The Inspector -General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, has approved the establishment of two new mobile police force units in Kabba and Okene areas of Kogi State.
The Public Relation Officer of the state police command, DSP William Aya, who confirmed this in Lokoja on Tuesday, said that while Unit 70 will be in Kabba, Okene will host Unit 77.
He said that men and officers of Unit 7 had already commenced operation while men and officers of Unit 77 just arrived the state on July 10.
He said that the state police Commissioner, Ede Ayuba, had started deploying the officers and men of Unit 77 to Okene and it’s environ.
Mr Aya said that the establishment of the two units brings to three the number of mobile police force units in the state.
According to him, the establishment of units 70 and 77 was in response to the rising cases of kidnappings, killings and armed robbery on Okene -Lokoja road and other parts of the state.
He assured motorists and travellers plying Okene-Lokoja road of their safety, saying that the mobile policemen had been charged to take full control of the road.
The slow pace in disbursing the CBN N50BN COVID-19 LOAN to Targeted Credit Facility applicants is our major concern now. The Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele had already directed the CBN development finance department as well as NIRSAL MICRO FINANCE BANK LTD to fast-tract the approval process of loans, which he stressed were to help restore businesses and livelihood in June as we read in Daily Trust of June 18, 2020.
More so, we expect the Managing Director, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi Kure to quickly response or make a press release to this directives on how and why the fast-tracking approval process of the loan linger up to this time. NIRSAL MICRO FINANCE BANK through its M.D, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi Kure most explain the slow pace of disbursing this loan to successful beneficiaries.
Furthermore, the over 80,000 thousands applicants whose applications and relevant documents were with NIRSAL MICRO FINANCE BANK should expedite proactive measures to ensure transparency and accountability.
Moreover, the propaganda floating the social media at present that N49 billion was disburses to over 80 thousands applicants remain to be a cock and bull story, simply because it contradicted their earlier first batch disbursements that was published in Daily Trust newspaper of June 9, 2020.
We therefore advise the authority concern to quickly talk to the CBN development finance department as well as NIRSAL MICRO FINANCE BANK that, since they were directed by the CBN GOVERNOR to fast-tract the approval process of loans to help restore businesses and livelihood, we have no alternative rather than to continue enlighten the applicants on the way forward for quick intervention.
The M.D NIRSAL MICRO FINANCE BANK disclosed recently that so far it had received over 80,000 applications out of which, 40,000 are applications from vulnerable households. How, when, where and why over N49 billion was disburses to over 80,000 households when only 40,000 are applications from vulnerable households? Contradictions all over and false propaganda overshadowed the CBN N50BN COVID-19 LOAN.
Our concern, their fear! Disburse the N50BN COVID-19 LOAN now or else…
Tanimu Abdullahi is the National Coordinator, Buhari Pen Pals Organization and can be reached via altalawiyfoundation@gmail.com or 07036894179/07085252463.
Court of Appeal dismisses appeal filed by the Action Peoples Party against the election of Yahaya Bello as Governor of Kogi State
A five man member panel of the Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal filed by Action Peoples Party challenging the election of Yahaya Bello as the Governor of Kogi State.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Shuaibu, the court affirmed the decision of the tribunal which dismissed their petition.
Awards cost of One hundred thousand naira against the appellant.
The APP in its appeal claimed that INEC unlawfully excluded them from the 2019 governorship election in Kogi State.
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR KOGI STATE GOVERNMENT HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
Kogi State Governor, His Excellency Yahaya Bello has approved the appointment of Justice H.A.Olusiyi to perform the functions of the Chief Judge of Kogi State.
Similarly, The Governor approved the appointment of Hon. Justice Bayo Olowosegun to perform the functions of the President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Kogi State.
These appointments followed the demise of Justices Nasiru Ajana and Shaibu Atadoga respectively
Both appointments are for a period of three months.
Onogwu Muhammed Chief Press Secretary to the Governor 03/07/2020
The Kogi State Government has declared its readiness to begin a structured tax compliance relief programme for individual taxpayers and businesses in the State to mitigate the COVID-19 impact.
The State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who disclosed this through his Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Hon. Asiwaju Idris, charged the State’s Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS) to operationalise the programme.
