News
Youths Protest @ NITDA over Withdrawn Appointments
Some youths on Tuesday in Abuja protested over the termination of their appointments by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
The youths, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) through Mr Mkpabo Daniel, their spokesperson, said that they were protesting against the injustice meted out to them by NITDA.
Daniel said that in November, 2015 they were lawfully employed by the agency, but in the process the then director-general was relieved of his duty.
He, however, said that in January, Dr Vincent Olatunji, acting director-general of NITDA, told the new staff members to go home for two weeks pending when the issue of their employment would be resolved.
According to him, the process is faulty.
“After two weeks, we went back to him, he said we should keep waiting and we have been waiting for the past 10 months and nothing has been done.
“Subsequently on March 3, the Minister of Communication, Mr Adebayo Shittu came on air and said that our recruitments have been revoked because his own state was only given one slot.
“We were gainfully employed, we received our acceptance letters, did all the necessary documentation, we have our file numbers. We have our posting and every necessary procedure have been done,’’ he said.
He said that it was the Federal Character Commission that carried out the recruitment.
“We have written on our banner that injustice is being done to 245 Nigerians in NITDA and that is enough corruption.
“On our first protest, we went to the ministry and the Permanent Secretary told us to hold on for the budget to be released and we waited for the budget to be out.
“And even when it came out, we did not hear anything from them.
“It will interest you to know that among the 245 of us that were recruited; those that are related to them in one way or the other have been posted to various departments in the agency.
“They went and created a department separately in Maitama, thinking we will not know but it got to our ears.’’
On August 3, the minister had in a statement through Mr Victor Oluwadamilare, his special assistant on Media, said that the recruitment lacked merit and due process.
The statement quoted Shittu as saying “contrary to insinuations in some circles, he did not cancel the exercise because only one candidate from Oyo State was offered employment.’’
He said that the recruitment was cancelled because the conduct was in conflict with due process.
“The former Director-General of NITDA, Mr. Peter Jack, neglected due process in conducting the exercise,’’ he said.
The minister said that the recruitment process was stopped after it was realised that it did not follow laid down procedures, adding that approvals were not obtained.
“While most of those employed don’t have the requisite skills to adequately bridge the manpower gap in the agency, the employment process did not follow due process. Employment letters were issued to the applicants even before the interview,’’ he said.
Shittu said that he could not be held liable for the non-absorption of the 368 candidates issued with letters of appointment from the inconclusive recruitment.
Mrs. Hadiza Umar, the Head of Corporate Affairs, NITDA said that in October, 2015, the former D-G had written to the Ministry seeking approval to employ people into the Office of National Content (ONC) and the office of Innovation Enterprise (OIE).
Umar said that he got approval from the permanent secretary that the employment should be made, and due process must be followed.
She said that due process was not followed.
“The aggrieved protesters are not legally employed by the last director-general and they were not captured in the proper employment of the agency.
“They were employed without adequate consideration of skills gap. About 245 senior members of staff were illegally employed for an agency that has less than 200 staff.
“Every Nigerian has the right to work in NITDA but they should follow due process.
“Their employment was part of the reasons that got the former D-G sacked.
Ogba Ogbaga, an Abuja-based lawyer, has said that he has been instructed to institute legal proceedings against MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, 9mobile and MultiChoice Nigeria, operators of DStv, over what he described as unfair consumer practices relating to expiring data bundles and television subscriptions.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Ogbaga said his law firm, GIMBG Legals, received instructions from its client, KAA, also known as KaaTruths, to challenge the companies’ subscription policies in court.
According to him, the proposed suit will question whether telecom operators and DStv’s subscription models comply with provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 and other applicable laws.
Ogbaga alleged that telecom providers operate internet data services that are unfair to consumers, claiming subscribers sometimes do not receive the services they paid for but still lose their subscriptions once the validity period expires.
He also criticised DStv’s subscription model, arguing that consumers lose paid viewing time due to factors such as power outages, adverse weather conditions and service interruptions, while subscriptions continue to count down regardless.
“Our clients have complained that MTN data services are unduly one-sided,” Ogbaga said, adding that the legal action would also extend to other telecommunications providers and DStv.
He said the court action would seek judicial determination on whether the companies’ subscription practices comply with consumer protection laws.
The lawyer also invited interested legal practitioners to collaborate on the case, saying his firm would provide updates as the matter progresses.
In a separate Facebook post on Wednesday, Ogbaga said previous policy discussions, town hall meetings and debates at the National Assembly had failed to address the concerns raised by consumers.
He argued that telecom operators regularly carry out maintenance and network upgrades that temporarily disrupt services without extending customers’ subscription periods, while DStv subscribers also lose viewing time because of electricity outages and weather-related disruptions.
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has commenced the issuance of new licence certificates to insurance companies that successfully met the industry’s new minimum capital requirements, marking the formal beginning of a new regulatory era aimed at strengthening the financial capacity, governance and global competitiveness of Nigeria’s insurance sector.
At a ceremony held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the Commissioner for Insurance, Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, presented the new licence certificates to compliant operators, describing the exercise as a major milestone in the industry’s recapitalisation programme.
According to the Commission, a total of 43 insurance companies declared compliant with the new capital requirements are expected to receive the new licence certificates in phases.
Omosehin congratulated the successful companies, saying the issuance of the new licences signals the beginning of a stronger regulatory framework anchored on improved capitalisation, sound corporate governance, innovation and sustainable growth.
He urged operators to leverage their enhanced capital base to develop innovative insurance products, improve operational efficiency and deepen insurance penetration across the country.
The Commissioner said the Commission expects the recapitalised companies to deliver stronger financial performance while maintaining high standards of professionalism and customer service.
He also announced that NAICOM’s next major regulatory initiative would be the implementation of the Risk-Based Capital (RBC) framework, under which insurers’ capital levels would be aligned with the risks inherent in their respective business portfolios.
According to him, the new framework will further strengthen the industry’s resilience by ensuring that insurers maintain capital commensurate with the risks they underwrite, thereby enhancing policyholder protection and boosting market confidence.
Omosehin reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to removing regulatory impediments where necessary while maintaining effective oversight to safeguard policyholders and strengthen confidence in the insurance market.
The issuance of the new licence certificates marks the commencement of a phased transition to higher capital standards aimed at improving the financial capacity, solvency and claims-paying ability of insurance companies operating in Nigeria.
Management of Nigeria CommunicationsWeek Media has withdrawn its publication titled “Adefolarin Ogunsanya and the Allegations of Shareholder Interference and Self-Dealing at Pan African Towers,” which was published on its platform.
The decision to retract the story follows an editorial review to ensure that the platform maintains the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and responsible journalism in reporting matters that are the subject of ongoing judicial proceedings.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek acknowledges that the issues raised in the publication remain before the courts and have not been finally determined.
Accordingly, the organisation has decided to remove the article from its platforms pending the conclusion of the legal processes or the availability of additional verified information.
The publication regrets any inconvenience or misunderstanding the report may have caused to readers or any individuals or organisations mentioned in the story.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek remains committed to the principles of balanced, factual and ethical journalism and will continue to uphold professional standards in its coverage of judicial and corporate governance matters.
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