Month: June 2024

The Department of Transport says it is on track to deliver a new driver’s licence card and printing equipment for the country amid the initial challenges of finding a suitable service provider/s.

‘With the evaluation and adjudication of the bids completed, the department is almost on the brink of pronouncing a new dawn in the driving licence card environment, with the audit process being the only last hurdle standing in the way,’ the department said on Monday.

Cabinet gave a go-ahead for the department to produce a new driving license card for the country on 30 August 2022.

As a result, the department embarked on its first attempt to source a service provider to deliver a turnkey solution.

‘The above bid was advertised on 10 November 2022. This bid process was unsuccessful, resulting in a re-advertisement of the bid on 5 April 2023. Bid DLCA/2023/01: Provision of a Turnkey Solution for Personalisation of Smart Driving Cards in South Africa was advertised in the government tender portal,’ the department sa
id.

The above bid closed on 5 May 2023, and owing to its technical complexity, this bid continues to be under consideration, which requires the department to adhere to prescribed supply chain management (SCM) prescripts and regulations.

Guided by the above, the department received five bids from the following bidders:

Ren-form Corporate Print Media.

Nec Xon Systems (Pty) Ltd.

Muehlbauer ID Services

Gemalto Altron Fintech Southern Africa.

Idemia Identity and Security – South Africa.

With the evaluation and adjudication of the bid completed, the department has emphasised that the bid is undergoing standard and required probity/audit processes.

The department cannot finalise the bid process until the above is completed.

‘The department pleads for patience as it is prohibited by law not to poke its nose into the affairs of the bidding committees. In compliance with the rules and regulations on tender processes, the department can therefore not be characterised as lacking transparency. The department wil
l pronounce on this matter when all processes have been completed,’ it said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Nigeria’s media are among the institutions whose role in the struggle for the return of the country’s democracy in May 29, 1999 stand out.

In fact, the media remained unbowed in the heat of onslaught unleashed by the regime of Gen. Sani Abacha, now late and other military junta.

Many activists were involved in the struggle that ousted the military junta that hijacked political power through coups and counter coups for cumulative 29 out of 39 years of Nigeria’s independence in 1960.

Many human rights infractions were committed by the junta as democracy and rights activists such as Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka Ken-Saro Wiwa, Lola Omolol, Dan Suleiman, Ebitu Ukiwe and now President Bola Tinubu battled the military.

They found partners in a fearless media some of whom witnessed proscriptions and other forms of attacks as they rose stoutly in challenge of the Khaki junta.

Some journalists lost their lives in the struggle while others suffered other forms of deprivations, including ‘routine’ detentio
n in security agencies’ dungeons.

But in spite of the contributions made by the fourth estate of the realm, not much respect and recognition seem to have come their way 25 years after the unbroken democratic governance.

Most journalists, especially those in the private media organisations, are either poorly paid or not placed on salaries.

The problem of all important training and re-training of newsmen cut across both private and public media organisations.

Dr Chris Isiguzo, President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), said it was unfortunate that in spite of their unquantifiable contribution to the return to democracy the media remain under appreciated by the society and politicians.

‘Journalists and media houses took immense risks, often facing persecution, imprisonment, and even death, to ensure that the voices of the oppressed were heard and for the calls on democratic governance to be amplified.

‘The press served as a beacon of hope and a rallying point for pro-democracy activists and groups, r
elentlessly exposing the injustices and human rights abuses perpetrated by the military regimes.

‘Their courage and tenacity played a critical role in mobilising public opinions and international support for the cause of democracy,’ he said.

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Isiguzo says in the 25 years since the restoration of democratic governance, the media has continued to play a crucial role in consolidating and deepening democracy in Nigeria.

‘It has been instrumental in holding government and public officials accountable, advocating transparency, and promoting good governance.

‘Through investigative journalism, the media has uncovered numerous instances of corruption and abuse of power, thereby contributing to the fight against corruption and enhancing public trust in democratic institutions,’ he said.

He said the implementation of restrictive laws; especially the Cybercrimes Prohibition Act of 2015 and the occasional hostility from certain government q
uarters underscore the ongoing struggle for true press freedom more than two decades after return to democracy.

Isiguzo insists that for democracy to thrive, it is imperative that the government not only respects but actively protects the rights of journalists to report freely.

