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Stakeholders Upbeat towards NCS’ 25th National Conference in Enugu

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Enugu state is eager to host the largest annual gathering of IT professional and stakeholders in Nigeria, organized by the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS).

The NCS 2014 conference holds in Enugu from July 23 to 25, 2014 and visits to major stakeholder organizations in Enugu state indicate the host state is fully on board.

Determined to ensure the success of #NCSEnugu2014, stakeholder visits led by Professor David Adewumi, NCS’ President, involved National Executive Council and Local Organizing committee members.

The NCS delegation included: Moses Braimah, NCS Chairman, Conferences committee; Jide Awe, NCS Chairman, Publicity and Events committee and Dadson Nwakalo, Chairman NCS Enugu 2014 Local Organizing Committee.
 
At the stakeholder organizations, NCS explained the rationale for the conference which is organized around the theme: “Building a Knowledge-Based Economy in Nigeria:  The Role of IT”.

NCS further used the meetings to call for conference participation, support, buy-in and innovative collaboration. Stakeholders responded positively and set the pace with their suggestions, novel ideas and strong commitment to the conference’s success.

At the University of Nigeria, Nuskka (UNN), the NCS team was warmly received by Professor Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumba, vice chancellor, and other principal officers of the university – Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, Professor Polycarp Chigbu, Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration, Professor Edwin Igbokwe, Registrar, Mr. Anthony Okonta, Bursar, Mrs Chineze Obi and Librarian, Dr Mrs Chinwe Ezeani.

The VC, UNN, who is a special guest at the conference, welcomed the conference, stating that developing a knowledge based economy was long overdue.

He expressed commitment to IT enabled development promising that functional e-governance would be implemented in UNN during his tenure.

Quite revealing in highlighting his passion for IT were his outstanding achievements in SAP and CCNA certifications.

The visits to NTA Enugu and FRCN Enugu proved to be exciting and stimulating. Deputy Director Engineering, FRCN, Enugu, Engr. Jonas N. Emechebe leading the FRCN management received the NCS team at FRCN, while at NTA, Enugu, the top management led by the Ag. Zonal Director, Enugu network centre, Mathew Otalike engaged with NCS.

The media houses promised adequate coverage before and during the conference. Already the visits have received very good publicity from NTA Enugu and FRCN Enugu.

Other institutions visited were Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Enugu State College of Education (Technical) (ESCET) and Godfrey Okoye University.

The Rector of IMT and the Provost of ESCET and their management teams warmly received the NCS delegation and are committed to participating in the conference.

The NCS team had fruitful discussions with Director of Academic Planning, Godfrey Okoye University, Rev. Sister. Dr. Mary Gloria Njoku who indicated that some lecturers and students of the institution would attend the conference.

According to Mr. Jide Awe, chairman, Publicity, Events and Trade Services Committee, NCS, the conference puts Enugu state and Nigeria on the map – participants are expected from all over the country and from all over the world. NCS’s engagement with the hosts – Enugu state – through stakeholder visits lays a solid foundation for an outstanding conference experience.

NCS organizes the conference to drive practical tech enabled development.

The transformative impact of technology on people’s lives reinforces the need for inclusion, local participation and ownership. Stakeholders in Enugu state are rising to the challenge and are determined to raise the bar.

An unforgettable conference – networking, local solutions, identifying trends, fostering innovation – is about pressing forward to actualize Nigeria’s technology hopes and dreams.

 

 

 


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Students Loans’ Beneficiaries to Start Repayment 2 Years after Graduation-  NELFUND:

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Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has said that students in tertiary institutions and approved vocational centres would start repayment of the loan two years after graduation.

Students Loans’ Beneficiaries to Start Repayment 2 Years after Graduation-  NELFUND:

However, NELFUND management specifically stated that the repayment of the loan would commence if the students secured a job or went into business.

Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, managing director, NELFUND, said the Act specify a moratorium of two years after graduation for the students to begin repayment of the loan.

Sawyerr said if the students start work, his employer would be expected to remit 10 percent into NELFUND dedicated account.