The Governor gave the directives while reviewing the impact of COVID-19 in the State as it affects the local economy, livelihoods and food security.
The tax relief, according to the Governor, is expected to be operational through the State’s Internal Revenue Service in the third quarter, 2020.
Following the directives by the Governor, the Executive Chairman of Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS), Aliyu Inda Salami, highlighted the following incentives and reliefs for businesses and individuals in the State
1. Deadline for filing of annual returns by individuals has been extended from 31st of March to 31st of August, 2020.
2. Filing of annual returns by companies shall now be till August 31st, 2020 as against the usual January 31st. Also, the penalty for late filing has been waived.
3. Waiver of penalty and interest on all concluded Tax Audit Review till December 31st, 2020.
4. A 50% discount on all assessed Capital Gain Tax (CGT) from now till December, 2020
5. A 50% discount to all Personal Income Tax Assessment issued to owners of schools and Hotel in year 2020
Aliyu concluded by reassuring the Service’s concerns toward the wellbeing of the businesses of the taxpayers while it anticipates their usual compliance.
Many thanks.
Yours truly, For: Kogi State Internal Revenue Service
In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful. Praise be to Allah, the lord of the universe. The most gracious, the most merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we worship, and [from] you alone we ask for help. Guide us [to] the straight path. The path of those on whom you have bestowed your grace, not of those who earned [your] wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.
I turn 45 today, and my dominant mood is gratitude. To be sure, I do have reasons to be sad today. I lost my personal assistant and a blood brother to death yesterday but I insist on my right to choose my mood per time. To paraphrase the old saying, I may not have control over how my face looks but I do have responsibility for the expression on it. Thus, I choose joy and gratitude.
Alhamdulillah! I am grateful to Almighty God, my Creator, for life, health and the opportunities I have been blessed with so far. Truly, the Almighty God has been compassionate and merciful to me and mine. But for God, I would have no story worth telling, and no platform from which to tell it.
I am grateful for my beloved wives and darling children. They are the absolute best that any man could wish for. Life itself would be empty for me without them. As the Reverend Billy Graham noted, ‘Nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home except true love.’ I may have built houses, but it is the women and children who share them with me out of true affection who have transformed the physical structures into home for me – always warm and welcoming.
My beautiful family makes every moment of my life memorable. They light up my life no matter how dark it is outside. I thank them for the strength and stability which their unconditional love imparts to me in the midst of every storm. I love you guys.
One of my daughters shares this birth date with me, so I will mention only her by name here. Happy Birthday Na’ima Yahaya Bello and many happy returns of the day. Daddy loves you!
I am grateful for Kogi State and the good people thereof. They are my employers and my real reason for getting into politics. Kogites are the best people any Governor could ask for. They will set high standards for you, they will knock you into shape, they will keep you on your toes and no matter what you do, only your best will ever be good enough for them. But, if you serve them well, they will prove to the world that you are their own, and when you need them, they will stand solidly with you – an army that no one can defeat. I will never get over the massive support they gave me for my reelection!
I am grateful for my team in the New Direction Administration in Kogi State. We have weathered some incredible storms together since January 27, 2016 when I took the Oath of Office for our first term. The battles we have fought and the victories we have won have taught us that lone rangers who defeat every foe and conquer every obstacle alone are fantastical. They exist only in the movies and come straight from the imaginations of script-writers. In real life, we all need help to complete our assignments.
The team which I lead in the Kogi State Government has some serious playmakers, from the Deputy Governor to the Secretary to the State Government to the Chief of Staff all the way through every Commissioner, Director-General, Special Adviser, Senior Special Assistant and every other category of functionary and civil servant who takes his or her work serious. Gradually, together, in partnership with the Judiciary and the Legislature, we are slowly but surely turning negatives to positives in our dear state.
When I came into Office for the first time, I was the youngest Governor in the country and because of our youthful energy and perspectives I know people, even from outside the state, expected fireworks, magic and an overnight success. People needed change desperately and their expectations were sky-high.
I can say that the fireworks have been plentiful and kaleidoscopic. Some days, especially at the beginning, all you could see in the skies over Kogi were sparks flying off our conflict with vested interests. Even though some were worried and urged us take it slow and easy, those fireworks represented our determination to achieve our mandate no matter what. We undertook nothing that we were not ready to fight for and we never got into any fight that was not connected to our overall mission in governance.
