrial training will not be registered at the NYSC orientation camp to participate in the national youth service.
The acting Director of Press and Public Relations, NYSC, Mrs Caroline Lembu, who spoke to The PUNCH on Thursday, explained that a certificate of industrial training is one of the requirements for polytechnic graduates to participate in the one-year national youth service.
The NYSC had recently introduced a new policy, requiring graduates of polytechnics and monotechnics to present an IT certification, as part of requirements for the national service, particularly for participation in the camp activities.
The NYSC Coordinator in Lagos State, Mrs Yetunde Baderinwa, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, on August 3, 2024, where she explained that the corps members “must undergo the one-year IT with evidence of completion before going for HND, and institutions must confirm this before admitting them for HND.”
“The directive will take effect from the next orientation camp, and we will not register any candidate who did not complete or undergo the process,” Baderinwa said.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Thursday, NYSC spokesman, Lembu, confirmed that the implementation of the policy had started.
“That is part of the requirement for obtaining an HND Certificate, isn’t it? So, it’s just that certificate. That is one of the documents they are required to present at the camp. They would get admission into the camp, but whether they would be registered or not is the issue. You know, everyone is admitted to the camp, and your documents are scrutinised. But what happens is that that is the requirement.”
Lembu noted that polytechnic students would “are supposed to do the 12-month training,” as a pre-condition for earning the HHD certificate.
“It is a prerequisite for getting the HND certificate. That is just the certificate they are asking for. They are not being rejected, they are just supposed to present it,” she said.
However, checks by The PUNCH showed that HHD holders without IT certificates were being turned back from NYSC orientation camps across the country.
In Osun State, the NYSC Public Relations Officer in the state, Funmi Okundaye, said the policy was being implemented.
“They were not evicted from camp. It is not an issue in the Osun camp alone. It is a national policy to sanitise the education sector. We sent those who don’t have IT letters back home to bring it. It is part of the registration materials they must bring to camp.
“Once they bring their IT letters from where they observed it, they will be allowed to return to the camp,” Okundaye said.
It was a similar situation in Niger State, where the NYSC spokesman in the state, Sam Oga, confirmed that polytechnic graduates without IT certificates were not being registered.
“Yes, we are implementing it. The NYSC HND candidates are not allowed into the camp without proof of IT. Until we get a counter directive they will not be allowed into the the camp,” Oga said.
The policy was also implemented in Kano State, where an NYSC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “This is a directive from the NYSC headquarters in Abuja. So, we are just complying with the order.”
In an interview with The PUNCH on Thursday, the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Mr Shammah Kpanja, backed the NYSC policy.
“The industrial attachment is an extension of the National Diploma programme and is a critical requirement for advancing to the Higher National Diploma. To be eligible for the HND, you must complete a one-year industrial attachment, where you acquire practical industry skills relevant to your field of study. After completing the IT, you can then enroll for the HND.
“However, some students bypass this requirement by staying at home after their ND and falsely claiming to have completed the IT when they apply for the HND. This deprives them of the practical experience that is essential for their development. The one-year industrial attachment is not just a formality; it’s a mandatory part of the training, and the skills gained during this period are expected to be demonstrated during the HND programme.”
The ASUP President explained that NYSC’s decision not to admit polytechnic graduates without IT certificates followed a communication to the scheme by the National Board for Technical Education.
“The one-year IT is compulsory and is a key criterion for admission into the HND. The National Board for Technical Education has communicated to the National Youth Service Corps that IT is mandatory, ensuring that students who skipped this step are not mobilised for the NYSC. The entire programme spans five years, and the inclusion of the industrial attachment is fully supported as it provides invaluable experience for students,” Kpanja said.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Central Bank of Nigeria on Thursday ordered all Payment Service Providers to route all transactions from PoS terminals at merchant and agent locations — physical or electronic — through an approved CBN Payment Terminal Service Aggregator.
The directive was contained in a circular issued by Oladimeji Yisa Taiwo on behalf of the CBN’s Payments System Management Department.
The apex bank stated that all PoS transactions from merchant and agent locations must now be routed through any CBN-licensed PTSA.
The circular also announced a 30-day deadline requiring service providers to comply with enhanced routing guidelines for point-of-sale transactions.
This move aims to strengthen the monitoring of electronic transactions across Nigeria and decentralise PoS transaction routing, addressing concerns about the centralisation of such transactions under a single entity.
The circular read, “To achieve the objective of tracking electronic transactions in Nigeria, the Central Bank of Nigeria, in August 2011, granted a Payment Terminal Service Aggregator licence to Nigeria Interbank Settlement System Plc. In furtherance of the above, the CBN hereby directs acquirers to route all transactions from PoS terminals at merchant and agent locations, whether on physical or electronic PoS terminals, through any CBN-licensed Payment Terminal Service Aggregator.”
“PTSAs are required to send PoS transactions to only processors certified by the relevant Payment Scheme, nominated by the Acquirer, and licensed by the CBN.”
This development follows the expiration of the 5th September deadline for PoS agents to formally register their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
Although the directive was challenged in court, the CAC recently announced that it has commenced taking drastic actions, including shutting down PoS businesses that failed to register.
The directive on PoS business registration comes against the backdrop of frequent fraud incidents involving PoS terminals and the Central Bank of Nigeria’s plans to prevent trading in cryptocurrency or virtual currency.
According to a report by Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc, PoS terminals accounted for 26.37% of fraud incidents in 2023.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Northern Senators Forum on Thursday condoled with Borno State Government over recent flood disaster.
This was contained in a statement signed by Sen Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua
Chairman Northern Senators Forum stating that:
“On behalf of the Northern Senators Forum, I extend our deepest condolences to the people and government of Borno State over the loss of lives and property resulting from the collapse of the Alau Dam.
“Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and those displaced by this devastating flood.
“We appreciate the prompt visit by Vice President Kashim Shettima to assess the situation and provide leadership during this challenging time. His swift response demonstrates the government’s commitment to supporting affected communities.
“We also commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving 3 billion naira for each state to address flood and disaster relief efforts. This timely intervention will go a long way in alleviating the suffering of affected citizens.
“We urge all states to take responsibility and develop strategic plans to address climate change and prevent further environmental disasters. The Senate will continue to pursue legislation and policies that mitigate the effects of environmental disasters and promote sustainable development.
“We stand in solidarity with the people of Borno State and assure them of our support during this difficult period.
By Mario Deepromoter
Fire has gutted a market following a fire outbreak at a GSM village around Kpata market in Lokoja the Kogi State capital.
It was gathered that the fire outbreak started in the early hours of Thursday due to a power upsurge.
It was further learnt that shop owners could not salvage anything from the fire after it got out of control.
One of the traders in the market, Muhammed Yahaya who lost his goods to the fire narrated the incident saying, “Somebody called me around 5:30 am today that the market is on fire. On getting there, many shops have already been burnt down. So we tried to look at the actual cause of the fire outbreak. From all indications so far, we were told by the people that stay within that the power voltage they brought was high.
“The neighbouring houses there said it affected their fans, light and other things. Actually, this might be the cause of the fire outbreak in the market. Millions of naira worth of goods have been destroyed. Laptops, phones and accessories got burnt. The most unfortunate thing is that most of these people just received their goods this week. It has never happened before. It is still a big shock to every one of us who owns shop in the market”.
He appealed to the Kogi State Government to intervene by assisting those who lost their goods financially and rebuilding the GSM village.
“We know we have a Governor that has a listening ear. He is a father to us. As you can see, we are Youths who are resourceful. Most of us are graduates, and we are not waiting for the Government to provide jobs for us. We created the jobs on our own.
“The properties that we have been nurturing for over 15 years got burnt within an hour. We want the government to look into it by assisting us financially and rebuilding the market. In this market, we have about 200 Youths who are engaged in this kind of business. People were hungry before this happened” he added.
Also Speaking to newsmen, the Financial Secretary, Kogi Association of Phones and Accessories Dealers, (KAPAD) Moses Felix said the incident has affected him physically, mentally and emotionally.
According to him, I was crying this morning when my shop got burnt. I couldn’t do anything. I am into laptop repairs and sales. My goods that arrived this week got burnt completely, so am starting from scratch.
“I am a married Man with kids. Where do I go from here and how can I feed my family in the midst of this economic hardship? The Government should come to our aide. We provide jobs for people. I have like three boys that are working for me who are under my payroll. Definitely, they are going back home without job,” Felix lamented
As of the time of filing this report, fire service officials were making efforts to put out the fire.
CBN Starts Tracking Of POS Transactions, Issues Directive To Service Providers
Flood: Northern Senators condoles with Borno govt
Kogi phone market, catches f!re property worth millions d*maged
Just in: Terrorists ambush military truck, kill all soldiers on board
Nigerian Dancer, Korra Obidi Attacked with acid, stabbed on stage In UK
Meet Rare Gem 16 Years Old Chiaza, CEO of ‘RUN MARKET PLACE’
-
News24 hours agoJust in: ASUU Orders Indefinite Strike
-
News23 hours agoSad! Popular gospel singer Dele Gold is dead
-
News16 hours agoSenator Moro sad over ravaging floods in parts of the country, calls for urgent actions
-
News15 hours agoBorno: Evacuation of corpses, trapped persons begins in Maduguri after floods
-
News23 hours agoJust in: 400 Nigerians repartrated from UAE arrive home
-
Politics15 hours agoEdo guber: INEC extends deadline for PVC collection by 72hours
-
News15 hours ago
What You Should Know About Maiduguri Flood
-
News15 hours agoRevealed: Powerful Nigerians own four commercial banks in our country-Liberia’s VP