‘Many Nigerians rely on the media to stay informed and hold leaders accountable. However, the relationship is sometimes strained due to issues of trust and credibility.

‘The proliferation of misinformation platforms and sensationalism in some segments of the media has led to skepticism among the public,’ he said.

Malam Ali Baba Inuwa, the immediate past Head, Politics Desk, News Agency of Nigeria believes that poor welfare and lack of common front among media professionals are top on the problems affecting the profession.

‘When the struggle for media salary structure was being pursued it was some journalists and proprietors of media organisations that scuttled it.

‘Yet it was the media that aided the struggle for enhanced salarie
s for medical doctors, nurses, legal officials and other groups,’ he said.

Inuwa, a retired veteran journalist also said that the albatross of media practice in Nigeria are both the society and government.

‘I began my media practice in the 1990s and the respect for the media then was better than what we are seeing now.

‘In spite the position of the media in the fight for the return of civil rule, the military had good respect and the people held journalists in higher esteem than now.

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‘I recalled with nostalgia, in NAN quarters then, it was only two persons that had Volkswagen cars, the salary wasn’t too fantastic and yet people respected us when they noticed we are journalists in social gatherings’ he said.

Inuwa, who recently retired from the services of NAN, said Nigerians, especially politicians, no longer regard the media and their contributions in restoration of civil rule.

‘I was driving an SUV vehicle recently and at a ch
eckpoint, security personnel stopped me, when I introduced myself as a journalist, he said ‘hmm,’ does journalist also drive jeep,’ he said.

Inuwa, however, urged Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to sanitise the profession by flushing out quacks, even as he urged the federal government to revisit the media salary structure demand.

This, he said, was important for Nigeria’s media to effectively operate as catalyst for social change.

For Emmanuel Ifesinachi, the Vice-President NUJ, South East Zone, it is unfortunate that the media was at the front burner in the struggle for the return of democracy but today treated as the goose that lays the golden egg.

‘Some journalists such as late Dele Giwa were manhandled, brutalised, jailed and even killed in the course of the struggle to restore democracy.

‘It is painful and unbelievable that the Media which served as the oxygen for democracy after its members’ paid high prize for the enthronement of democracy are now seen as misfit, unwanted, irrelevant and liabil
ity in the Society.

‘The political class now perceived the media as their enemies either that they don’t understand the function of journalism or they don’t want the society to properly assess information to enable the citizens enjoy full dividends of democracy’, he said.

Ifesinachi blamed quackery in the profession on poor welfare scheme because authentic newsmen were moving to more lucrative disciplines.

‘The media has been acting as a voice for the oppressed and a platform for pro-democracy movements.

‘During the military regime, journalists faced harassment, imprisonment, and censorship but persisted in exposing abuses and advocating for democratic values.

‘In the 25 years of unbroken democracy, the media has been instrumental in promoting transparency, accountability and civic engagement therefore should be recognised and given its place of honour,’ said Grace Ike, of ADBN Television Media Organisation and chairperson, House of Representatives Press Corps.

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, Wike

Ike said challenges such as press freedom limitations, harassment, and the spread of misinformation still persist, requiring efforts to safeguard journalistic independence and integrity.

According to her, the media should be a cornerstone in Nigeria’s quest for better governance, serving as a watchdog that holds leaders accountable, informs the public, and fosters transparency.

She observed that those basking in the euphoria of the silver jubilee of the nation’s return to democracy should be made to remember how democracy was won.

Igwe Nomeh, former state chairman of People Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi, shares the same sentiment as Ike.

He said as Nigeria celebrates democracy rule, the media should be respected for its role in the struggle that gave rise to the celebration.

‘In the dark days of military regime, journalists fearlessly put their lives on the line to expose various human rights violations which attracted both regional and international interests resulting to the return of civilian
administration in 1999,’ he said.

Nomeh added even the political class who today is the highest beneficiary of democracy was not too visible during the struggle.

‘I treasure the contributions of the media because without them, the military would have continued to hold everyone hostage,’ he said.

Nomeh observed with regrets that in spite the contributions of the media, not much attention is being given to the sector by the government.

He recommended a good welfare package and development of the profession through training and re-training as done in other climes.

It is evident that the media professionals in Nigeria have not been appreciated enough as evident in the poor welfare, working tools and environment in which they operate.

It is therefore incumbent on media operators, both private and public to re-evaluate what they provide for their media employees.