How about the magic? Did we achieve overnight success and turn everything around? The answer is a clear no. Fireworks may light up the night but finally people must calm down and patiently wait for the day to dawn. My team and I promised to work hard and to work smart for the people of Kogi State but we did not promise them magic.
I have always considered Leadership to be a marathon, not a sprint, and I have always known that Legacy is not a medal you award yourself, so we faced our work today as if tomorrow did not matter. As the statues of Christopher Columbus and other men formerly considered great topple all over the US and Europe, it has become even more undeniable that Legacy cannot be frontloaded, it must always be a verdict delivered by posterity, in retrospect.
I did not come into government to glorify impossibilities, but neither did I underestimate the amount of work to be done. I had a vision and I developed it into a roadmap for my work as Governor (the New Direction Blueprint, as we call it). I matched it with a stubborn will and went all out in pursuit of it. I refused to be deterred by intimidation or confrontation though they reared up their ugly heads many times. By the help of God and a commitment to excellence, we have made tremendous progress, even if we are yet to work magic.
We set our sights on security in the state and overhauled it. In 2018, after about 2 years in office, Kogi went from being a violent crime hub and the kidnap capital of Nigeria to the ‘second most peaceful state in the country’ and ‘the state with the second lowest crime statistics in Nigeria’.
Nigerians may want to know that our Law Enforcement Officers are not cowards and they do not abandon whole communities to bandits and terrorists. The vast majority of our officers are good, diligent people who just needed the right tools to do their jobs and a little motivation to give their all. We did our best to give them both. It took a huge toll on our resources, but we got and distributed over 200 patrol vans, over 500 motorcycles and thousands of communications and other gadgets our security contingents in Kogi State, with some financial incentives. The results speak for themselves. We do experience resurgence and opportunistic attacks from time to time, but our gallant men generally subdue such outbreaks quickly.
We also set our sights on the obese and sickly civil service and we overhauled it. Our severely bloated workforce and wage bills were put through the eye of the needle. The wailing was unprecedented and the attacks manic, but we persevered and pushed through. We are not where we want to be yet, but how gratifying it was to be rated one of only 9 states with positive employment statistics in 2019 by the National Bureau of Statistics. For the last 3 years, the World Bank and other agencies have consistently rated us in the top 3 for transparency and accountability in management of public funds.
The last couple of paragraphs are just a review of two important reform areas in the life of my administration. The point is to show that multidimensional and multisectoral progress is being made. On the ground, roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, markets, at least one mega factory and other infrastructure have been built across the state, with more under construction or planned over the next 3-and-a-half years. This administration does not measure itself by how high we have climbed but by what depths we have climbed out from.
One definition says Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act toward achieving a common goal. The truth is that it requires sacrifice to motivate people. Followers want to see the leader share their hopes and aspirations, as well as their realities. A leader who is aloof from the weals of his people will never do well. If your people are battling poverty and want, ostentatious displays of wealth, whether yours or the public’s is wicked and callous. As a leader you have to learn to cut your coat according to the averages of your people.
The great thing is that the sacrifice of the self required of leaders, if embraced and sustained, will not only yield great results but broaden one’s humanity, perspectives – and acceptance by the people.
Developing and showing such empathy in leadership is helped along by developing genuine love for the people you lead – even if you originally joined politics to acquire power and influence. This process is best described in the words of Eudora Welty, the American short story writer:
‘The frame through which I viewed the world (a leader’s people and territory) changed too, over time. Greater than scene, I came to see, is situation. Greater than situation is implication. Greater than all of these is a single, entire human being, who will never be confined in any frame.’
In a nutshell, see every last human being under your leadership as important and you will become a more efficient and effective leader. For instance, I used to be a free man and I travelled the world at will as a private businessman who had seen a good measure of success. Then I joined politics and got into office. Now I have given myself the liberty to do anything or go anywhere I want – as long as they fit into the narrow confines of acceptable conduct which a leader must exemplify. The result is that in 5 years of governing Kogi State I have not left Nigeria 5 times.
