Connect with us

Uncategorized

Bayelsa Denies Diverting N3bn CBN Agric Loan

Published

on

Share

The Bayelsa government on Saturday denied allegations that the N3 billion Agriculture loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was diverted by government officials.

Bayelsa Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr David Alagoa, in a radio programme monitored in Yenagoa described the allegations as false, baseless and childish.

 Dr John Idumange, a former General Manager of Bayelsa Broadcasting Corporation had alleged  diversion of N3 billion agricultural loan obtained by the immediate past administration led by Chief Seriake Dickson.

Idumange, who was an aide on Research and Documentation to Dickson, who was governor from 2012 to 2020, claimed the present administration was diminishing the efforts of Dickson’s government.

He claimed that he had so far, recorded 17 cases of diversion of the N3 billion loan obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Idumange also claimed that he would report the alleged fraud to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) when the count reached 25.

The former governor, Dickson had in a press statement on Friday, washed his hands off the allegations, urged his supporters to close ranks and work for the success of Diri’s administration.

Speaking on the allegations, Alagoa said that the first tranche of N1.5 billion facility was received in March 2020 for infrastructure has been deployed to upgrade the existing cassava processing plant and set up two rice mills.

He said that the facilities where the funds were spent on were available for any interested person to visit and inspect adding that the CBN has stringent inbuilt governance mechanisms to guard against abuse.

Alagoa dismissed claims made by Idumange who called into the programme to allege that a paltry sum of N50,000 was disbursed to few farmers whilst government officials shared the rest as false and without merit.

“It is either Idumange does not understand or does not want to understand or is on a mission to discredit this administration, let me said that we are open to criticism as we do not have a monopoly of knowledge.

“We welcome constructive criticisms as long as they as factual and true, but Idumange did not get his facts right and maybe the information at his disposal is from another state and not Bayelsa.

“I therefore, challenge him to prove than money was shared by government officials because no such thing happened and the projects for which the funds were meant are there for inspection.

“It is also false that N50,000 was disbursed to few beneficiaries. We have 3,500 beneficiaries who qualified even though we had planned for up to 6,000 farmers but due to financial inclusion issues.

“Many of the farmers who do not have functional bank accounts with Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) were screened out. So the 3,500 beneficiaries received N50,000 for land ploughing and preparation.

“The programme is structured in such a way that funds are remitted at various stages in the farming process, currently we are distributing inputs for rice and cassava farmers whitefish inputs will be distributed later this month.

“Our policy on Agriculture is to promote farming by resident to achieve food security while the government assists them by mechanising the process and the tractors acquired are already in our custody ready for use,” Alagoa said.

Uncategorized

NIMC Inaugurates NIN Authentication Service

Published

on

Share

The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) inauguration of the NIMC NIN Authentication (NNAuth) for secured and seamless identity verification and authentication.

This is contained in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday, by the Head, Cooperate Communications, NIMC, Dr Kayode Adegoke.

Adegoke said that similarly, the presidency had directed the use of NIN Authentication for verification and authentication across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

He explained that this was in line with the commission’s mandate of regulating a reliable national digital identity for citizens and legal residents to affirm their identity

According to him, the inauguration of the NIN Authentication (NINAuth), a cutting-edge suite of services that include web, API and mobile verification is designed to enhance data security, protect privacy, and simplify access to government services.

”This is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on strengthening the national identity management system.

”The NIMC NINAuth application is the official service for integration with the commission’s back-end infrastructure.

”It introduces a robust layer of protection, empowering individuals with greater control over their personal information.”

He added that it required explicit consent before data is shared for Know Your Customer (KYC) processes or other verifications.

He said that the platform fosters trust, transparency, and user autonomy in digital identity management.

Adegoke also said that with the NINAuth, individuals could securely verify their identity and access key government services which include Sim registration, replacement, applications and passport processing

Others he said include tax filings and financial transactions, government Intervention Programmes in various MDAs, driver’s licence renewals and other regulatory processes.

The NIMC head of cooperate communications further said that the key features and benefits include enhanced Security, Protects personal data from unauthorised access, empowers individuals with the freedom to manage their data sharing preferences.

According to him, other key features and benefits include seamless access, provides a secure single sign on solution for convenient access to services.

He added that the innovation reaffirms NIMC’s commitment to advancing secured and efficient digital identity management, ensuring a more accessible, transparent, and secure identity verification system in Nigeria.

He said that the NINAuth application also provided a secured, scalable, and interoperable interface for identity verification through API integration.

According to him, it is designed to facilitate real-time authentication of NIN records, thereby promoting effective service delivery, database harmonisation, and compliance with the National Identity Policy.

He said that the NINAuth service had been designated as the exclusive platform for all NIN-based verification and authentication integration processes for optimal services.

”The implementation guide and process flow of the NIMC NIN Authentication are available at https://ninauth.nimc.gov.ng,” he said. 

Continue Reading

CRIME

Army Arrests Human Parts Trafficker, Drug Peddlers In Ogun State

Published

on

Share

By Oladapo Udom

Lagos, April 27, 2025 (NAN)Troops of the 81 Division, Nigerian Army, operating under the 35 Artillery Brigade, have apprehended a man for allegedly trafficking human parts at Kulanla Odomola in Ogun.

The division’s spokesman, Lt.-Col. Olabisi Ayeni, disclosed this in a signed statement on Sunday.

Ayeni said the troops rescued the suspect from an angry mob that had attempted to lynch him.

“The suspect, along with the exhibits, has been handed over to the Nigeria Police at Noforija for further investigation and possible prosecution,” he said.

The spokesman further revealed that troops operating in Ado-Odo, Ota Local Government Area of Ogun, arrested and detained three suspected drug peddlers during a patrol.

According to him, the suspects were found with two packs of substances suspected to be Indian hemp, concealed under 60kg of cargo in a white J5 vehicle.

“The suspects and exhibits have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Ilaro Area Command, for further investigation and possible prosecution,” Ayeni said.

He reiterated the division’s commitment to deploying every legitimate means to protect law-abiding citizens from criminal elements within its area of operation.

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

Published

on

Share

Tanker Explosion: Reps presents N18m cheque to victims in Enugu

The Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, Tuesday, presented a cheque for N18 million to the Enugu State Government as support to the victims of tanker explosion.

Report says that many people and families lost their lives and eight vehicles burnt in that fire accident after a tanker laden with fuel fell and exploded in the Ugwu- Onyeama axis of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway on Jan.

25.

Presenting the cheque, the Speaker described the incident as a huge loss, not only to the Government and people of Enugu State, but also the nation as a whole,

Abbas was represented by Mr Nnolim Nnaji (Nkanu East/West) who led the Enugu State Caucus in the Green Chamber.

The speaker said that the support was in keeping with the tradition of the House of Representatives to ensure that governments and people of Nigeria were not alone in the face of such challenges.

Other Enugu State Caucus in the house that accompanied Nnaji include Messrs Martins Oke, Dennis Agbo, Mark Obetta, Anayo Onwuegbu, and Chimaobi Atu.

Abbas commended Mbah for his sterling leadership of the state and the prompt effort to comfort the families who lost their loved ones and supported the injured.

“On behalf of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, we commiserate with the Government and people of Enugu state over the tanker incident at Ugwu Onyeama.

“We acknowledge that you have done a lot to support both the injured and those who lost their loved ones.

“So, this is a cheque for N18 million to assist the state to further ameliorate their losses and challenges occasioned by the incident.

“We send our heartfelt condolences, once again and you can continue to count on our support,” he said.

Reacting, Gov. Peter Mbah thanked the Speaker and the Enugu State Caucus of the House of Representatives for the show of concern, assuring them that the donation would go straight to the purpose for which it was made.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Enugu State, I express profound gratitude and deep appreciation for this wonderful gesture.

“I recall that when the Ugwu-Onyeama incident occurred, taking the lives of several of our loved ones, the Speaker called and assured us that he was with us in prayers.

“Today, he has also shown us that he is not only with us in prayers, but also materially. He has equally come to mourn with us.

“This cheque of N18 million will go a long way in cushioning the effect of the incident on those affected and their families.

“Rest assured that as a government, we will ensure that this gets to them in a transparent, accountable, and just manner,” Mbah said. (NAN)

Continue Reading

Read Our ePaper

Top Stories

NEWS9 hours ago

Tinubu Celebrates Alia at 59th Birthday

SharePresident Bola Tinubu has warmly felicitated with the Governor of Benue State, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, as he marks his...

NEWS15 hours ago

Police Smash Mini Truck-snatching Syndicate

Share The Police Command in Enugu state has smashed an armed robbery and mini-truck snatching syndicate. The feat was achieved...

NEWS15 hours ago

Court Case Stalls Reps Hearing on Takeover of Benue, Zamfara Houses of Assembly

ShareThe House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has adjourned hearing in a petition seeking the National Assembly to takeover...

OPINION15 hours ago

Reshaping Nigeria’s Student Loans for Inclusive Access

ShareBy Tosin Kolade In June 2023, President Bola Tinubu signed the Student Loan (Access to Higher Education) Act into law,...

OPINION15 hours ago

Can an American Pope Speak to Nigerian Realities?

ShareBy Dakuku Peterside When white smoke curled into the Roman sky and the world learned that the College of Cardinals...

NEWS15 hours ago

Oil Firms Owe Nigeria $6bn in Taxes, Falana Cries out

ShareHuman rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana has raised serious concerns over the country’s weak tax enforcement...

NEWS15 hours ago

Diri, Cabinet Mourn Former Bayelsa MILAD, Olubolade

ShareFrom Mike Tayese, Yenagoa Bayelsa State Governor, Sen. Douye Diri has described as shocking the sudden demise of one of...

NEWS15 hours ago

NCPC to Sign Contractual Agreement with Air Carrier

ShareFrom Mike Tayese, Yenagoa The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) is set to sign contractual agreements with air carriers and...

NEWS15 hours ago

Immunization: Bayelsa Records 98 Percent Coverage in NIPDs

ShareFrom Mike Tayese, Yenagoa Bayelsa State has recorded 98 percent coverage in the first round of the 2025 National Immunization...

NEWS15 hours ago

FCTA to Clamp down on under Age Gamblers in Abuja

ShareBy Laide Akinboade, Abuja The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reiterated its commitment in sanctioning anyone who permits under-age...

Copyright © 2021 Daily Asset Limited | Powered by ObajeSoft Inc