Computer Society rejects Senate joint report on Remita

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The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has rejected the recent report of the Senate Joint Committee on Finance, Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions and Public Accounts on the abuse and mismanagement of Treasury Single Account Regime (TSA), reports ITRealms.

NCS, an umbrella body of industry interest groups within the Information Technology (IT) computing professionals, made this rejection through its Information Technology Systems and Security Professionals (ITSSP), arguing that calling for the termination of the Remita contract at this time amounts to stoppage of TSA operation.

According to Rogba Adeoye, the chairperson of ITSSP their rejection of Senate position was based on the fact that despite NCS being an observer in the public hearing and indeed they submitted memorandum after the public hearing as demanded by the Committee.

Also, they said that CBN Governor, Office of Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) and Committee members commended the package REMITA for coming to support TSA when it is needed most.

They also said that both CBN Governor and OAGF confirmed that the payable charges is N7.8 Billion as at time of sitting and not N25 Billion as earlier speculated by the Senators.

Insisting that the call for the termination of the contract at this period is not right which interpreted means stoppage of TSA operation. Maintaining that the REMITA on TSA Operation and its intellectual property, should be encouraged and promoted to other countries to earn Nigeria foreign exchange.

“The termination of the contract will derail the TSA operation, undermines anti-corruption stance of the current national government, discourages local IT innovation and kills local content initiative of Federal Government.

ITSSP further said that the review as related to the chargeable cost should not be in retrospect as this discourages local IT innovation and empowerment since the contract offers future renegotiation.

Pointing out that professional charges as derived through CPN Acts of 1993 as gazetted was never considered in arriving at the Committee’s costing and review of charges of REMITA per transaction, even as REMITA is more than e-transfer and e-payment.

Therefore, ITSSP emphasised that Remita is an indigenous software product of developed by Nigerians for the world, hence, the contract should not be terminated but allowed to stay as one of IT products to enhance good government service delivery and transparency.

For Adeoye, Systemspecs, the owners of Remita, is the replica of Microsoft in the making.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) 

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African leaders charged to embrace democratic tenets

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Various speakers at the inaugural African leadership lecture of Segun Adeleye Foundation for Good Leadership in Africa (SAFFGLIA) have charged African leaders to embrace democratic tenets, reports ITRealms.

Some of the speakers who made their views known at the event held at Afe Babalola Auditorium, University of Lagos on Thursday, endorsing democracy.

This, they said, is a system that people are involved in the selection of their leaders.

They also called on leaders, especially in Africa to embrace honesty, sincerity of purpose and epitomize transparency.

Leading speakers at the event was the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who was represented by the Head, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Lagos, Mr. Joe Bankole.

He also said that African leaders must be accountable, pointing out that good leadership comes with good will.

Followers, he said, should learn to talk to themselves by doing the right thing always, stressing that the leader is usually one person who cannot be everywhere, while followers should be able to learn from one another.

Mr. Bankole also pointed out government’s attention to the several unoccupied luxury houses across the country, saying they should be investigated and if the route is via stolen money, such houses should be confiscated.

He advised government to give such houses out to Nigerians who need roof over their heads, mostly when the source of such luxury house is traced to corrupt practices.

Bankole insisted that change in good governance will not come unless all hands are put on the deck.

For the chairman of the day and Chairman, Bi-Courtney Ltd, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), who was represented, emphasized on the need for a better society and better knowledge of history as well as culture.

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Pix: Mrs Tosin Adeleye, Mr. Joe Bankole, Mr. Segun Adeleye and Molara of Bicourtney

Etisalat set to unveil prize winner in literature grand finale

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The third edition of the Etisalat Prize for Literature is now set to unveil winner in what has been described as a three-way literary battle on who emerges  Africa’s most prestigious author, reports ITRealms.

The shortlisted books, ITRealms gathered include The Story of Anna P, as Told by Herself by South Africa’s Penny Busetto, Tram 83 by Democratic Republic of Congo’s Fiston Mwanza Mujila and What Will People Say? by another South African, Rehana Rossouw.

