Facebook to train Nigerian Senators and Aides on use of Application.

Social media is an integral part of governance and leaders worldwide have accepted the need to maintain a social presence in one or more of the media platform to engage the electorate and further increase the conversations about governance.

Few weeks ago, Head of Public Policy for Facebook in Africa reached out to Senate President, Senator ABubakar Bukola Saraki A New Media Savvy individual to offer to help train Nigerian Senators and their aides on the effective use of the platform to build the communication gap between Nigerians and their legislators.

lt is interesting to note that since the inauguration of the 8th Assembly, Nigerian Senate has actively maintained social media platforms majorly, Facebook and Twitter. (www.facebook.com/Nigeriansenate) and (@NGRSENATE) on twitter in order to bring leģislature closer to Nigerians.
As a step in joining the global community in using the Social media platforms the right way, Head of Public Policy for facebook in Africa will be coming to Nigeria with some of her collagues to Train Nigerians Senators and their aides on EFFECTIVE use of the platform to engage Nigerians on formation of POLICIES and to get undiluted feedback from their constituents.

Recall that over the past few years, Senator Saraki as a Senator was able to get direct unfiltered feedback from his constituents and Nigerians at large on issues that directly affect their lives. I remember vividly a few instances such as the Save Bagega Campaign, which was the issue of lead poisoning in Zamfara and also #SaveAlice in Lagos who was attacked by her foreign employers, just to name a few occasions where people on social media have been able to get in touch directly with him as a Senator to get him to champion issues.
Unfortunately, Some elements have used the platform to defraud Nigerians by creating fake accounts that looks just like that of Senators and other public office holders to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians. This training will allow for verification by Facebook and also how training on effective use of this platform can help in delivering more people oriented bills to Nigerians and urgent interventions where necessary.

One of the impact I’m optimisic this innovation will have on the 8th Senate is that more Senators will be able to get direct feedback on what Bills and Motions their constituents want to see. As you know what we need in Ife East Local Government in Osun will be different from what you need IN Wammako local government in Sokoto.

For instance, last week Senate President released a message on Facebook on need for Nigerians to send recommendations of Bills and Motions they will like to see Senators introduced. We received thousands of emails which we are going through now to see which of the Bills we can develop. if we can have more Senators make proper use of this platform, I believe it will help to build the information gap and take the legislature back to the people.

The Senate President being a technology savvy individual himself does plan to run a more technology inclined chamber. We hope to introduce E-parliament platform where Nigerians can track what will be discussed in the Senate, contributions of each Senator, A Bill Tracker to know where each bills currently stand and details of Bills and more engagement from the citizens which will help with their oversight functions.
The impact it will have on Plenary Sessions, as you are aware not all 109 Senators will always be able to put forward their position on every issue on the floor, As was the practise during the 7th Assembly where Senator Saraki will go on Facebook and other social media platforms to table his positions on issues, we hope more Senators will be able to do this so their constituents will know where they stand on issues.

This training is absolutely free as part of Facebook’s Corporate Social Responsibility – CSR of the sponsors. Facebook will already be in Nigeria for a separate business and offered to do the training for free, I believe that extending such gesture to the Naional Assembly is a laudable CSR and they should be commended for this. Nigerians make up a large percentage of Facebook users in the continent and only proper for it to be used to change our country.

The Training has been scheduled for Monday 16th November 2016 at the National Assembly Complex from 12 noon to 5pm.

Bamikole Omishore is the Special Assistant on New Media to the President of 8th Senate.

Region First: Igbo Community accuse President Buhari of denying them Juicy Ministerial Portfolios

Leaders of the foremost Igbo socio-political body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and Njiko Igbo, another prominent pan-Igbo association, has berated President Muhammadu Buhari for deliberately denying Igbo ministers, ‘juicy’ ministries, reports say. 

Thr South- East socio Political group described the portfolios assigned to Igbo ministers as ‘disappointing.’