Leadership is the means to a lot of potentially awesome ends, but it is not an end in itself. It gives you a platform to do good and effect change. One area I am going to give greater attention in this second term is the human rights of the girl-child. Like I said earlier, I have the joy of sharing this birth date with my daughter Na’ima. This effervescent bundle of joy and her sisters are my treasures and unceasing reminders of the great responsibility I owe the girl-child as a leader.
I am pained by reports of the sordid abuse and exploitation of girls coming in from all over this nation and I am determined to put up a greater fight on their behalf, particularly in Kogi State. Critically, we must find a solution to the worrisome epidemic of rape and other physical abuses which confronts the girl-child (and woman) in today’s world.
We can no longer accept that a man is entitled to destroy the body and psyche of a girl or woman simply because he is physically stronger. Kogi State has long domesticated the Child’s Rights Act and we have other laws in place too. Our duty now is to ensure that those who would harm the girl-child know that we will descend on them like the vile and violent criminals they are. I will personally see to it that every abuser we get does not recover from the consequences of his cowardly choice. I will not go into details beyond saying that we will make graphic scapegoats of them.
It is not enough to keep her safe, we must also break the glass ceilings holding down all our girls from their full potentials. We would have failed as parents and as leaders if we do not raise structures to protect and advance the girl-child. In education and by education and through the liberalisation of opportunity in affirmative action, we must give her an equal chance.
I am acutely aware that Na’ima and all the girls of Kogi State need help to overcome societal norms which reward them less for the same efforts as her male counterparts. They can count on me to even the playing field for them more henceforth and where necessary, give them a helping hand. In fact, if the scales become slightly tilted in their favour, it would be very much acceptable.
Loss is a fact of life and life itself is an ongoing journey to discover what is really important based on the value you place on people. Nothing tells you how much you value a person like the loss of them.
I did not know my biological father, and as bad as the loss of a parent can be, losing them in infancy, is a loss no child should know. It is a loss that is impossible to overcome, even after you reach adulthood. Growing up, every pain will claim that Baba’s absence made it more acute. Every achievement will whisper in your heart how it would have been better and sweeter if only Das was around to cheer for you and to share the milestone with you. Throughout my childhood, the ubiquitous ‘what ifs’ inside every incident were constant reminders that I did not have my father around.
I have since lost my priceless mother, my sister, and several friends to the inexorable passage of time and the will of the Almighty. I can say that in my 45 years on earth I have known and lost a ton of great people. The pain of each loss has been unique and all of them together continue to melt and mould me.
Yesterday was another gloomy chapter as my trusted Personal Assistant and friend, Hon. Abdulateef Suleiman, succumbed to untimely death. Lati left without notice and I am still struggling to come to terms with the reality, especially coming so soon after my dear mother’s death. It is a difficult one to say the least, but a leader learns that loss is not always an enemy. If we let it, loss can sharpen our appreciation of those we still have and drive us to treat everyone better. We will find strength to overcome this loss too.
I know the media has feasted endlessly on our alleged face-offs with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) over the management of the Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria. I would rather say we have disagreements on facts such as the real Covid-19 status of Kogi State and who plays what role in the corporate management of the disease within a state.
Nothing is altogether new under the sun. Whether Kogi State is Covid-19 free or not and whether the coronavirus or CoviD-19 or SARS-COV2 is natural or artificial and whether it appeared by happenstance or hostile action, one thing is certain: WE NEED AN EVOLVING SYNERGY BETWEEN SCIENCE AND COMMON SENSE, MEDICINE AND GOVERNANCE TO BEAT THIS PANDEMIC.
The burden is on us as leaders to refuse panic and act intentionally towards creating a semblance of normal life for our people while taking adequate precautions to keep them as safe as possible. That is my mandate and one for which I will always require the cooperation of the NCDC and other federal agencies which show me good faith.
The bottomline is that Leadership can lead you into some lonely places where you may have to stand on your own against some otherwise good people. You may wish to not bother taking such a stand if pride and ego are the only things at stake. But once principles are involved, do it nevertheless and hopefully time will show that you were only being a changemaker. Even if it does not, you still get to have and keep a clear conscience.
Finally, here are 12 general principles on leadership for our youth:
‘Not Too Young To Run’ will become ‘Much Too Old To Run’ faster than you think, so if you must get somewhere soon, stop loitering and start running.
Give life your best shot always and stop dealing with a slack hand.
