News
ACF calls for state of emergency on power outage
By Francesca Hangeior
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called for a State of Emergency on power outage, lamenting that over the past week and still counting, most parts of the northern states of Nigeria have been battling with sustained electric power supply outages, leading to near total paralysis in economic and social activities in the region.
The forum stated that the situation has led to growing generalised frustration of the populace.
National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, explained that “the situation appears even more dire and frightening as statements from officials charged with the responsibility for power supply, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) suggest that the problem is likely to persist interminable due to technical and security challenges.
Not unexpectedly, the problem has been a subject of intense debate and lamentations in the media, neighbourhood gatherings, business premises, etc.”
” The smallest of small businesses (such as telephone recharge points, barbing salons, food processors, drinks sellers, etc.), from which millions eke out a daily living are unable to operate. It has also been the same with medium-scale enterprises (such as rice mills, bread and confectionary bakers), that do not have alternative sources of power or cannot afford associated high fuel costs. “
“Home and office operate without cooling and heating and at night are thrown into the medieval dark ages of the primitive, pre-civilisation era. ACF notes that there has emerged, and growing, palpably evidence that it is to the utter consternation and disappointment of people that the problem appears to attract only deafening silence, suggesting indifference, from those who are constitutionally expected to respond with care and concern.”
“At extremes, not a few insinuate a deliberate strategy, among other tendencies, by the Federal Government to continue to socioeconomically shortchange and cripple the North. Such conspiracy hypotheses or theories abound in part because there has been no reaction from the Federal Government, the Minister for Power, elected officials including state governors, nor even feeble motions from state assemblies, such as to give the impression that the country’s leaders as little as care about the basic security and welfare of the people on whose behalf government presides over the nation. “
“An exception to the muteness has been the brave voices of some members of the National Assembly, brave because muteness has since become entrenched in the behaviour of elected personalities. The problem, rather serendipitously, also exposes the gross inequities in power supply generation and distribution nationwide. While the North generates substantial electricity power, it is ironically allocated the least in supply. It just does not make any sense that Lagos alone has eight (8) sub-stations, while the whole of the northern states combined, harbouring more than half of Nigeria’s total population has only THREE (3) sub-stations at Jos, Kaduna and Kano.”
” The question needs to be posed is if ours an Animal Farm analogy – those who substantially are allocated the least. The situation at hand is a portent national security threat, against which the silence, especially, of public officials amounts to a phenomenal textbook illustration of the abdication of responsibility, as unacceptable as can be.”
” To suggest that the problem has its roots in what had been done or not in the past is merely to make excuses. To lamely offer unintelligent excuses – excuses, not reason – that the problem cannot be immediately addressed due to banditry along power supply lines is to surrender to the terroristic criminals. It is inconceivable that Nigeria’s fairly vast array of security agencies, with their humongous budgetary allocations, cannot dislodge and subdue the rag-tag bandits, reclaim and dominate territory. “
“On this score, it is disappointing that the National Assembly is yet to publicly demand accountability over this unacceptable scenario. It also amounts to unadulterated and untenable obfuscation, that the TCN (and the FGN) cannot marshal the necessary human, technical and other material to address the situation at hand with despatch.
In the event and without equivocation therefore, ACF calls on the FGN and all those concerned to rise to the occasion by declaring a state of emergency on the problem before it snowballs into a crisis. This threat to national security should forthwith be treated with the seriousness it deserves.”
“The problem be addressed with the honest URGENCY it deserves; calls for an immediate review of power supply allocation in the country since all consumers pay for it. It is unacceptable that while the North acts as a candle that supplies light, it is being melted down and plunged into darkness. This ought to and must change with immediate effect in the interest of national stability, fairness and equity, and Calls on elected northern state governors and, members of the National Assembly representing constituencies in the northern states to speak out more vehemently and stridently demanding action on the problem as outlined above.”
By Gloria Ikibah
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has identified Nigeria’s creative industry as the country’s second-largest source of employment.
He made this known on Wednesday during the opening of a public hearing on a proposed law to establish the National Institute for Film and Media Technology in Ukawu. The event took place in Abuja.
Abbas, who was represented by Rep. Amos Magaji of the Zangon/Kataf/Jaba federal constituency, said the creative sector holds even greater potential, with projections indicating the capacity to generate up to 2.7 million new jobs by the year 2025.
