NYSC: Corps members groan over biting economy, say ‘allowee’ now useless – Newstrends
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NYSC: Corps members groan over biting economy, say ‘allowee’ now useless

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Members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, in the Federal Capital Territory have lamented the difficulty associated with serving in Abuja, saying the high cost of living in the nation’s capital is beyond their monthly stipends.

This is coming as prices of food items and other essential commodities continue to skyrocket in the FCT while the entire nation battles an economic crisis that has relatively made life difficult for commoners.

DAILY POST reports that the recent inflation in the economy birthed a new wave of hardship for Nigerians, especially for residents of the nation’s capital, Abuja.

Residents say the inflation affected the prices of all commodities in the market including something as essential as drinking water packaged in small sachets for ordinary Nigerians.

The sachet water popularly known as pure water is now sold for N300 or N350 per bag of 50 pieces as against the initial N100, this is aside from the general hike in prices of food items such as rice, beans, yam and others.

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Some corps members who spoke to DAILY POST said the N33,000 monthly allowance paid by the Federal Government is no longer useful, lamenting that they now depend on parents and loved ones for survival.

It can be recalled that the Federal Government in 2019, increased the monthly stipend of NYSC members from N19,800 to N33,000 to correspond with the current national minimum wage.

But corps members in the FCT say the increment, which was implemented in January 2020, is no longer helpful, particularly in big cities as a result of the current economic reality of the country.

One of the corps members who identified herself as Jennifer said she exhausts the stipend in just one week and afterwards, survives on help from others.

“Honestly, the ‘allawee’ is nothing. I spend at least N80,000 every month on feeding and transportation from where I am residing to my Place of Primary Assignment, PPA, in Area 1 Garki.

The transport fare from Deidei to my PPA is not funny. I spend at least N1,000 daily and that doesn’t include my feeding in the office,” he said.

DAILY POST reports that most private organizations including schools in the FCT have no provision for accommodation for corps members, leaving them to their fate amid the security crisis in the territory.

Another corps member serving in a private school complained that since he was accepted, he had not received any help from the school.

He said, “I heard that the school used to give corps members 10k monthly before we came but since my colleagues and I were accepted, nobody has given us any money for either transport or feeding. It is just terrible serving here in Abuja.

“Sometimes I stay back at home because I don’t have money to go to work. I can’t go and steal to serve my country. The ‘allawee’ is nothing compared to what we spend in a week. The government should help us by increasing the allowance at least by %50”.

Another respondent, Miss Ola, also known as Corper Ola, who spoke to our correspondent from Lugbe, said the one-year compulsory service is the “highest level of school suffering.”

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“I used to live better than this when I was still in the university. It is unfortunate that we are still facing another level of suffering which is even higher than what we faced in school. We expected at least, to live fine while serving our dear nation but the reverse is the case.”

When contacted, an official of the scheme who preferred not to be mentioned said NYSC has no power to review corps members’ allowance. According to him, until there is a new national minimum wage, the current N33,000 allowance stands.

“It is not our duty to increase corps members’ allowance. They should complain to the Federal Government or wait for the review of the current minimum wage,” he said.

DAILY POST also recalls that the Senate Committee on Sports had on Tuesday called for an immediate increase in the daily feeding allowance of corps members.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Obinna Ogba (PDP-Ebonyi) had made the call in Abuja on Tuesday while submitting the 2022 budget defence report of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development to the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

Ogba had expressed worry that corps members are paid N600 as their daily meal allowance despite their efforts in serving the nation.

He had decried the situation where the government pays inmates in correctional centres across the country N1,000 as daily feeding allowance but pay corps members who contribute to the nation’s economy only N600.

Ogba also condemned the decreasing yearly budgetary allocations to the ministry, calling for an increase of funds in the 2022 budget, given the importance of sports to youth development.

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NCC extends NIN-SIM linkage deadline

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NCC extends NIN-SIM linkage deadline

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has extended the deadline for the the second phase of SIM-NIN linkage.

Recall that the process to disconnect SIMs not linked to NIN was initiated in stages, with the second phase slated for today, March 29.

The first phase was on February 28, 2024, after NCC directed telecom operators to disconnect millions of subscribers who didn’t link their SIMs to their NINs.

The third phase is slated to commence on April 15, 2024, as previously announced by NCC in December, 2023.

However, the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) said subscriber have been having difficulty linking their SIMs with their NINs, hence it would be unfair to bar them.

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NATCOMS’ President, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, therefore, appealed to the NCC extend the deadline scheduled for the disconnection of telephone lines not linked to NIN beyond Friday, March 29, 2024.

Meanwhile, a senior official of NCC said the commission had changed the second phase deadline.

He disclosed that the change, which will now see the deadline extended by one week, was necessitated by the Easter public holiday.

The official, who spoke in confidence with Daily Trust, said the telcos had been directed not to bar any subscriber until after one week, from Friday, March 29.

He explained that, “The telecom operators will not bar any subscriber yet. We will only be talking about barring after a week from tomorrow. Yes, technically, we can say the deadline has been extended by a week.”

Another NCC top staff member who corroborated what the first official told our reporter added that NCC yielded to appeals by some CSOs and telecom right groups calling for deadline extension because of internet glitches experienced in the country two weeks ago

NCC extends NIN-SIM linkage deadline

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30,000 students benefit from Ogun Educash transfer

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Gov. Dapo Abiodun

30,000 students benefit from Ogun Educash transfer

Ogun State said has said 20,000 of its students in tertiary institutions have benefited from Educash transfer of N50,000 to cushion the economic crisis.

Also, it said 10,000 indigent pupils in primary and secondary schools in the state got N10,000 cash transfer.

Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, spoke after monitoring the cash transfer to primary and secondary schools at Ogun West Senatorial District.

Arigbabu noted more would benefit from the scheme.

He said everyone captured would be paid.

“I can tell you that for the tertiary institutions, we have done 20,000 as at today, and the total for tertiary institution beneficiaries is a little bit less than 50,000. Hopefully, by end of next week, we will reach half of that, which is about 25,000 beneficiaries.

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“I want to assure those who have not received theirs, for instance, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), a list of a little bit over 12,000 was sent to us. As we speak, we have paid just a little less than 6,000. The same thing at Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), where we have a little bit less than 8,000. We have tried to make sure we are targeting between 45 to 50 per cent,” he said.

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Binance Executive drags NSA, EFCC to court, demands public apology

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Binance Executive drags NSA, EFCC to court, demands public apology

Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan has taken legal action against National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging violations of his fundamental rights.

In a filing dated March 18 and presented by his lawyer Olujoke Aliyu from Aluko and Oyebode Law Firm, Gambaryan sought redress before Justice Inyang Ekwo, requesting five reliefs.

Similarly, Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager who escaped custody on March 22, initiated a separate suit before Justice Ekwo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gambaryan and Anjarwalla, in the suits marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/356/24 and FHC/ABJ/CS/355/24, had sued the Office of NSA (ONSA) and EFCC as 1st and 2nd respondents.

Gambaryan, a US citizen overseeing financial crime compliance at the crypto exchange platform, alleged that his detention and the confiscation of his international travel passport violated Section 35 (1) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution, constituting a breach of his fundamental right to personal liberty.

He further requested the court to order his immediate release and the return of his passport. Additionally, he sought an injunction preventing further detention related to any Binance investigations and demanded a public apology from the respondents, along with costs incurred.

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Gambaryan stated that he visited Nigeria on February 26 alongside Nadeem Anjarwalla, representing Binance, in response to invitations from ONSA and EFCC. Despite attending the meeting as requested, both were detained afterward without formal charges.

During the court proceedings, T.J. Krukrubo, SAN, representing Anjarwalla and Gambaryan, informed the court of the respondents’ absence despite being served. Krukrubo also mentioned their notice of withdrawal of legal representation for Anjarwalla, filed on March 26.

Justice Ekwo noted the withdrawal of legal representation and adjourned the matter to April 8 to allow the applicants to seek new representation and give the respondents an opportunity to appear.

In Gambaryan’s case, Krukrubo stated that although the processes were served on ONSA and EFCC, they still had time to respond. He requested an adjournment, indicating that the respondents’ deadline to file their applications would expire the following week.

Consequently, Justice Ekwo scheduled the next hearing for April 8 to continue proceedings.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government will arraign Binance Holdings Limited and its two top officials, Tigran Gambaryan and the fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla, on April 4 on allegations bordering on tax evasion.

Binance, Gambaryan, and Anjarwalla, listed as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively, are expected to be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja on a four-count charge.

Anjarwalla, who had been in detention alongside Gambaryan, was said to have escaped from lawful custody. He escaped on Friday from the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were detained.

Binance Executive drags NSA, EFCC to court, demands public apology

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