10—Vanguard, FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013
Okorugbo proffers solution to Boko Haram crisis
FG, Access Bank, Mastercard partner on nat'l ID card BY MICHAEL EBOH
BY CHARLES KUMOLU
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MOTIVATIONAL speaker Mr. Peter Okorugbo, has said the current efforts at finding a solution to the Boko Haram insurgency will remain a mirage except the religious undertone of the crisis is addressed. He said the solution to the crisis would be found in a recently published book titled CROSSROADS: The Paradox of The War Against Terrorism; A Legal War Against Legal (Seeming) Faiths. Okorugbo, who spoke in Lagos, said: "We therefore urge the Nigerian Government and people to champion this divine prophetic initiative to the world for global peace and the overall development of our nation, Africa and the world." "By so doing, Nigeria shall take her rightful place in the divine scheme and turning-point in the history of the world and be exporting the new set of ethics and values to other parts of the world. ‘’On the other hand, no owner of the civil mandate (government) will stand by and see their responsibility being eroded by lawlessness. Governments are driven to act appropriately."
Lagosians tasked on security BY KUNLE KALAJAYE
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ISASTER Prevention and Assistant Initiatives, DPAI, a non-government organisation, has urged communities in Lagos, to be security-conscious and report suspicious activities. The advice was given in an interactive seminar on Common Security Intelligent/Information Network and Community Policing for National Unity and Development, in Lagos. The programme, which was based on intelligent information gathering and conflict resolution for infrastructural development and religious tolerance for peaceful coexistence, was organised for members of Ilupeju community.
HEALTH: From left— Dr. Yewande Adesina, Special Adviser to Governor Fashola on Public Health; Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State; Dr. Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health and Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, former Minister of Health, during the flag off 2013 state council on health on the theme Creating Universal Acces to Healthcare in Lagos State in Lagos. PHOTO: Bunmi Azeez.
IMF recommends total removal of petroleum subsidy I
NTERNATIONAL Monetary Fund, IMF, said that full removal of oil subsidy would help fiscal adjustment for economic growth in Nigeria. Country Representative of IMF in Nigeria, Mr. Scott Rogers, said this when he briefed newsmen on Nigeria Staff Report for 2012 Article IV Consultation. He said: “Macroeconomic performance and policies in 2012 were broadly positive. Fiscal targets for 2013 and medium term are consistent with macroeconomic stability, but additional measures are needed. "Planned savings in recurrent spending will require public sector reforms and elimination of subsidy would help fiscal adjustment.” He said the report recommended the need to mobilise non-oil revenues and strengthen oil price rule and oil savings mechanism.
He said there was a need to strengthen implementation capacity of public investment, adding that maintaining tight monetary policy till signs of durable reduction of inflationary pressures was imperative. Rogers said that government must embark on urgent structural reforms to enhance productivity and global competitiveness. He said: “Power reform is a quick win for growth and competitiveness. Petroleum Industry Bill will transform oil and gas sector to increase investment trade protection for infant industries. "Export diversification is key to long-term growth and improved macroeconomic statistics, especially in national income accounts.”
On banking
On the banking sector, he said IMF commended the ef-
forts of Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, in buying off bad loans of banks. He said AMCON should minimise fiscal risk and moral hazard and work toward winding down as the sector witnessed stability. On Nigeria’s development outlook, he said strong growth would continue in non-oil sectors and tighter fiscal/monetary policy would help ease inflationary pressures Rogers said: “Government’s medium-term expenditure framework calls for substantial fiscal adjustment but success depends on use of Excess Crude Account and Sovereign Wealth Fund’s ability to contain recurrent expenditures. "International reserves will continue to rise, buoyed by relatively high interest rates, at least in short-term.”
Fake drugs come from China— NAFDAC BY CHIOMA OBINNA
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ATIONAL Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, yesterday, claimed that most fake, substandard and counterfeit drugs sold in the open drug market in Nigeria were smuggled into the country from China. Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, who announced this at a briefing in Lagos, where a suspected importer of counterfeit drugs, Mr. Olisaemeka Osefoh, was paraded, said China had remained a problem to Nigeria in the fight against fake and substandard products.
Orhii explained that already Nigeria was collaborating with the Chinese Government to unravel the Chinese companies behind the fake production, and punish them accordingly. He said: “India has tried to collaborate with Nigeria maximally on strategies to reduce the importation of counterfeit medicines to the country. "But concerning China, we are still trying to work out how to collaborate with each other. For now, without fear of contradiction, I will say that China remains the highest exporter of these fake products and China is a problem to Nigeria.” Announcing the arrest of Osefoh for importation of
counterfeit drugs worth N106, 210,000.00 from China, he said the suspect had already given NAFDAC investigators information on how the products where illegally cleared through Tin Can Island Port, Lagos.
Retreat
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HE VINCENTIAN Retreat Centre, Ojodu-Ikeja, will end its three-day monthly retreat today. The event, with the theme Fill Us Afresh, will feature Confession, Stations of the Cross, Adoration, Vigil and Holy Mass. The retreat, hosted by the Vincentian fathers, has Rev. Fr. Jenfa Adedayo, as guest Minister.
CCESS Bank Plc has entered into a partnership with MasterCard and the Nigerian National Identity Management Commission, NNIMC, to roll-out 13 million National Identity Smart Cards, NISC, with electronic payment capability. According to a statement by the bank, Access Bank will serve as the pilot issuer bank for the cards and Unified Payment Services Limited will serve as the payment processor, while other issuing banks will include United Bank for Africa, Union Bank, Zenith, Skye Bank, Unity Bank, Stanbic and First Bank. The bank said the new National Identity Smart Card would incorporate the unique National Identification Numbers, NIN, of duly registered persons in the country, adding that the enrollment process involved the recording of an individual’s demographic data and biometric data used to authenticate the cardholder and eliminate fraud and embezzlement. It added that the resultant National Identity Database will provide the platform for several other value propositions of the NIMC including identity authentication and verification.
Burial
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RS Catherine Ojemi of Ilabor quarters, Igbodo, Delta State, 79, is dead. Burial ceremonies begins today with a service of songs at her residence, followed next day with funeral service at same venue at 10.00a.m., then interment. May 12 is thanksgiving service at the Storm is Over Deliverance Ministry, Ilabor quarters.
Late Mrs Ojemi.