He said: “I understand that the creative sector is the second-largest employer of labour in the country, and has the potential to create an additional 2.7 million jobs by 2025.
“This indicates that the creative economy worldwide contributes over 6.1 percent to global gross domestic product (GDP, averaging between 2 per cent and 7 per cent of national GDPs”.
Naijablitznews.com recalled that the proposed legislation was introduced by Rep. Nkem Kama, who represents the Ohanivo Federal Constituency in Ebonyi State.
Speaker Abbas noted that the bill aligns with the broader goals of the House, especially in advancing reforms in technical education.
He emphasised the need to modernize learning systems so that students are better prepared with practical skills suited for the demands of today’s job market.
According to him, equipping young Nigerians in this way would position them to play a more active role in driving the country’s economic progress.
“We are committed to ensuring the integration of entrepreneurship modules in technical and vocational education curricula to enable students to go into private ventures and become self-employed”, he added.
The Speaker restated the commitment of the House to integrating fast-evolving fields like robotics, renewable energy, and other cutting-edge innovations into Nigeria’s technical and vocational education system.
He stressed the importance of not falling short in preparing young people for the future, ememphasising the urgency of embedding modern tools.particularly artificial intelligence into the nation’s training frameworks.
“We must not be found wanting in the fulfillment of our commitments.
“We would have failed if we did not provide our children with the opportunities that they need to achieve their purposes and become fulfilled as human beings.
“The world was already running away with Artificial Intelligence.
“We cannot be left behind. Education is the bedrock of development, and the need for educational institutions that will develop the skills of our people ought to have been addressed yesterday”, he stated.
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman, House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values, Rep. Fatoba Olusola, restated the imperatives of investing on film and media sector.
Olusola said that the film and media sector had the capacity to take the youths out of the streets and boost the economy.
Finally, social activist, Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, has been released from the detention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday evening.
Human rights activist and politician, Omoyele Sowore, disclosed this via his social media handles.
Recall that VeryDarkMan was arrested last week in controversial circumstances around the premises of a commercial bank in Abuja, a development that has led to condemnation from netizens and protests by his supporters.
The EFCC, after initial denial, on Tuesday admitted that VeryDarkMan was in its custody over some petitions against him bordering on ‘grave financial malfeasance’.
The anti-graft agency, in a post on its X handle, also said that VeryDarkMan had been offered administrative bail and would be released whenever he fulfilled the bails condition pending when he will be arraigned in court.
By Gloria Ikibah
The Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFund) has reiterated that the disbursement of N54 billion to students in 303 educational institutions has followed a clear and verifiable process, contrary to circulating claims suggesting otherwise.
Managing Director of NELFund, Akintunde Sawyerr, made this clarification during a session with the House of Representatives Committee on Students Loans on Wednesday. His comments came amid public concerns following recent statements by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
According to Sawyerr, the ICPC had released a statement the previous Friday indicating it had conducted preliminary inquiries into certain transactions involving educational institutions.
The agency reportedly noted instances that raised questions, particularly around institutional practices and student interactions relating to school fees and access to educational resources.
Sawyerr explained that the public discourse was likely influenced by a media report which mentioned 51 institutions in relation to the alleged discrepancies. However, he emphasized that NELFund’s internal documentation shows all disbursements to date amounting to N54 billion out of a total N203 billion allocated for the student loan programme have been properly tracked and managed.
He said: “I think their report followed a report in the print media that suggested that 51 institutions were erring. One were the irregularities they seem to have identified with the institutions and their relationship with the students in terms of access to education and charges or otherwise.
“We, as the NELFund, were caught up in that release by the ICPC, who indicated that they were of the opinion that funds had been diverted by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
“We immediately reacted to that report because we recognised the damage, even though we knew it was unbounded, we recognised the damage that it might do to public confidence in a scheme where there was already a great deal of scepticism.
“Our reaction led to the ICPC looking again at their statement, and within a matter of hours, they retracted the statement that suggested that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund might be diverting funds.
“They did not retract their assertion about the irregularities in the educational system and in the institutions, but they retracted wholehearted their allegation that funds have been diverted. I don’t think that has happened ever in Nigeria, where a security agency within hours reverses itself on a statement that was made. Nevertheless, a great deal of damage was done because, as you know, Honourable Members, once news is out there, you can retract all you like.
“It takes on a life of its own, and a lot of confidence has been lost in our institution, and it is sad for the institution of NELFund and for the country of Nigeria. We have worked very hard to put out the narrative that actually the new statement by the ICPC vindicates NELFund and establishes the fact that no funds have been diverted”.
According to him, in line with the mandate of NELFund, the agency is to spend 90 percen of the funds that come to it exclusively on the loans to pay the fees of students.
“Those funds cannot be touched and cannot be used for anything else. Any form of diversion in that regard would be a breach of the law. So, just going straight through to the numbers, I can confirm that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund has done the following.
“NELFund has paid, as of today, 303 institutions, government-owned institutions, universities, polytechnics, colleges of education. 303. NELFund has paid out, has disbursed a total of approximately 54 billion Naira. 54 billion Naira has left the account of NELFund to go to pay for the loans that people have applied for.
“That 54 billion Naira is split into two sections. 30 billion of those, of that Naira I just talked about, the 54 billion, 30 billion has been paid to the 303 institutions that I just mentioned. 24 billion has been paid as pocket money or stipend to 293,000 students who are Nigerians, studying at tertiary level in Nigerian government-owned institutions.
“Representing direct beneficiaries of NELFund at 293,000. So far, NELFund has received 203 billion Naira in the bank account that we hold at the Central Bank of Nigeria. I’ll just break that down because those funds came in in segments”, he explained .
Sawyerr said NELFund initially received an appropriation of N10 billion from the Office of the Accountant General as directed by the Minister for Finance.
“We then received 71 billion Naira from TETFund, approximately. This was as a result of an order by the President for TETFund to release 143 billion Naira to NELFund. They released 71 billion in the first instance, plus, and then another 71 billion, making 143 when we add the top onto it.
“And then, finally, we received a further 50 billion Naira proceeds, recovered proceeds of crime, from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, again as directed as an intervention fund from His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. So the total comes to 203 billion Naira received.
“I raise these, and I mention these figures because, clearly, there were errors in the, apart from the fact that the statement by the ICPC was unfounded and later confirmed by them that it was unfounded, there were also some inaccuracies in the announcement. The announcement suggested that we had received 100 billion Naira. That figure was wrong.
“The announcement suggested that 28 billion had been disbursed. That figure was wrong. It was understated. Both figures were understated. And it therefore concluded that, therefore, 71 billion Naira may have been diverted. So you can see that from even the figures they provided, which were inaccurate in the first instance, the wrong conclusions were drawn even about that.
“I have to say that we take with the utmost seriousness any issues of funds being diverted within and outside or related to in any way NELFund because we recognise that this project is a sacred project and it should not be tampered with because the people and the constituency that we are catering for really usually have nowhere else to turn to. They have no jobs. They have no opportunities and education represents probably the last bridge that they can climb to get an opportunity.
“So we recognise that we can stunt the growth of not just Nigeria but of individuals within Nigeria if we don’t behave and act responsibly”, he added.
Earlier n his address, the Committee Chairman, Rep.Ifeoluwa Ehindero said that the National Education Loan Fund has implemented the administration of the student loan scheme.
The Chairman said: The committee has been inundated with several reports, making waves on the social media, including concerns about possible diversion of loan funds and issues that have to do with the disbursement and administration of the student loan by certain federal institutions.
“This has necessitated this meeting that we have called the agency, the National Education Loan Fund, to come and make clarifications and enlighten this committee on the issues that have been making rounds on social media.
“So based on this, you have been invited to make clarifications and enlighten this committee on the issues that have been going on, on the disbursement and administration of the student loans being administered by your agency”.
-
News12 hours agoReal cause of Herbert Wigwe’s helicopter crash revealed
-
Politics13 hours agoUghelli North PDP Holds Crucial Meeting
-
News19 hours ago2027: Why Obi should reject VP slot — Tinubu’s aide
-
News10 hours agoJust in: Security and Exchange Commission declares PWAN as PONZI scheme, cautions Nigerians
-
News18 hours agoTinubu presents N1.78 trillion FCT budget to NASS
-
News8 hours agoJust in: Lagos LG chairman slumps during APC meeting
-
Economy13 hours agoSEE Black Market Dollar to Naira Exchange Rate Today – 7th May 2025
-
News19 hours agoNnamdi Kanu wanted more states for Biafra – DSS