Price war: NNPC Ltd releases estimated pump prices of PMS from Dangote Refinery - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has released the estimated prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as Petrol obtained from the Dangote Refinery in its retail stations across the country, reports ITREALMS.

A press statement available to ITREALMS signed by the NNPCL Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, disclosed they have released estimated prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as Petrol (obtained from the Dangote Refinery) in its retail stations across the country.

Okpe leaders insist on comprehensive university @Orerokpe - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

Prominent Okpe leaders at the weekend, appraised the performance and competence of the Delta State governor, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, praising him for his positive impact on the lives of the people.

Rising from the crucial meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Okpe Union worldwide, the well-meaning and illustrious sons and daughters of Okpe Kingdom urged the good people of Delta State to rally behind the relatively new administration of His Excellency, Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori.

South West stakeholders insist on delivery of electoral dividends - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The South West Development Stakeholders Forum (SWDSF), comprising civil society
organisations, professionals, and religious leaders met rose from a meeting at the weekend to urge presidential parleys intended to deliver development dividends to the region, reports ITREALMS.

The forum after its meeting on Thursday, 8th December 2022, called for a parley with presidential candidates of major political parties as soon as possible, in Ibadan, Oyo State, pointed out that South West is the industrial and commercial engine room of Nigeria.

Board cancels ICANN72 face-to face in Seattle, insist on virtual meeting - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The Board of Directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has resolved that its forthcoming meeting tagged ICANN72 must be virtually held, reports ITREALMS. 

The meeting scheduled for Seattle, United States of America, ITREALMS has therefore been cancelled.

e-Voting: Southern Governors insist on electronic transmission of results - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The Southern Governors Forum have rejected the removal of the electronic transmission of the election result from the electoral act, reports ITREALMS.

Arising from a day meeting of the forum in Lagos on Monday, ITREALMS reported that they insisted that in order to consolidate the nation's democracy and strengthen the electoral process, the Southern Governors’ Forum "rejects the removal of the Electronic transmission of the election result from the electoral act."

Pantami to Nigerians: Insist on use of PoS @NIPOST - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) has advised Nigerians to insist on the use of Point-of-Sale (PoS) terminals at any outlet of Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) office nationwide, especially if they are to make payments, reports ITREALMS.

The Minister through his spokesperson, Mrs. Uwa Suleiman, said in a press statement available to ITREALMS, directed the Post-Master General of the Federation to henceforth revert to PoS in all NIPOST offices.

“The Post-Master General, is to ensure that all its offices revert to Point of Sales (PoS) and bank teller transactions immediately. The general public and all customers of NIPOST, are hereby encouraged to insist on Point of Sales (PoS) or bank teller transactions, when conducting business with NIPOST.

This directive, he said, is in line with the anti-corruption programme of President Muhammadu Buhari and the mandate of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, and ordered the Post-Master General (PMG) to suspend all existing cash payment plans within NIPOST entities nationwide.

“The Post-Master General, is to ensure that all its offices revert to Point of Sales (PoS) and bank teller transactions immediately. The general public and all customers of NIPOST, are hereby encouraged to insist on Point of Sales (PoS) or bank teller transactions, when conducting business with NIPOST.

“This directive is a temporary measure to tackle corruption, as we are currently working on fully automating the systems as a permanent solution to the challenge.

Further, Dr Pantami directed the Post-Master General to immediately implement strategies that will bring an end to unnecessary delays in its service delivery to customers.

“The current trend of delays in postal services will not be condoned by the office of the Honourable Minister under whose purview, the supervision of NIPOST falls.

“The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy are committed to protecting the rights of all Nigerians and will not tolerate any act of corruption under its watch,” Pantami maintained.

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

*JOIN our alert's group | Share stories with us | Advert placement: WhatsApp | SMS: +2348033592762 *Twitter: @ITREALMS *Email: itrealms.dsa@gmail.com*

Hoda Muthana: Experts insist she must return to face consequences – ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The now trapped Hoda Muthana, needs to return to United States of America (USA) to face the consequences of her action by joining Islamic State fighters, says expert and senior fellow, Foreign Policy at the Centre for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institution, Mr. Daniel L. Byman, reports ITREALMS.

Reacting to the recent ban placed on the 25-year old Hoda by the Trump administration’s decision not to allow her back into the United States after she went to Syria to join the Islamic State, Byman described the decision as “short-sighted.”

According to him, it is an abrogation of U.S. leadership and discouragement to other countries from taking the hard steps needed to handle the threat from thousands of returning Islamic State fighters.
ITREALMS recalls that Muthana, then a 20-year-old student, apparently left Alabama in 2014 to join the Islamic State at the height of the Caliphate. She equally reportedly served as a recruiter and urged attacks on the West. Along with 12 other Americans, Muthana is held by U.S. Kurdish allies in Syria, who are mostly women and children and claimed she regretted her decision to join the group and is ready to face the consequences, which will not exclude jail term over her act.

