NCC to block USSD codes of nine banks over unpaid debts – Newstrends
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NCC to block USSD codes of nine banks over unpaid debts

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NCC to block USSD codes of nine banks over unpaid debts

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecommunications companies to disconnect the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) codes assigned to nine financial institutions over unpaid debts.

In a directive signed by its Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, and obtained by Channels Television on Tuesday, the NCC mandated the affected banks to settle their outstanding debts by January 27, 2025, or face losing access to their USSD platforms.

The commission did not disclose the exact amount owed by the banks but noted that the total debt initially owed by 18 financial institutions exceeded N200 billion. According to the NCC, some of these invoices have been outstanding since 2020.

The public notice read, “By the information made available to the commission as at close of business on Tuesday, 14th January 2025, of a total of 18 financial institutions, the nine institutions listed below have failed to comply significantly with the directives in the Second Joint Circular of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the commission dated December 20, 2024, for the settlement of outstanding invoices due to MNOS, some since 2020.”

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The affected banks include Fidelity Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank, Jaiz Bank Plc, Polaris Bank Limited, Sterling Bank Limited, United Bank for Africa Plc, Unity Bank Plc, Wema Bank Plc, and Zenith Bank Plc. Their USSD codes, including 770, 919, and 822, may be reassigned to other applicants if the debts remain unpaid.

The NCC highlighted that the failure of these banks to comply with the joint circular issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the NCC means they no longer meet the good standing requirements for the renewal of their USSD codes.

“In fulfilment of its consumer protection mandate, the commission wishes to inform consumers that they may be unable to access the USSD platform of the affected financial institutions from January 27, 2025,” the notice added.

The regulator stated that the financial institutions had been duly informed about the urgency of compliance, warning that service disruptions may occur if the issue is not resolved.

Data from the CBN shows that USSD remains a critical financial service channel, with 252.06 million transactions worth N2.19 trillion conducted between January and June 2024.

 

NCC to block USSD codes of nine banks over unpaid debts

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Reactions as K1 De Ultimate fails to apologise over comment against Muslim clerics

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Alhaji King Wasiu Ayinde

Reactions as K1 De Ultimate fails to apologise over comment against Muslim clerics

Renowned Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, better known as K1 De Ultimate, has dominated discussions on social media following his controversial remarks about muslim clerics and refusal to apologise to them.

Ahead of his late mother’s 8-day Fidau prayer on Saturday, K1 was seen in a viral clip conversing with a mana.

In their discussion, he used the word ‘Ganu si’ (meaning literally ‘to open one’s mouth for free food’) in reference to the clerics.

“Alfas will not go to my father’s house for the party. It’s my house they will “Ganu si”.

Many interpreted the expression ‘Ganu si’ to mean the clerics attended social events uninvited primarily for pecuniary reasons.

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During the 8-day Fidau prayer, which took place on Friday, January 24, a respected and popular cleric, Sheikh Faruq Onikijipa — who delivered a sermon at the event — urged him to apologise for his purported disparaging comments about the cleric, but the musician refused to apologise.

He said he didn’t do anything wrong, adding that tendering an apology would amount to admittance of guilt.

He said, “To admit guilt means saying, ‘Okay, don’t be angry’. But there’s no reason for that because I have done nothing wrong. If you admit guilt, you are saying the accusations are true. But they are not.”

K1’s refusal to apologise sparked reactions among the Muslim community as some supported him while others criticised him for allegedly belittling the clerics.

Many Nigerians said that the clerics deserved to be disgraced because many of them were fond of attending events they were not invited to.

In contrast, others argued that the alfas wouldn’t have attended the post-burial ceremony of the musician’s mother if he hadn’t invited them.

 

Reactions as K1 De Ultimate fails to apologise over comment against Muslim clerics

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Enugu petrol tanker explosion claims 18 lives, 13 rescued

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petrol tanker explosion

Enugu petrol tanker explosion claims 18 lives, 13 rescued

Tragedy struck in Enugu yesterday as a petrol tanker exploded at the Ugwu Onyeama section of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, killing no fewer than 18 people, including three children.

Thirteen others were rescued, according to a statement signed by the spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps, Olusegun Ogungbemide.

Ogungbemide attributed the accident to brake failure, adding that it involved 17 vehicles, including a petrol tanker, a water tanker, 15 cars, and a tricycle.

Eleven vehicles were burnt in the inferno while emergency responders managed to rescue 10 victims with varying degrees of injuries.

Three escaped unscathed while the remaining 18 victims were burnt beyond recognition.

The explosion, which occurred around 11:30am, caused widespread panic, affecting another petrol tanker and razing six other vehicles.