That is one of the best ways to ensure newsmen also enjoy the dividends of democracy which they worked for.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The City of Tshwane has set the wheels in motion towards formalising partnerships that will contribute towards addressing the city’s water and sanitation related challenges.

The National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is among the strategic partners which the city has approached not only to be involved as a regulator, but to also collaborate on various issues and leveraging the department’s technical and financial resources to jointly address the metropolitan municipality’s other challenges, including the Hennops River pollution, Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works and inadequate human resources.

The City of Tshwane and the department have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on various strategic areas including infrastructure planning and development, water resource planning and infrastructure solutions, and capacity building for the municipal officials.

The agreement was signed on Monday by Tshwane City Manager, Johann Mettler and Deputy Director-General for Water and Sanita
tion Services, Dr Risimati Mathye, at the city’s headquarters in Tshwane House.

The parties said discussions are at an advanced stage to finalise a flagship engineering candidacy development programme, which will see the secondment of candidate engineers to the City of Tshwane, as well as professional engineers who will be contracted to the city for a three-year period.

A team of engineers has undergone training under the department.

In addition, the Department of Water and Sanitation will offer free mentorship through its database of mentors to the candidate engineers to assist them to obtain their professional registration with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).

Once implemented successfully, the programme will assist the city in complying with the new ECSA Identification of Engineering Work Regulations.

Mathye said collaboration between the two entities is significant, particularly on the Water and Sanitation side, to fulfil its role as a regulator of the water and sanitation sector.

‘Ad
dressing our major water challenges requires a collaborative effort between the city and key water stakeholders and the DWS is one of those key players.

‘We have been facing significant water challenges which have been affecting some of our residents for a longer period [and] some of these challenges can be linked to ageing infrastructure and maintenance challenges at some of our Water Treatment Plants.

‘We are pleased by the will and zeal that has been shown by the city in ensuring collaborative efforts and allow us to work together in different spheres of government to ensure efficient services to the residents of Tshwane. It has always been our intention to work with local government across to capacitate them where we can, to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 6, to realise clean water and decent sanitation provision to communities,’ Mathye said.

Other key areas of collaboration that the MoU will focus on include:

Water resource planning and infrastructure solutions in line with
the city’s Climate Action Plan.

Infrastructure planning and development.

Collaboration on water and sanitation-related programmes.

Sustainable Development Goal 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation.

Training and capacity building including secondment of staff between the parties.

Education and awareness campaigns.

Knowledge-sharing.

Benchmarking of programmes like Green Drop, Blue Drop, No Drop.

Joint enforcement programmes for water pollution prevention.

Exploration of alternative water and sanitation technologies with DWS and its entities.

Key bulk infrastructure in line with the Metropolitan Spatial Development Framework and Regionalised Spatial Development Framework.

Any other additional area that the parties may agree to collaborate on in future.

The signed MoU reinforces the ideal of the Intergovernmental Relations Act, Act No. 13 of 2005 which implores a concerted effort by government in all spheres to work together and to integrate as far as possible their actions in the provision of s
ervices, the alleviation of poverty and the development of society.

Source: South African Government News Agency

An Abuja-based human rights and constitutional lawyer, Emmanuel Ekpenyong, has filed a motion for leave to appeal at the Supreme Court, the judgment of Court of Appeal, Abuja delivered on March 27, which dismissed his case against the Federal Government.

It would be recalled that the Court of Appeal had, on March 27, dismissed Ekpenyong’s appeal on the alleged prevalence of extra-judicial killings in the country and affirmed the decision of the trial court.

The appellate court upheld a Federal High Court (FHC) Abuja judgment delivered by Justice Nkeonye Maha, on May 6, 2022, that dismissed his suit seeking to address the alleged increasing cases of extra-judicial killings by the law enforcement agencies and non-state actors in Nigeria.

The three-member Justices, chaired by Justice Joseph Oyewole, unanimously held that the appellant, Ekpenyong of the law firm of Fred-Young and Evans LP, lacked requisite locus standi (legal right) to institute the suit.

Justice Oyewole-led panel also awarded a N250, 000 c
osts against the lawyer.

However, in a notice of notion for leave to appeal marked: CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CU/582mi/2024 between Emmanuel Ekpenyong Esq. Vs. President, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of the Federation, the lawyer sought two orders.