Byman noted that although Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed she has no grounds for citizenship, which he disagreed, arguing that Hoda was born in the United States and holds a U.S. passport.

“The administration’s approach is at odds with traditional U.S. interpretations of who is a citizen,” he declared.

In addition, Byman said that the United States has well-resourced police and federal law enforcement services and strong counterterrorism laws, stressing that “If Muthana returns for trial, she will not pose a threat. If Muthana voluntarily joined the Islamic State, as seems likely, she should be allowed home, given a trial, and serve the appropriate penalty under law for providing support to a terrorist organization and other crimes. It is tempting to fall into the trap of assuming that, as a young woman, she was ‘lured’ to the Islamic State by male masterminds or was not otherwise responsible for her actions.”

He pointed out that hitherto, women have played an important role in the Islamic State as recruiters, enforcers, and otherwise bolstering the caliphate, hence Muthana, like other volunteers, should be held fully responsible for her own actions.
ITREALMS recollects that the Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC with a mission to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level.

Chuks Egbune/Editor

*JOIN our alert's group | Share stories with us | Advert placement: WhatsApp | SMS: +2348033592762 *Twitter: @ITREALMS *Email: itrealms.dsa@gmail.com*

Nigeria 2019: U.S, U.K insist on genuine free, fair, transparent elections - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The duo of United States of America (USA) and United Kingdom (UK) have insisted on free, fair, transparent exercise in the forthcoming general elections in Nigeria, reports ITREALMS.

In join press statement made available to ITREALMS, both USA and UK affirmed their support for a credible election beginning with the presidential election till the last exercise.

U.S. Statement read in part:

“The conduct of the upcoming elections in Nigeria is important not only for Nigeria, but for the African continent.

“The United States government does not support any specific candidate or party in Nigeria’s upcoming elections. The United States supports the Nigerian democratic process itself. We support a genuinely free, fair, transparent, and peaceful electoral process.

“We, and other democratic nations, will be paying close attention to actions of individuals who interfere in the democratic process or instigate violence against the civilian population before, during, or after the elections. We will not hesitate to consider consequences - including visa restrictions - for those found to be responsible for election-related violence or undermining the democratic process. Under U.S. immigration law, certain violations may also lead to restrictions on family members.

“We welcome the signing of peace pledges by Nigerian candidates and their commitment to a peaceful electoral process.

According to the United Kingdom, yesterday, “23 days to the Presidential and National Assembly elections and 37 days to the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections, the British High Commission in Abuja would like to reaffirm our strong support for free, fair and peaceful elections in Nigeria.

“We and our international partners remain committed supporters of Nigeria’s democracy. We do not support any party or individual and believe that the Nigerian people should be able to choose their leaders in an environment free from hate speech and insecurity.

“We continue to provide significant support to Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission and to Nigerian civil society to help them deliver credible elections. We also regularly engage with actors across the political spectrum to encourage them to respect electoral rules and maintain an atmosphere of peace and calm. We will be deploying an extensive observation mission for the forthcoming elections, including coordinating with the EU’s Election Observation Mission. 

"Our monitors will in particular be looking out for any attempts to encourage or use violence to influence the elections, including on social media. We would like to remind all Nigerians that where the UK is aware of such attempts, this may have consequences for individuals. These could include their eligibility to travel to the UK, their ability to access UK based funds or lead to prosecution under international law.

“The UK is a friend and partner of Nigeria. We hope our continued support will play a role in helping Nigeria take a further step towards consolidating the progress made since democracy returned in 1999.”

Chuks Egbune/DoP

*JOIN our alert's group | Share stories with us | Advert placement: WhatsApp | SMS: +2348033592762 *Twitter: @ITREALMS *Email: itrealms.dsa@gmail.com*

Why we insist our pupils elect their captains, prefects - M.D School - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Head of School, M.D Nursery and Primary School, New Oko Oba, Lagos, Olushola Akaiso has explained why it was fun last week Thursday as  they conducted elections for class captains and other school perfects, reports ITREALMS.

Speaking on the development, Akaisolt stated that the era where teachers just pick pupils to be in charge of a particular position has become outdated since the pupils needed to be involved in the process of selecting their leaders.

Akaiso said this will enable them hone their skills of public speaking, confidence and also teach them the ability to compete.

Akaiso revealed that the tradition of the pupils selecting their leaders themselves is an old one that started since the inception of the school and there are processes that must be rigorously followed before one can be allowed to stand for election.

She said: “There is a nomination form, which they collect with the consent of the parent.
“They fill and submit it with their manifestos. 

“They do their campaigns. 

“Some do fliers and banners and they move around the classes and assembly grounds canvassing for votes and support from their colleagues and there was a primary election and one must meet the academic requirement of at least 70 per cent to participate.”

Akaiso also disclosed that teachers try as much as possible not to be partisan in the “political process”.

A parent, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed that even when the pupils campaign banners fall off, the teachers do not try to pick them up so as not to be seen as “being a fan to a particular candidate”.

The parent said although, the pupils are allowed to campaign, they are not allowed to do so with any form of inducements like storybook and chocolates. 

Those elected top run the school during Thursday’s election were:

Head Boy: Afolabi Busari
Assistant: Adejayan George


Head Girl: Success Ferdinand
Assistant is Yusra Usman


Social Prefect: Fatolu Nifemi
Assistant: Akomolafe Promise


Games Prefect:
Shoyinka-Shonola Tomiwa
Assistant: Olukunle-Akinola Oyinkansola


Health Prefect: Anjola Tinubu
Assistant: Akinmusire Sophie


Time Keeper: Fareedat Afolabi
Assistant: Ajayi Praise


Library Prefect: Akinoluwa Lasisi
Assistant Ifeoluwa Lawal


Dining Prefect: Obileye Temiloluwa
Assistant: Ogooluwa Adebayo


Sanitation Prefect: Adeigbe Togbami
Assistant: Ajala Folahan


Protocol 1: Tinuola Bewaji
Protocol 2: Okiki Omosebi
Protocol 3: Jesutomisin Yinka-Oke.

Uj. N. Dominic/GEE

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

Virtual Currencies: CBN insists 'You’re on your own,' warns Nigerians

ITREALMS:

The apex bank in the country, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has insisted that virtual currencies are not legal tenders in Nigeria financial space, reports ITRealms.

Confirming this to ITRealms, the Acting Director, Corporate Communications at CBN, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, warned Nigerians engaging in virtual currency to note they are doing so, strictly at their own risk.

ITRealms gathered that a virtual currency also known as cryptocurrency, is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange that uses cryptography to secure its transactions, to control the creation of additional units, and to verify the transfer of assets.

Also in a recent circular, entitled ‘Virtual Currencies not legal Tender in Nigeria’ Okorafor noted that this is in furtherance to an earlier circular issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on January 12, 2017 to all banks and financial institutions in the country.

As said by him, the Bank reiterated that cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ripples, Monero, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Onecoin, Empowr, etc and Exchanges such as NairaEx are not licensed or regulated by the CBN.

“For the avoidance of doubt, dealers and investors in any kind of crypto currency in Nigeria are not protected by law,” CBN declared.

 Virtual currencies, he explained are traded in exchange platforms that are unregulated, all over the world.

“Consumers may therefore lose their money without any legal redress in the event these exchangers collapse or close business,” CBN spokesman insisted.

Members of the public, especially Nigerian, he said, are “hereby warned that virtual currencies are not legal tender in Nigeria. Accordingly, we wish to caution all and sundry on the risks inherent in such activities.”

Chuks Egbune/GEE

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

Stakeholders insist on 70% local content for DSO deployment

ITRealms:

Stakeholders in the nation’s Digital Switch Over (DSO) broadcast industry have insisted that local content must be 70 per cent or nothing, reports ITRealms.

This is coming as they maintained that the collection of Television (TV) and Radio License fee would be pooled to support content production in the country.

Arising from a meeting of broadcast stakeholders convened by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) recently in Abuja, they affirmed that the next phase of DSO journey would be the launch of the switch over in the six states simultaneously.

ITRealms gathered that these six states include Kaduna in North-West, Kwara in North-Central, Gombe in North-East, Enugu in South-East, Osun in South-West and Delta in South-South.

The stakeholders in a 19-point communique made available to ITRealms at the end of the meeting, pointed out that hate speech and inciting comments could endanger good order in the country, therefore, NBC was advised to collaborate with Center for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development and incorporate the outcome in the review of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.

Broadcasters, the meeting said, should strike a balance between freedom of speech and hate speech, urging NBC to be firm on the issues of national security.

“That NBC should publish research works on various issues beyond hate speech,” they submitted.

The meeting was declared open by the Director General of the NBC, Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu and had in attendance, Chairman, Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (BON), Mr.John Momoh, Chairman Digiteam Nigeria, Engr. Edward Amana, State Commissioners of Information, State Permanent Secretaries in charge of Information, and 415 other participants made up of Broadcast Licensees, Broadcast Signal distributors, Set Top Box manufactures, Content aggregators, Content producers, media Correspondents and other stakeholders.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE 

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!