Standup9ja: Buhari names board members for federal agencies, parastatals

Standup9ja: Buhari names board members for federal agencies, parastatals

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved appointments into the executive management of some government agencies and parastatals. Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement yesterday.

According to the statement, the new chairman of the board of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) is former newspaper editor and ex-presidential spokesman, Chief Duro Onabule. Other executive directors of the NTA include Dr Steve Egbo, Administration and Training; Abdul Hamid Salihu Dembos, Marketing; Mohammed Labbo, News; Fatima M. Barda, Finance; Stephen Okoanachi, Engineering; and Wole Coker, Programmes.

At the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Aliyu Hayatu is new chairman, while Buhari Auwalu and Yinka Amosun are Zonal Directors in Kaduna and Lagos, respectively.

Under the Ministry of Information and Culture, the following agencies have new appointees: Nigerian Film Corporation, Dr Chika Maduekwe, General Manager; National Theatre and National Troupe of Nigeria, Comrade Tar Ukoh, Artistic Director; National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, Director-General; National Film and Video Censors Board, Folorunsho Coker, Director-General.

At the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is chairman while the new Director-General is Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja.

Other members of the NEMA board are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. David Babachir Lawal, Captain Talba Alkali, representing Ministry of Transport and Aviation; Amb. Rabiu Dagari, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Dr Ngozi Azadoh, Ministry of Health; Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido, Ministry of Interior; Engr. Ajisegiri Benson Akinloye, Ministry of Water Resources; AVM Emmanuel Anebi, Nigerian Armed Forces and AIG Salisu Fagge Abdullahi, Nigeria Police Force.

 

Standup9ja: MTN pays N30bn to Nigeria

Standup9ja: MTN pays N30bn to Nigeria

Telecoms giant MTN has paid an additional N30bn to the federal government as part settlement of a N330bn fine imposed on the company for not disconnecting unregistered SIM cards, according to Reuters.

Having paid N80bn in December, the current payment brings the amount paid out of the fine so far to N110bn. The fine is due for payment in six installments over three years, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

MTN Nigeria was originally fined $5.2bn last October for failing to deactivate more than five million unregistered SIM cards, but the fine was reduced in a settlement that paved the way for MTN to list its subsidiary on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

MTN, which operates in 20 countries, had set aside $600m last year to pay the fine.

Two months after making the first payment from the fine, the MTN Group declared its first full-year loss, blaming it on the fine.

Negotiations on payment of the fine lasted eight months, which saw both parties going in and out of the courts.

Tony Ojobo, the NCC’s spokesman had said by the terms of agreement, the money would be made in six tranches. He gave the breakdown as: N30bn into NCC’s treasury single account (TSA) with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) 30 days from June 10, 2016.He said other dates and amounts of the agreements were: March 31, 2017 (N30bn)   March 31, 2018 (N55bn), December 31, 2018 (N55bn), March 31, 2019 (N55bn) and May 31, 2019 (N55bn).

Meanwhile, the MTN group awarded the Executive Chairman, Phuthuma Nhleko, 72.2 million Rand ($5.6m) in pay and bonuses last year after he negotiated a reduced fine with Nigerian regulators and shook up the senior management, Bloomberg reported.