‘Busy-ness’, that is, to be busy doing nothing, is the worst enemy of business and the most formidable foe of achievement.
Avoid the rocking chair life of constant motion and zero progress.
When actors or actions have no strategic objectives they will always fall short of greatness. How can you catch what you are not chasing?
Always aim for an ultimate prize every time you aim and make every prize you aim for as ultimate as you can possibly make it.
Always want more, always strive for more and stop begging for rights and privileges which are already yours by citizenship or humanity.
This Country belongs to all of us so stop waiting to be invited to a banquet paid for with your money.
Take a seat at the table, in fact, show your mettle and sit at the head of the table.
Start ignoring narratives which preach the myth of invincible supremacy – be it of the white man over the black, one tribe over another or of the older generations over the younger. They thicken your chains of non-performance or under-performance through passivity.
There is no circumstance that cannot be changed if you get your mind free, your thinking straight and you actions right so go ahead and emancipate yourself from mental slavery. Bob Marley (the original Marleyan) says so.
Never settle. Your youth is for making mistakes until you get it right.
I hope to finish writing and release the book on these 12 leadership principles soon, but for now I call them the ’12 Unorthodox Pathways To Power’ and they will help any youth interested in politics to leapfrog some of the tedium inherent in the process.
I look forward to a future of greatness for the Nigerian youth, for my dear Kogi State and our nation, Nigeria. I am going to be working with willing compatriots around the nation to see how far God will take us in meeting these objectives.
45 looks good on me and I consider it a good age for where I am now. These reflections are simply my own way of saying that I have learnt so much already and that I am only just getting started.
To God be the Glory!
YAHAYA BELLO Governor of Kogi State Lokoja, Nigeria.
As we gear towards the 2023 election it is important to remember that the key tagline for the 2023 election should be anchored on equity. Equity which will permit each of the geopolitical components that make up Nigeria to feel wanted.
It is pertinent to remind us that the Federal Character Act demands equity in all affairs within Nigeria; as such the President and the Vice-President position can not be an exception.
No doubt, in 2023, it should be the turn of the South East and North Central. Anyone who believes in equity and fairness need to rally around this project and support this two zones to partake in the political leadership of Nigeria
There are six geopolitical zones in Nigeria and it’s within this six geopolitical zones that political power is shared in Nigeria. However, since the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999, four out of these six zones have had a stint at the centre as either the President or vice-president. In 1999, Olusegun Obasanjo from the Southwest became President and had Atiku Abubakar from the North East as his Vice president. In 2007, Musa Yar’dua from the Northwest became President with Goodluck Jonathan from the South South geopolitical zone as his Vice. He governed for two years before succumbing to the cold hand of death in 2010. His deputy Goodluck Jonathan took over, contested and won the 2011 Presidential election and governed till 2015 in a joint mandate with Namadi Sambo from the NorthWest. The current President, Muhammad Buhari is from the NorthWest and took over in 2015 and will handover in 2019, his vice-president Yemi Osibajo is from the Southwest.
In all, the cumulative hold on Power by the six Geo- Political zones in 2023 all things as is would be as follows:-Northwest has held power at the federal level for 16 years, the Southwest 16 years, Northeast 8 years and the South South 8 years while the North Central and the South East have had nothing to their credit. It is on this basis that we demand and seek fairness and equity. Equity is the only method through which brotherhood is lived. Equity is justice. It gives everyone a sense of belonging and a motivation to commit to the federation.
The success of any governance system is built on perception, or if you may, optics. Optics is what people see and from it draw inferences on whom they are . So far, the people of the South east and North central having been so far maligned from occupying either the offices of the President or vice President of Nigeria, do not see themselves as part of Nigeria as they have been largely excluded from the power sharing agreement in Nigeria. The Nigerian system must collaboratively work together in 2023 to dissuade any of its components from feeling unwanted or despised. Stakeholders must rally round and prove to the South East and North Central that they’re part of Nigeria and the only way to do this is by zoning the 2023 President and vice-president position to the South East and North Central in no particular order by all political parties withinn the federation.
With the current agitation bedeviling Nigeria it’s only proper and politically strategic to appease the agitation with inclusiveness and that inclusiveness is to cede Power to the South East and North Central in 2023.
Mazi Anamezie Nwagu Convener, Movement for SocioPolitical Equity, Nigeria.
Politics is not a game of gamblers but a complex association of team players whose political opportunities are dim or bright depending on the calculations and affiliations. The reward for selfless service is gradually effacing from the dictionary of the All Progressive Congress (APC) a party we constructively inputted our best material and intellectual resources to build amidst strive, antics, critics and loyalty. Today, our remaining gain is the bargain of mixed feelings and the ugly fight for dirty supremacy which is needless in all sense of reasoning.
Yesterday, I watched with glee the disqualification of a sitting Governor in Edo State. Obaseki was hurriedly disqualified from flying the party’s ticket. It is time the crossbreed of APC National Leaders arise to quash this ugly trend before it will be too late to correct our errors. Party leaders and faithful must learn to separate power from interest because personal rancour is fast drifting our beloved party into oblivion.
The organizational structure of a ruling party must not equate factions and cabal due to over bloated ego and personal pursuit. The APC is not a family business but a party that saved Nigerians from 16 years of hopelessness. Tragically, as a party, we have relaxed too long and battling in drowning waters to save the last breath. Without mincing words we should come together to fashion how to sustain the tempo else we may conduct illegitimate funerals without noticing.
In 21st century politics, the antidote of killing individual interest in any political party is unity. Party loyalist should cultivate the habit of working in unison because our beloved party is gradually becoming a house divided against itself. We must tell ourselves the bitter truth. For how long are we going to shy away from the truth because we are scared of stepping on the big toe? Let our action speak before the next General Poll in 2023 else we may not recover from our mistakes. The APC is becoming too vulnerable amidst taunts from the opposition because we are failing the drill and it is too early to surrender.
It is time to go back to the drawing board. Godwin Obaseki should be the last sacrificial lamb because as party faithfuls we are all seeking for repentance. We have all sin and come short of our party glories if we continue to shoulder attitudinal defects of irresponsibility. The way forward is what we need at this juncture but we must first bury our differences because it is getting too late.
This is a Special intervention loan to help those that have been badly affected by the global disease COVID 19. The process is simple and fast, but you have to be 100% honest in filling the form.
Enter all your details correctly including your BVN. Kindly note that your BVN is applicable throughout the process of your loan and as such, it will be useful in all the states of acquiring this loan.
A confirmed mail will be sent to you indicating you your form has been received and will be process. You will be requested to send additional document when necessary.
Please note that as at the time of writing this, one of the requirements for Household and sme, that is “guarantor” has been removed so therefore, it makes the process much easier.
5.You will then be notify that your loan has been approved via mail or text message.
Click on the link via the text or mail received and you will be refer back to the website which indicate;
Household
SME
Click the one that is applicable to you.
8.You will be ask to validate your BVN. Successful validation means your loan has been approved. Unsuccessful validation means your loan has not been approved. So you keep checking the site from time to time.
For successful validation of BVN, you will see your offer letter, 8 pages, read through
Loan tenure
Mode of payment
Punishment for defaulters
Interest on the loan
Terms and condition
All of the above are enumerated in the offer of your letter.
9.Upon agreement, sign and send back to them.
When sending back your letter, you will be ask if you want your loan in your account or another account
Yes
No
So click on any of the above as it apply to you and submit.
247KogiNews has on Friday, learnt that the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has defected from the All Progressives Congress, APC, and joined the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
He collected his membership card at Ward 4, Oredo Local Government of Edo State.
It was further gathered that he is moving into the PDP, with all the 18 Local Government Council Chairmen in Edo State, together with 12 Lawmakers in the State House of Assembly.
Also, some Governors of the PDP, are reportedly billed to visit him this weekend
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has waived the requirement for the provision of guarantors by households and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) applying for its N50 billion COVID-19 Targeted Credit Facility.
The N50 billion package was a provision by the bank for small businesses affected by coronavirus to stay in business and not lay off workers.
According to a press release by the apex bank’s spokesperson, Isaac Okorafor, the waiver is to ease the concerns of those who had fulfilled all requirements for the loan but were yet to have their accounts credited, particularly as other persons had begun to receive credit alerts.
He advised all successful applicants whose accounts have not been credited, to visit the website of NIRSAL Micro Finance Bank (www.nmfb.com.ng) and input their account details.