The motion, dated and filed June 5, was made available to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.

He sought an order granting him leave to appeal against the decision of the Appeal Court in appeal number: CA/ABJ/CV/1200/2022, on grounds of mixed law and facts as set out in his proposed notice of appeal annexed as ‘Exhibit JO3.’

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He also sought an order granting leave to him to appeal against the concurrent findings of the FHC in suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/755/2020; and the judgment of the Appeal Court in appeal no. CA/ABJ/CV/1200/2022; on the extent of his right to life guaranteed under Section 33 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

In the proposed notice of appeal, Ekpenyong
contended that the Appeal Court justices misdirected themselves and erred in law when they held that reasonable cause of action vest him with the requisite locus standi to institute the suit.

He said the judges also erred in law when they failed to consider the provisions of Article 3 (e) of the Fundamental Right Enforcement Procedure Rules, 2009 which confirmed his locus standi in the suit.

He said instead, they relied on the general principle of law on reasonable cause to arrive at the conclusion that he had no locus standi to institute his fundamental human right suit.

He argued that the appellate court erred in law when they held that his suit for interpretation of the extent of his constitutional right to life enshrined in Section 33 (1) of the Constitution did not disclose a reasonable cause of action and is mere academic and hypothetical.

According to him, the Court of Appeal did not state why the surviving paragraphs of the affidavit in support of the originating summons did not constitute a reaso
nable cause of action.

Ekpenyong equally argued that the court erred in law when it affirmed the trial court’s award of N100, 000 costs against him and awarded an additional cost of N250, 000 against him, even where the trial court did not state its reason for the fine.

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Besides, he said that no valid reason could be seen from the Court of Appeal’s sanction as well against him for prosecuting a suit for interpretation of his constitutional right to life enshrined in Section 33 (1) of the Constitution’

Against these backgrounds, he argued that ‘the findings of both the trial court and Court of Appeal is perverse and was reached as a result of a wrong approach to the evidence before them and a wrong application of principle of substantive law and procedure.’

He said there was a need for him to appeal their decision to the Supreme Court for the court to interfere with the findings of both courts.

‘This constitutes an exceptional circu
mstance for this Honourable Court to grant this application,’ Ekpenyong said.

He equally said that being dissatisfied with the judgment of the Court of Appeal, he is desirous of appealing against the concurrent findings in the judgment of both the lower and upper courts on questions of mixed law and facts.

The lawyer said the application is made in the interest of justice.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

As South Africa celebrates Youth Month, the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture has reiterated its commitments to continue to develop the sport, arts, and culture sectors.

‘As we continue to advance the socioeconomic gains of our democracy, we commit, as government, to continue our endeavour to quantify, to lift and to develop the country’s sport, arts and culture sectors,’ Acting Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Maropene Ramokgopa said on Monday.

She made these remarks ahead of the Youth Day commemorations, which will take place on Sunday at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

This year’s celebrations take place under the theme: ‘Actively advancing socioeconomic gains in our democracy’.

‘We celebrate the socioeconomic gains that have been made in our democracy, yet also acknowledge that there is more to be done. Sport, arts, and culture play an important role in the mood and identity of our nation. Our commitment stands to continue developing the sectors,’ Ramokgopa said.

The Minister called o
n South Africans to work together and embrace the country’s diversity to further strengthen democracy.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) on Monday disowned reports in some sections of the media alleging that it inflated subsidy claims by N3.3trillion.

A statement issued by Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd., stated that the company had always conducted its businesses accountably and transparently, with international best practices.

Soneye said NNPC Ltd. had at no time inflated its subsidy claims with the Federal Government, noting that all previous subsidy claims by the company were verifiable, as relevant records and documents had been sent to relevant authorities and agencies.

He said that NNPC Ltd. was neither aware of any audit of its subsidy claims nor probe, noting that the ridiculous reports were the products of the imagination of the reporters and their respective media houses.

‘NNPC Ltd. will resist any attempt to drag the company into the apparent politics of fuel subsidy as it currently operates on commercial basis and on the express provi
sions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

‘It is on record that in line with its Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE) mantra, NNPC Ltd. has, on several occasions, independently invited external auditors to review its books.

‘NNPC Ltd. calls on media practitioners and media houses to exercise restraint and verify information before publication in keeping with the ethics of the noble profession of journalism to avoid misleading the public,’ Soneye added.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria