PMB URGES CORP MEMBERS TO PURSUE DREAM AND MAKE NIGERIA GREAT AGAIN-NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday urged Nigerian youths to remain focused in life, pursue their dreams and reject those fanning embers of discord and disintegration of Nigeria.

This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the president’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

Buhari made the call when he received more than 100 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in Daura Local Government Area of Katsina.

The President, who received the Corp members at his residence in Daura, urged them to make Nigeria great again through pursuit of knowledge, patriotism and commitment to values that promote national unity.

He pledged his unalloyed commitment to the unity and prosperity of Nigeria.

President Buhari, who specially recognised those corps members from the Niger Delta and South-Eastern states serving in Daura, praised the vision of former President Yakubu Gowon in setting up the scheme in 1973.

According to him, the scheme has creditably promoted national unity and cohesion by exposing young people to the uniqueness and cultural diversity of Nigeria.

“I asked for those from the other extreme of Nigeria because I very much appreciate the NYSC scheme and whenever I see General Gowon, I always thank him for that,” he said.

Speaking specifically to corps members from the South Eastern states, the President said: “tell your colleagues who want Biafra to forget about it.”

“As a military commander, I walked from Degem, a border town between the North and the East, to the border between Cameroon and Nigeria.

I walked on my foot for most of the 30 months that we fought the Nigeria-Biafra civil war in which at least two million Nigerians were killed.

We were made by our leaders to go and fight Biafra not because of money or oil, because oil was not critical factor then, but because of one Nigeria.

So if leaderships at various levels failed, it was not the fault of the rest of Nigerians who have no quarrel with one another.

So, please tell your colleagues that we must be together to build this country. It is big enough for us and potentially big enough in terms of resources.

Those who work hard will earn a respectable living. I have seen this country, I fought for this country and I will continue to work for the unity of this country,” the President said.

In his remarks, Egbewumi Adebolu, the Corps Liaison Officer in Daura, thanked the President for the honour of receiving them and making their stay in Daura memorable.

He said the youths strongly believed in the programme of the President to reduce unemployment and create jobs for more Nigerians.

Adebolu thanked the President for his personal gifts of cows, bags of rice and cash to corps members in the community for Sallah celebration

FIFTY-ONE CORP MEMBER TO REPEAT OR EXTEND IN FOUR STATE- NAN

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has ordered 51 corps members under Batch B Stream 1 to repeat or extend their service in four states in the country for violating various rules.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the cases of indiscipline were recorded in Nasarawa, Sokoto, Niger and Enugu states.

11 erring corps members each were affected by the disciplinary action in Nasarawa and Sokoto states, while Niger and Enugu states recorded 24 and 5 cases, respectively.

The management of the NYSC explained that the offences included failure to report for service after documentation, absenteeism and truancy at places of primary assignment.

Habiba Bappah, the State Coordinator of NYSC in Nasarawa state, made this known to newsmen in Lafia during the passing out event of the corps members.

According to Bappah, 1,936 Batch B stream 1 corps members in the state successfully passed.

She said the 11 corps members were among the 13 ordered to extend their service in various degrees for various offences they committed during their service year.

Bappah said that two others got four months extension for absconding for some months without permission.

“11 will repeat the service year because they did not serve for a single day. Some of them came to camp, did their documentation and took off. 2 are for 4 months extension of service because they absconded for about 3 months,” said the coordinator.

Bappah also explained that out of the 1,936 passing out corps members, 12 were selected for honours awards in various categories, while 18 others would get commendation letters.

“They did very well in various categories like the State’s awards, Chairman’s award and State Coordinator’s award. We appeal to the government to always identify with those that have done well and give them automatic employment.”

In Sokoto state, five corps members out of 2,112 lost their lives during their service year, according to the state coordinator of the scheme, Thomas Yamma.

Yamma said in Sokoto that 7 corps members would repeat their service year.

He also said that 11 corps members were to repeat their complete service year, while 7 had their service extended by between 2 and 4 months, for various offences.

“Happily, 4 corps members received state merit awards, four got chairman’s awards, while six others bagged commendation letters. On the whole, the corps members had exhibited high sense of commitment and diligence. I must also hasten to commend the management of the Service, Sokoto State Government and the Sultanate Council of Sokoto, for their sustained support to the scheme,” Yamma said.

The NYSC also extended the service year of 24 corps members in Niger for continuous absence from their places of primary assignment without permission.

The state Coordinator of the scheme, Bolade Loto, made this known at the passing out parade of the 2015 Batch B stream one corps members posted to the state.

She stated that 10 corps members received State Merit Award, while 10 others received recommendation for initiating various projects that impacted on the lives of the people in the state.

However, she revealed that two corps members died in the course of their service year.

The coordinator said that 2,193 corps members passed out in the state.

In Enugu state, 3 corps members also lost their lives in the course of the programme; one died in camp and two others died in their home states.

The NYSC State Coordinator, Nwano Ukagha, told NAN that this year’s event was low key.

NAN reports that there was no gathering and passing out parade which usually holds at Okpara Square in Enugu.

The corps members were requested to collect their discharge certificates from the headquarters of the local government area where they served.

She said that 5 corps members would be repeating their service year for various reasons bothering on truancy and dereliction of duty.

MAN ARRESTED OVER DEFRAUDING PEOPLE OF ABOUT N4BN

Following over a hundred petitions from across the country on the operations of an alleged Wonder bank and its nefarious activities, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday October 6, 2016 arrested the Managing Director of “Lets Partner With You Ltd”, Patrick Shanchi Nwokike at his residence in Enugu, Enugu state.

Petitioners indicated that the company had over the past five years solicited and obtained deposits of more than N4bn from the general public with promise of mouth watering interests in return.

According to investigations conducted by the Commission, the company has no license to solicit and manage funds for the public nor was it registered with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), or the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Company (NDIC).

Further investigations revealed that a 10% interest was for some time paid on invested capital which, for no justifiable reason, was suddenly stopped and all efforts by depositors to have at least the capital of their investments returned, nor terminate their investments proved abortive.

Many of the complainants alleged that the operators of the scheme especially, Nwokike, not only live very flamboyant lifestyles but acquired several personal assets as well as using their deposits for philanthropic enterprise.

The company was also found to have over six accounts in about four banks with the Nwokike and his wife being the only signatories to the accounts.

In his statement, Nwokike who acknowledged that depositor’s funds with his company was about N4bn, denied operating both money lending and investment business as alleged by the petitioners.

He stated that his company is into partnership business which receives money from interested partners who desires interest from their money after it might have been infused into businesses especially that of small scale traders.

Nwokike argued that the present problem facing his company is as a result of the general economic downturn in the country; an argument punctured by his depositors who said his company started defaulting even before the present economic woes.

Investigation is still on-going to ascertain the extent of the company’s operations, its culpability, likely recovery of funds and possible prosecution.