Rescue efforts were said to have been hindered by the intensity of the fire, which made it difficult for bystanders to access the scene.

It was gathered that some of the victims were trying to run away from the scene when they were caught by the fire.

Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, who visited the scene of the accident yesterday, expressed sadness, saying that government had already swung into action to ensure that the victims received full medical attention.

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He also said that steps were being taken to forestall future occurrences, including enforcement of road rules and fixing the part of the federal road that was in disrepair.

Describing the accident as unfortunate, Mbah commiserated with the families of the victims.

He further directed the Enugu sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr Franklin Agbakoba, and the state’s Commissioner for Transport, Mr Obi Ozor, to ensure that all tankers conveying inflammable substances in the state have anti-spill lock that will prevent spillage in case of accident.

“This is an accident involving a tanker that preliminary investigation show may have had a break failure, fell down, had its product, premium motor spirit, spilled from the tank and ignited. So, this is for us a tragedy where we have some casualties.

“But as I said, investigation is still at preliminary stages. The police and other law enforcement agencies are on it. We want to get to the roots of this for us to understand the true cause of the accident.

“In the meantime, we have moved those that are in need of treatment to the hospitals for full medical attention.

“My Commissioner for Health and also my Special Adviser on Health, the Chief Medical Director of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology Teaching Hospital (ESUTTH), Parklane, Enugu, the police, and Federal Road Safety Corps are all involved.

“They have my instruction to ensure that maximum medical attention is given to the survivors,” the governor said.

He added: “We are also taking quick measures as a government. I have just been speaking the head of the Federal Road Safety Corps to make sure they enforce the rules that prohibit tanker drivers without an anti-spill lock from the road.

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“Tankers conveying premium motor spirit and inflammable products must have anti-spill lock to ensure that when these trucks fall down, they do not spill (their contents). It is very important.

“Also, for us as a government, we are going to be looking at how we can deploy some traffic rules to ensure that we do not have a recurrence of this.

“We are obviously not going to wait for the federal government to fix the other section of the road.

“We as government are going to take steps to ensure that whatever needs to be done on that section of the federal road is done immediately so we would never want a reoccurrence of this.”

While briefing the governor on some of the preliminary investigations conducted by the FRSC, the Sector Commander for Enugu explained that the accident and spillage was as a result of a brake failure.

He said that injured road users were rushed to the hospital for treatment and thanked the governor for showing leadership by rushing to the scene and also undertaking to foot the medical bills.

Yesterday’s tanker explosion made it the third time that a similar accident would occur in the new year.

It came after the one that occurred at Dikko Junction in Gurara Local Government Area, Niger State penultimate Saturday, claiming no fewer than 98 lives and leaving 69 others injured.

A similar accident had also occurred in Agbor, Delta State on January 6, leaving five people dead while some bank buildings were burnt.

Enugu petrol tanker explosion claims 18 lives, 13 rescued

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Gas fire: Rivers communities, NNPCL/SPDC disagree

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NNPCL well-head explosion.

Gas fire: Rivers communities, NNPCL/SPDC disagree

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited/Shell Petroleum Development Company (NNPCL/SPDC), operators of the Joint Venture, and the host communities impacted by the recent fire outbreak at the OML 008 in Buguma, Asare-Toru Local Government Area, Rivers State, are at odds over the cause of the devastating explosion.

While the operators blamed oil bunkerers, youths of the host communities under the auspices of the Impacted States Youth Council of Nigeria accused the operators of negligence.

President of the youth group, Fiawei Pathfinder, said that vandals only took advantage of the carelessness of the operators

“The fire incident that has plunged Buguma and its environs into a terrible situation could have been avoided had the NNPCL/SPDC JV carried out quarterly checks on the pipelines and oil infrastructures in the salty swamp water where these pipelines and other facilities have been laid for decades and open to the elements in the ecosystem,” Pathfinder said.

”SPDC/NNPCL neither paid attention to the fire as it erupted nor sent an emergency fire incident response team to ascertain the level of the devastation caused by the fire.

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“We are pained that SPDC/NNPCL JV deliberately ignored the people of Buguma community and the entire Kalabari Kingdom, who are major oil and gas-producing communities and kingdoms that contribute a high figure of crude oil and cubic of gas daily to sustain the economy.

“The truth is that these oil infrastructures have decayed, and there is no proper structure to crosscheck or ascertain if they are in good shape because these pipelines have been laid for over how many decades, and no maintenance job has been carried out on them.”

Consequently, the youth council demands that the companies take urgent steps to salvage the Buguma communities and environs, among others.

“That SPDC/NNPCL immediately construct housing structures and health care facilities for the Buguma host community and environs.

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