He added: “The loan does not have a specified repayment tenure. It makes it easy for students to apply for the loan. NELFUND would pay according to the documents provided by the institutions. We cannot put tenure on the loan; some will die, drop out, ‘Japa’ or refuse to pay. While those who went into business would pay into same account.

“It is a revolving a loan. We will not put students under pressure to get the loan and we are not going to state a tenure because it is not a commercial loan.’’

According to him, the loan is meant for students in public universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and vocational institutes, who apply via NELFUND portal and are expected to present their JAMB admission letter, NIN and BVN.

He explained that non-students would not have access to the loan and that NELFUND has put the necessary machinery in place to ensure that beneficiaries can be reached when the need arises.

His words: “We are using technology to run the new system. The process of application is online through our dedicated portal and we are limiting human contact as much as possible. Once you have a Bank Verification Number (BVN) and National Identification Number (NIN), which are parts of the requirements, we will have access to your data and all your accounts. This will also help us to know if you are qualified or not,” Sawyerr stated.

The MD disclosed that students already in institution are eligible to apply for the loan at any level of their study and must be at the beginning of each academic session.

He noted that such students would have to provide their admission and matriculation details in addition to BVN and NIN.

Sawyerr added that about 1.2 million Nigerian students in tertiary institutions and government-recognized vocational centres would be among the first batch of beneficiaries and that the figure would increase as time goes on.

The NELFUND boss disclosed that the scheme would be funded from one per cent of the total annual revenue by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), which would amount to N194 billion if the agency meets its projection.

Sawyerr observed that the loan would be paid in two segments, the first, being the school fees, which would be paid directly to the institutions while stipend would be paid into students’ account for their day-to-day upkeep.

He added that the amount individual students would access varies because of the course of study, school fees and geographical location of the institutions.

“You don’t start paying back the loan until two years after your National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme and you have secured a job or business. A beneficiary can defer repayment if he has not secured a job, but if after due diligence, he/she defaulted, then the student becomes a criminal and we will work with government agency that can help us get the money back, for example, EFCC, ICPC,” Sawyerr stated.


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GPA Raises Alarm, Says Malaria Vaccine Can Cause Meningitis

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Global Prolife Alliance (GPA), global health organization, has told the National Assembly that the intended malaria vaccine currently proposed by Bill Gates, American billionaire, for Nigeria can trigger meningitis in the populace.

GPA Raises Alarm, Says Malaria Vaccine Can Cause Meningitis

Dr. Philip Njemanze, chairman of GPA, gave the warning in a statement released to newsmen in Owerri, the Imo state capital.

Njemanze, known for being pro-health in the Catholic church, charged the national assembly not to be in a hurry to succumb to the pressure of the bill currently before the house.

He said the vaccine may trigger the deaths of millions of Nigerian children prone to cerebral meningitis, especially in the northern part of the country.

Part of the letter read “Among the side effects is a tenfold increase in cerebral meningitis. Nigeria is endemic for cerebral meningitis. A tenfold increase could cause the deaths of millions of children, especially in northern Nigeria.

“Please intervene and call for a public hearing, for an open public discussion on the pros and cons with expert opinions from both sides. This will help the Nigerian people to be better informed about granting or withholding consent for the vaccination.

“Your intervention could save millions of lives, especially in northern Nigeria, where meningitis is most endemic, particularly at this time of serious insecurity,” Njemanze warned.

 

 


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NERC Cedes Regulatory Oversight of Enugu Electricity Market to State Government Agency

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The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has ceded the regulatory oversight of the Enugu electricity market to the Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC), which is owned by the state government with effect from May 1, 2024.

This is the first-ever transfer of regulatory powers from the NERC to a state government electricity regulator.

“On completion of the Transfers under subsections (2) and (3), whichever occurs later in time, the Commission shall have no further regulatory responsibility whatsoever for electricity market activities carried on entirely within the State to which regulatory responsibility has been transferred and for which the Additional Successor Company has been incorporated and conferred with assets, liabilities, employees, rights and obligations,” NERC said in a statement signed by Sanusi Garba and Dafe Akpeneye.


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