According to the report, President of Ohanaeze Youth Wing, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, who spoke on behalf of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said Ogbonnaya Onu and Chris Ngige should have been given ‘more influential’ ministries than the Science and Technology, and Labour and Productivity, they got.

Fear of unknown is cause of corruption in the Police - IGP Arase

The Inspector General of the Nigerian Police, Solomon Arase, has attributed corruption in the Nigerian Police to fear.

The IGP said this while visiting the Sokoto State Command. The IGP said
“In dealing with corruption, it has to be a carrot and stick approach. I don’t want to start accusing my men that they are corrupt. But corruption is borne out of the fear of the future," 

“For instance, somebody who has put in 35 years of service and he is going to leave and is not sure of where he is going to be accommodated, he is not sure whether he will be able to train his children. He is not sure that his terminal benefits will be able to sustain him, then, his temptation to be corrupt will be very, very high," Leadership quoted him as saying.

“Therefore, I owe them a moral duty and obligation to make sure that I put things in place to be able to mitigate against those moral tendencies to be corrupt”.

He said henceforth both Assistant Inspectors General (AIG) and Commissioners of Police (CP) would  be held responsible for any act of misconduct by their officers.

Samuel Akosu's Blog: TSA : CBN recovers 8.6billions from firm

Samuel Akosu's Blog: TSA : CBN recovers 8.6billions from firm: •How Sanusi, Lemo appointed firm to implement e-Collection solution Obinna Chima   The Central Bank of Nigeria has recovered N8.6 billion de...

TSA : CBN recovers 8.6billions from firm

•How Sanusi, Lemo appointed firm to implement e-Collection solution

Obinna Chima

 

The Central Bank of Nigeria has recovered N8.6 billion deducted by a Lagos-based software firm, SystemSpecs, which provided the e-Payment/e-Collection solution used for the transfer of government funds from commercial banks to the treasury single account (TSA) domiciled with it, THISDAY investigations have revealed.

The central bank, according to sources in the CBN, directed the company which owns the Remita software platform used for the funds transfer, when it was discovered that SystemSpecs had deducted as much as N8.6 billion for the remittance of government funds from banks to the TSA in the last few weeks.

Throwing more light on the e-Payment/e-Collection Remita software, which the Senate on Wednesday resolved to probe, CBN sources said the implementation of the modular solution was approved by the former CBN Governor who is currently the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II, and former CBN Deputy Governor, Operations, Mr. Tunde Lemo, in 2011 to facilitate the transfer of government revenue to the TSA.

On Wednesday, the Senate had ordered its joint Committee on Finance, Banking and Other Financial Institutions and Public Accounts to probe the allegation that the e-Collection agent, Remita, had been paid 25 billion, being the 1 per cent commission it charged for the transfer of N2.5 trillion of federal government funds to the TSA.

The motion, which was moved by Senator Dino Melaye and adopted by the Senate, held that the N25 billion payment was in gross violation of Section 162(1) of the 1999 Constitution which states that “the federation shall maintain a special account to be called the federation account into which all revenues collected by the government of the federation except the proceeds from the personal income tax of the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, the ministry or department of government charged with foreign affairs and the residents of the FCT, Abuja”.

However, investigations by THISDAY showed that Remita was not an agent or company, but the software platform used for the transfers, while SystemSpecs, whose Managing Director is Mr. John Obaro, is the owner of e-Payment/e-Collection solution.

The company’s website further revealed that the chairman of SystemSpecs is the former Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, Dr. Christopher Kolade.

Other directors of the company include a former Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, Mr. Emmanuel Ocholi, Mr. ‘Deremi Atanda and Dr. Emmanuel Eze.

Remita, which has been adopted by the CBN as the e-Payment and e-Collection platform of the federal government, is currently used by all 22 commercial banks and over 400 microfinance banks nationwide.

