NEWS
Benue Gov’t Deploys N93bn Bond to Digital Security Infrastructure
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Benue State Government yesterday, held its maiden digital security town hall meeting and earmarked N93 billion bonds in the digital security infrastructure and devices to curb insecurity situations in the State.Governor Hyacinth Alia who disclosed this during the meeting organized by the office of his Special Advisers on Security in conjunction with the Ministry of Information, in Makurdi, said the project is expected to raise 190 billion for the state in the next 10 years.
The Governor, who was represented by his deputy Samuel Ode, maintained that the State has established the Benue Digital Infrastructure Council as part of efforts to digitize governance and manage security of the State.”Government is already changing the security architecture of the State which hitherto, was in a bad shape, hence records indicate that the security situation in the State is better now.”We are changing the security architect of the State. Insecurity is an emergency that we are working to combat. Government attaches seriousness to the security of lives and property.”Records already indicate that the security situation in the State is better than before. Government world over engages with communities which is a kinetic effort to curb criminality. Government requires cooperation of citizens as well as dissemination of information to security agencies to fight insecurity.”We have decided to embark on digitalized governance in managing our security. We are in partnership with the best international organizations to ensure security of the State through ICT.”The town Hall meeting should be a quarterly event so as to continually engage those who are supposed to be in the frontline in managing our security. There is a need to train keke riders, okada riders, scrap managers also known as Iron Condemn in managing information”.Special Adviser to the Governor on Internal Security Chief Joseph Har explained that the aim of the TownHall meeting is to enhance synergy between conventional, non-conventional security agencies and civilians.He stressed the need for them to be on the same page to stem the tide of insecurity in the State, maintaining that most times, security agencies unnecessarily harass and intimidate civilians while the latter undermine the former.”We decided to convoke this TownHall so as to bring security agencies and civilians to be on one page. No solid synergy between security agencies and the people who should be on the same page against the common enemy which is insecurity.”Law enforcement agencies should be highly professional. They must adopt the duck fowl feather approach. Law enforcement agencies usually show superiority to the civilians, harass and intimidate them.”If you take security agencies off the street for two (2 )hours, there will be total chaos. Civilians undermine security agencies while the law enforcement agencies intimidate civilians. There should be partnership and appreciation between civilians and security agencies”, Har said.On his special adviser to the governor on External Security and Liaison, Lt. Col. Alex Igbaya, said the high spate of crime in the State is due to illicit consumption of drugs by the youths especially in Ukum local government.According to him, Benue State is enjoying peace due to measures put in place by the governor as well as untiring efforts of security agencies who are working hard to ensure residents sleep with two eyes closed.NEWS
Gunmen Attack Police Station, Kill 2 in Anambra
The Police Command in Anambra says gunmen have burnt its station in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, killing two officers.SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, announced this in a statement issued in Awka on Monday.He said that the gunmen attacked the police facility with improvised explosives, shooting sporadically, which caused a fire to burn part of the station.
He said further that during the attack, two police operatives on duty were killed when they attempted to resist the gunmen. Ikenga stated that the bodies of the deceased policemen had been recovered and taken to the morgue.He also noted that joint security forces, including the police, army and navy, among others, had recovered five unexploded improvised explosives.Ikenga noted that the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Nnaghe Itam, had visited the scene for assessment.He said that Itam called on anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to come forward, assuring then that such information would be treated confidential.(NAN)NEWS
IPPIS Data Base not Compromised, OAGF Assures Employees
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to maintain and operate a secure and efficient personnel and payroll system.In a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr Bawa Mokwa on Monday, the OAGF maintained that the Integrated Personal and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) database has not been compromised, assuring that employees personal data on the IPPIS database is safe and secured.
The OAGF, which manages the IPPIS and other financial management initiatives of the Federal Government, said it is already implementing its ICT Security Policy that aims to ensure that its digital assets are secured in line with global best practices. The Office explained that no data is saved on its website, adding that the IPPIS uses the website to only share information and not for any transaction. “The IPPIS is not using the OAGF website for any transaction. The website is actually the medium to share information. Neither payroll nor payment is made through the website, therefore, no data is contained in the website”, it said. The OAGF stated that the IPPIS validation portal that was recently developed for updates of employees information was deployed for a period and after the exercise was over, the data were pulled out and the site shut down permanently.According to the statement, “the IPPIS Validation Portal was deployed on a secure platform. A secured database and application were purchased from the popular HELIX-FONS.”The Office acknowledged that the IPPIS is of utmost importance to Nigerian workers, thus it became imperative to assuage the fears of any loss or breach of employees personal data in the IPPIS database. The OAGF noted that the IPPIS has put in place necessary mechanism to resolve any problem that may arise in its operations and advised workers that observe anomalies in their salaries to follow the official procedures inorder to get such issues resolved.NEWS
Again, Inflation Drops to 32.15% in August
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
Nigeria’s headline inflation dropped to 32.15 percent in August, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report
The report released on Monday said the inflation eased the second time in 2024 after a 19 month increase that peaked at 34.19 percent in June.
“Looking at the movement, the August 2024 headline inflation
rate showed a decrease of 1.
It however, said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 6.35 percent points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (25.80%).
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in August 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.
e, August 2023).Furthermore, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.22%, which was 0.06% lower than the rate recorded in August 2024 (2.28%).
” This means that in August 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is lower than the rate of increase in the
average price level in July 2024.”
The report added that food inflation rate in August 2024 was 37.52 percent on a year-on-year basis, which was 8.18% points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (29.34%).
It said the rise in food inflation
on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of; “Bread, Maize Grains, Guinea Corn, etc (Bread and Cereals Class), Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, etc (Potatoes, Yam & Other Tubers Class), Palm Oil, Vegetable, etc (Oil & Fats Class) and
Ovaltine, Milo, Lipton, etc (Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Class).”
But on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.37 percent, a 0.10% decrease compared to the rate recorded in July 2024 (2.47 percent).
“The fall can be attributed to the decline in the rate of increase in the average prices of Tobacco, Tea, Coco, Coffee, Groundnut Oil, Milk, Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, Palm Oil, Vegetable etc.”
It added that the average annual rate of Food inflation for the twelve months ending August 2024 over the previous twelve-month average was 36.99 percent, which was 11.98 percent points increase from the average annual rate of change recorded in August 2023 (25.01 percent).