ITRealms reports that the winner of the Etisalat Prize for Literature 2015 will be unveiled at the award ceremony holding at the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island on Saturday March 19, 2016.

This year’s Award Ceremony will embody the theme “Representing the Diversity of African Voices” by showcasing the richness of Africa and how our diversity converges into one unique voice of the continent. It promises to be an exciting event with performances ranging from poetry, monologues and musical performances by Darey and Asa.

Head, Events and Sponsorship, Etisalat Nigeria, Modupe Thani, said that already several activities have been lined up to bring the three shortlisted writers closer to the African public ahead of the award ceremony.

One of which is that on Tuesday, March 15, she said, the writers would be showcased at the 2016 edition of Time of the Writer in University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa where they will feature in a panel of literary giants as they take on conversations that matter on book and knowledge.

The literary event will also feature a presentation of shortlisted books to City of Durban Library by Etisalat Prize for Literature followed by a book reading at the the city's foremost book store with vintage collections, Ike’s Books. The shortlisted writers will also be at the Lagos book reading on Thursday, March 17, the final precursor to the award ceremony which will provide Nigerians with a peep into the minds of the three authors.

The winner of the 2015 Etisalat Prize for Literature will receive £15,000, an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück pen and a high end device, in addition to attending the Etisalat Fellowship at the University of East Anglia under the mentorship of Giles Foden. 

The Etisalat Prize for Literature, she further said, aims to promote the publishing industry at large and will therefore purchase 1000 copies of all shortlisted books which will be donated to various schools, book clubs and libraries across the African continent.

According to Thani, the Etisalat Prize for Literature is not only about debut fiction novels, but also recognizes unpublished short story writers in the Flash Fiction category, and this year’s winner will go home with a cash prize of £1,000 cash, a high end device, and will have his or her published e-book promoted online and via Short Messaging Service (SMS).

 Uj. N. Dominic/GEE
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2016 L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science awards to honour five

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The international scientific community will gather for the 18th edition of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards, to celebrate 5 exceptional women scientists and their groundbreaking works, alongside 15 promising young researchers, reports ITRealms.

According to the organisers, in the face of unprecedented global challenges, from climate change to healthcare to sustainable energy, their discoveries offer new solutions and answers vital questions, which shows that women in science have the power to change the world.

ITRealms also gathered that the 2016 L’ORÉAL-UNESCO for Women in Science Awards which began in 1998 aims to ensure that research in every field takes full advantage of the intelligence, creativity and passion of one-half of the population of the planet.

Helen Da Fonseca of L’Oréal South Africa said, “Over the past 18 years, the program has honoured 92 distinguished Laureates and supported 2,438 greatly talented women for their outstanding accomplishments that contribute to making the world a better place.”

This year, she also said, five brilliant women would be recognised from each of the following regions including Africa and the Arab States, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America.

“The 5 Laureates were nominated by more than 2,600 leading scientists and then selected by an independent and international jury of 13 prominent scientists in the global scientific community. Professor Elizabeth H. Blackburn, 2008 Laureate L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science, 2009 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, is this year President of the jury and the first woman to be at the head of the Jury in the history of the Awards,” she said.

Pointing out that the 2016 Edition of the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Awards celebrates the tenacity, the creativity and the intelligence of 5 eminent women scientists, stressing they would be awarded on March 24th at the Grand Amphitheatre of the Sorbonne in Paris and will receive a Prize of €100,000 each to reward their contribution to science.

The winners of this year include Professor Quarraisha ABDOOL KARIM of CAPRISA, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa for empowering women to help prevent HIV infection in Africa.

Professor Hualan CHEN of the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China for protecting lives from deadly flu viruses. And Professor Andrea GAMARNIK of the Molecular Virology Laboratory, Fundación Instituto Leloir, Conicet, Buenos Aires, Argentina for limiting the spread of Dengue virus.

In addition, Professor Emmanuelle CHARPENTIER of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany is being honoured for reinventing genetic research. While Professor Jennifer DOUDNA of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, United States, also for reinventing genetic research with the power to ‘rewrite’ DNA.

 

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