The apex bank also assured that all successful applicants of the loan will be credited within 48 hours
“All successful household and SME applicants that have submitted their account details for the facility, should expect to be credited within 48 hours.”
He, however, urged any successful applicant that does not receive a credit alert within 48 hours to call mobile number: 09010026900 for resolution.
Loan not grant
Mr Okorafor reiterated that the money being disbursed is loans and should not be taken as grants.
He urged eligible households and small businesses to take advantage of the stimulus package to revive their businesses and contribute to steering Nigeria away from recession.
The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), a department of the apex bank through which the loan is been disbursed, had earlier said 80,000 Nigerians applied for the loan.
As of April 30, the apex bank had announced that no fewer than 3,256 individuals had benefited from the loan.
Based on the guidelines the CBN announced with the stimulus package on March 23, those eligible for the fund are households with verifiable evidence of livelihood adversely impacted by COVID-19 and existing enterprises with verifiable evidence of activities adversely affected as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said it has approved the sum of N10.9 billion to 14,331 beneficiaries under the N50 billion COVID-19 Loan Targeted Credit Facility for Households and SMEs.
The fund, according to CBN, forms part of the N107.45 billion approves so far from the N1.15 trillion Covid-19 Pandemic Intervention Funds.
From the data provided by the bank from the Monetary Policy Meeting for May 2020, the CBN said it has approved N10.9 billion to 14,331 beneficiaries under the N50 billion Targeted Credit Facility for Households and SMEs, out of which N4.1 billion has been disbursed to 5,868 successful beneficiaries.
The COVID-19 Support fund, which will be distributed by NIRSAL Microfinance Bank and come with an Interest rate under the intervention is 5% P.A. (all-inclusive) up to 28th February 2021 and thereafter, the interest will revert to 9% P.A. (all-inclusive) as from 1st March 2021.
The CBN also announced that under the N100 billion Healthcare Sector fund, N10.15 billion has been disbursed and approved for establishments of advanced diagnostics and Health Centres and expansion of Pharmaceutical plants for essentials drugs and intravenous fluids.
The Kogi State Government has buried 65 unclaimed corpses in the state.
This was revealed by the General manager, Kogi State Sanitation and Waste Management Board, KSSWMB, Mallam Abdulganiyu Ahunni in a statement on Thursday.
The KSSWMB General Manager noted that the action was in line with the public health law of 1963, and Kogi State sanitation board law.
Mallam Sanni said the unclaimed corpses were suspected to be kidnappers who were gunned down by law enforcement agencies at various points and dates in Kogi State.
“The unclaimed corpses were evacuated from the federal medical center and buried sanitarily yesterday 10th July 2020 to prevent a public health crisis” he added.
Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has directed civil servants on Salary Grade Levels 01-10 to return to work on June 15.
The directive was contained in a statement issued in Lokoja on Wednesday by the state Head of Service, Mrs Deborah Ogunmola.
With this directive, the workers will be joining their counterparts on Grade Levels 12-16 who had resumed duties since May.
All the workers were asked to stay off work at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in March.
According to the statement, all ministries, departments and agencies are to provide facilities for washing of hands or sanitisers at the entrances of their offices.
It also directed all officers to adhere to the guidelines of the National Centre for Disease Control to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 to the state.
Two persons have been killed, why many kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Kogi State.
It was reliably gathered that, one of the deceased victim identified as Nicholas Ofodile, is the owner of Chucks Supermarket Lokoja, Kogi State.
Ofodile met is untimely death when there was a gun duel between the armed bandit and men of the special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, who made attempt to rescue him.
The incident according to a source, occurred along Gegu/Koton Karfe in Kogi Local Government of the state on Wednesday between 12noon to 1Pm.
The source hinted that, the suspected armed bandit who were operating freely but later incepted by SARS, succeeded in whisking many passenger plying the ever busy Abuja/Lokoja road into an unknown destination
It was further learnt that, the armed bandit where armed to the teeth with sophisticated weapon.
The incident is coming barely one week when eight police men were killed in Isanlu robbery attack.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP William Aya confirmed the incident saying,” I just got a call that the owner of Chucks Supermarket has been killed alongside one other person. The command is yet to get details of what happened”.
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