By Our Correspondent

To guide against fraudulent practices in the nation’s financial institutions, an Ad-hoc Committee of the House of Representatives investigating deduction of taxes and sundry charges from civil and public servants earnings and multiple bank charges on customers account in Nigeria has given the commercial banks operating in Nigeria a 4-Day deadline to submit all requested documents on their charges

The House probe panel also insisted on the appearances of the Chief Executive Officers CEOs of these financial institutions at the investigative hearing and rejected representation of any bank CEO without authorization letter to the panel appropriately signed.

Chairman of the House Committee Hon. Kelechi Nwogu in a remark at the commencement of the House panel session on Tuesday in Abuja said that the House probe panel is mandated to ensure that all deductions of charges by banks on customers account must be fined rightly and used rightly.

He further stated that the House Committee had extended invitation to the Ministry of Finance, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation OAGF, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC and commercial banks operating in Nigeria on the investigation.

The House Committee members during the investigation said that the commercial banks are perpetrating illegality by deducting inexplicable charges from civil servants, public servants and other customers bank accounts without remittances.

The House Committee Chairman and some members who rejected representation of the CEOs of GT Bank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank and other commercial banks cannot hold waters as they insisted that they must appear before the panel unfailingly

He said: “You cannot appear here without an identity. We are not here on our own. We are here on the mandate of the people that elected us into parliament.

“We have resolved to meet next week Wednesday. You must submit all requested documents on or before Monday.

“We will go through all the documents and we will put you on oath”.

“It will not be well if we invite you here again and you tell us the same story. We have given a deadline that any bank that failed to submit the requested documents on Monday must be sanctioned”.

The House Committee Chairman said that the House panel is not leaving any stone unturned to unravel why the commercial banks engage in spurious decudctoon of charges on their customers account.

Other members of the panel notably Hon Chidi Mark Obeta,Hon. Engr Dominic Okafor,and other members while speaking in support at the hearing demanded that the bank chief executive officers must appear before the panel unfailingly.

By Joshua Kingsley Kenneth

For over two months Nigerians have been awashed with the threat by the United States President, Donald Trump, to send in troops into Nigeria, to identify and eliminate terrorists and so-called bandits killing citizens and sacking communities.

The statistics have dwelt largely on the gruesome killings of unarmed and innocent Nigerians in different parts of the country- from Benue to Taraba, Borno to Kogi States, just to list a few.

Not long ago the country again woke to a stark reminder of the abduction of school with 300 kidnapped from a Catholic school in Niger State, and another 24 taken hostage from Government Girls Comprehensive secondary school in Maga in Kebbi state.

Added to this horrendous list of insecurities and woes are the killings and abductions in Kwara State, and the general air of danger and fear that has gripped the country resulting in unquantifiable economic losses and a credibility crisis on the part of the federal government.

It therefore did not come as a surprise to many, especially victims of these dastardly attacks, when the United States through the activism of some of its lawmakers inspired President Trump to move against Nigeria, especially seeing that the federal government had failed in its primary responsibility of protecting lives and properties of citizens.

Whilst JOSHUA K B DISABILITIES RIGHTS AND SUPPORT INITIATIVES, a non-governmental organization committed to promoting the rights, welfare and wellbeing of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the country joins the millions of well meaning and right thinking Nigerians and the international community in condemning the heinous and barbaric acts of killings, abductions and the insecurity engendered by terrorists, bandits, non-state actors, other criminals, their financiers and supporters whoever and wherever they may be, we call for urgent attention to Persons who may have been disabled by this phenomenon.

We call on the federal government, especially the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, National Emergency Management Agency, state governments, the armed forces and other intervention partners to urgently identify victim-PWDs from these crises and provide such interventions that would help them integrate into the economic and political lives of their immediate communities and the country at large.

We are convinced that such quick interventions would prevent a stage two crisis such as depression, low self esteem, poverty, and a host of other debilitating post crisis trauma that would further deteriorate their situations.

We also call on military authorities to provide meaningful economic, social, material and other forms of assistance and interventions to service men who are now members of the PWDs community following their sacrifices on the line of duty.

As an organisation focused on advancing the course of PWDs, JOSHUA K B DISABILITIES RIGHTS AND SUPPORT INITIATIVES uses this opportunity to sensitise relevant authorities, CSOs and other stakeholders that the various violent armed conflicts and attacks in the country has caused physical harms, leading to new disabilities or worsening existing conditions.

It has caused families to flee homes, lose livelihoods and resources, forced many, especially old and PWDs, into begging and extreme hardship.

JOSHUA K B DISABILITIES RIGHTS AND SUPPORT INITIATIVES also calls the attention of stakeholders to the struggle PWDs to escape danger due to inaccessible environments, making them targets for abuse, neglect, and exploitation during crises.

Systems and measures must be put in place to pull PWDs from severe neglect, discrimination, and lack of basic needs like food and healthcare which they face in camps and displaced.

By Our Correspondent

The Federal Government and the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund ( NSITF) Monday threw weights behind bill on Social Security Trust Fund which seeks to harmonize the existing NSITF Act and the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) 2010 for better service delivery.

This is as the Senate through its committee on Employment , Labour and Productivity , assured all stakeholders at public hearing organised for their inputs into the proposed legislation , very acceptable law for all .

The bill sponsored by Senator Cyril Fasuyi ( Ekiti North) , primarily seeks to expand the scope of NSITF into social security through harmonization of NSITF Act of 1993 and the Employees Compensation Act 2010 which will transformed NSITF to Nigeria Social Security Trust Fund ( NSSTF).

In his presentation at the public hearing , the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NSITF , Mr Oluwaseun Faleye, commended the Senate for what he termed a “strategic and forward-looking legislative intervention.

The new bill according to him, marks a decisive step towards modernising Nigeria’s social security framework in line with global standards, especially the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102), and the Tripartite Consultation Convention, 1976 (No. 144).

One of the most significant elements of the Bill, according to him, is the repeal of both the NSITF Act of 1993 and the ECA 2010.

Their co-existence, he explained, had resulted in operational ambiguities, particularly after the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014 transferred contributory pension functions from NSITF to the National Pension Commission.

“The consolidation of the two Acts into a single, coherent statute is timely, necessary, and commendable. It eliminates duplication, resolves conflicts, and strengthens the legal framework of the Fund.

“The Bill’s expansion of social security coverage to include informal sector workers and self-employed persons is a historic step towards inclusive protection for all categories of working Nigerians”, he said .

Despite its broad support for the Bill, the NSITF raised concerns about what it described as the “misapplication” of the term Board throughout the document. Faleye warned that using the word to refer simultaneously to governance, oversight, and day-to-day administrative functions could create confusion and weaken accountability.

“The Board meets quarterly, while daily operations are under the Managing Director. The Bill must distinguish clearly between the Governing Board as oversight body, Management as administrators, and the Agency as the implementing institution,” he said.

He recommended that the Bill adopt clearer definitions similar to those used in the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Act, where the Board’s role is separated from that of the Executive Chairman, who functions as the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer.

Faleye concluded by reaffirming NSITF’s full support for the passage of the Bill, describing it as “progressive, timely, and aligned with global best practices.”

In his remarks , the Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi described the move by the Senate on the proposed law as very beautiful idea .

He however urged the Senate through its committee on Labour to arrive at safe and acceptable position for all stakeholders by striking the required balance between powers of management team and that of the board .

Though the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC) and Nigerian Employers Consultative Association ( NECA ) , kicked against the bill, but NLC led by its National President, Joe Ajaero , later succumbed, saying ” we are not here for we no go gree, we no gree .. ”

” Since many of the other critical stakeholders have supported the bill, NLC is not hellbent in opposing it . But the grey areas we identified during presentation , should be addresed by the committee .

After exhaustive deliberation at the public hearing , the Committee , Chairman , Senator Diket Plang ( Plateau Central ) , assured Nigerians of very acceptable law on social security trust fund very soon .