​FG lifts ban on replacement, activation of SIM

The Federal Government has lifted the earlier suspension order on replacement and activation of old Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card.

In a statement on Thursday, signed by the Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, the Commission said the lifting of the ban was on the condition that the person must have enrolled and obtained the National Identification Number (NIN) the National Identification Number (NIN) .

It will be recalled that the federal government had on December 9, announced the suspension of the sale and activation of new SIM cards across networks.

The suspension order according to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy was expected to last till the completion of the audit of the Subscriber Registration Database, which seeks to achieve global standards and quality in the issuance of SIM Cards.

For the Commission, the lifting of the ban became imperative in line with the federal government’s desire to consolidate the achievement of the SIM Card registration exercise of September 2019.

According to the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), expressed joy over the lifting of the ban.

“Further to engagements with government on the matter, we are pleased to report that our members have been granted permission to carry out SIM replacement upon verification of the customer’s NIN. In this regard, our members are working with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to ensure seamless system connectivity for verification of NINs.”

“We note the challenges experienced by customers seeking to replace or upgrade their SIM cards following the suspension of sale and activation of SIM cards by the government which also affected SIM replacement.

“We empathise with people who have been unable to reactivate their phone lines as a result of the suspension.

”We, therefore, seek the continued patience and understanding of our esteemed subscribers as we work with all stakeholders towards speedy resolution of issues affecting SIM Registration/Swap and activation. We assure you of restoring normal services in a seamless and effective manner as soon as possible.”

​NLC expresses shock over sack of 2,414 teachers in Kwara

Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, has expressed shock over the decision of the kwara State government to disengage 2,414 teachers employed by the immediate past administration.

In a statement yesterday by its chairman, Issa Ore, the union said that the decision to sack that large number of workers was too harsh on the affected people, their families and dependents.

It said the situation would make life unbearable for them and their families; more so that their sack had already created a vacuum in the classrooms, which was also not good for the development of education.

“We wish to stress further that a decision that government will have to re-engage new hands with shallow field experience, may have a big setback on the students.

“We are pleading with His Excellency and the Government of Kwara to please rescind the decision on this issue, so that these teachers can be re-absorbed to continue with their jobs,” it said.

The union argued that by rescinding its decision, government would reduce the rate of unemployment in the state, while commending it further for the immediate payment of seven months’ salary arrears to 594 of the sacked teachers, whose entitlements were withheld since June.

The state government had last week announced the retrenchment of the teachers, under the service of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB),tagged ‘sunset workers’, for allegedly being unqualified as teachers, a claim that was disputed by Organised Labour.

​2020 UTME: No date fixed for sales of application documents yet — JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, yesterday, says no date has been fixed for the commencement of sales of the application documents for its 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.

The board’s Head, Media and Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, disclosed this in an interview with NAN in Lagos.

Benjamin, who was speaking against the backdrop of reports in some sections of the media that the board had already commenced the sales of forms for 2021 application, said that the board had since distanced itself from such report.

According to him, the report is totally false, misleading and malicious.

“The board’s attention has been drawn to some fictitious advertisement for the sales of the 2021 UTME/Direct Entry (DE) application documents purportedly coming from the board.

“This is totally false, and an attempt to mislead the public as the board has not rolled out its 2021 application documents.

“We have clearly defined channels of communication and as soon as we commence the process, the public will be duly informed via the necessary media platforms.

“The board, therefore, want to urge members of the general public not to be hoodwinked into falling prey to the antics of these persons, who derive pleasure in causing confusion.

“We all know the global disruptions caused by the Coronavirus, to education and other sectors of the economy, hence the delay in the commencement of the process as was obtained in previous years,” he said.

He urged members of the public to always cross check with the board through its online platforms for authentic information.