CBN sources informed THISDAY that contrary to the assertion of the Senate that N25 billion had been paid to SystemSpecs, it was N8.6 billion that was deducted by the company for the transfer of N1.5 trillion since the enforcement of the TSA by the current administration in the last few weeks.

“Remita is an e-Payment/e-Collection software that has been in place since 2011, because the TSA transfers started under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

“It was Tunde Lemo’s baby and approved by former Governor Sanusi for the transfer of funds to the TSA.

“But when it was discovered that SystemSpecs had deducted about N8.6 billion for the recent TSA transfers of N1.5 trillion, we immediately asked them to reverse the deduction, which they complied with.

“The issue was brought to the attention of the president (Muhammadu Buhari) and he asked that the money be returned immediately which is what has happened.

“Going forward, it is our intention to review the contract on the software, because the CBN has its own software for e-Payments and e-Collections,” a CBN official, who did not want to be named, said.

Breaking! Saraki's Trial to tarry a while - Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has ordered the suspension of the trial of the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Mr. Saraki is facing a 13-count corruption charge at the tribunal. He denies the allegation of false asset declaration and graft.

Two High Courts and a Court of Appeal had earlier rejected his request to quash the charges.

Before doing doing so, the court of appeal halted the case briefly to allow it take a decision.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court also said the corruption case against Mr. Saraki “should tarry a while” pending the conclusion of an appeal he brought before it.

PRESIDENT BUHARI SWEARS IN NIGERIA'S NEW MINISTERS

President Mohammadu Buhari has assigned portfolios to the newly constituted Federal Executive Government in Abuja Wednesday.

Former Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, was announced as Minister of Works, Power and Housing.

And for Nigerians, this is key because the economy revolves around power, just as many want to see the roads fixed.

The Solid Mineral Ministry is headed by Dr. Kayode Fayemi, as the former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, was also assigned Transportation and Aviation ministry.

Ministry of Labour and Employment is headed by Dr. Chris Ngige, while the Ministry of Finance is headed by the former Commissioner for Finance in Ogun State, Kemi Adeosun. 

List Of Ministers And Portfolios

Abubakar Malami (SAN) – Justice

Geoffrey Onyeama – Foreign Affairs

Khadija Abubakar Abba Ibrahim – State Minister of Foreign Affairs

Brigadier-General Muhammad Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd) – Defence

Adamu Adamu – Education

Professor Anthony Onwuka – State Minister of Education

Mrs Kemi Adeosun – Finance

Okechukwu Enelama – Industry, Trade and Investment

Aisha Abubakar – State Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment

Senator (Dr.) Chris Ngige – Labour and Employment

Barrister James Ocholi – State Minister of Labour and Employment

Muhammodu Bello – Federal Capital Territory

Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau – Interior

Senator Udoma Udo Udoma – Budget and National Planning

Zainab Ahmed – State Minister of Budget and National Planning

Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu – State Minister of Petroleum Resources

Babatunde Fashola (SAN) – Power, Works and Housing

Mustapha Baba Shehuri – State Minister of Power, Works and Housing

Chief Audu Innocent Ogbeh – Agricultural and Rural Development

Heineken Lokpobiri – State Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development

Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi – Transportation

Senator Hadi Sirika – State Minister of Aviation

Isaac Folorunso Adewole – Health

Dr. Osagie Ehanire – State Minister of Health

Senator Aisha Al-Hassan – Woman Affairs

Pastor Usani Uguru – Niger Delta

Claudius Omoleye Daramola – State Minister of Niger Delta

Barrister Adebayo Shittu – Communications

Lai Mohammed – Information

Amina Mohammed – Environment

Ibrahim Usman Jubril – State Minister of Environment

Engineer Suleiman Adamu – Water Resources

Barrister Solomon Dalong – Youth and Sports

Kayode Fayemi – Solid Minerals

Abubakar Bwari – Minister Of States of Solid Minerals

Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu – Science and Technology