Only 1.78 per cent Nigerian workforce is captured in the pension pot of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and have a secured life after retirement, a report obtained by The Nation has shown.

The report released by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) indicated that the 1.78 per cent represents 8.79 million workers captured under the Scheme.

Besides, the number of workers in the country increased from 8.63 million contributors at the end of the preceding quarter of 2019 to 8.79 million during the second quarter of 2019.

The membership growth however represents only 29 per cent of about 30 million work force under the formal sector, out of the 200 million population of the country.

It also represents 8.7 per cent of the overall 100 million working population of the country.

Meanwhile, the country’s total pension fund assets hit N9.32 trillion in June 2019.

The commission attributed the growth in scheme membership to the increased level of compliance by the private sector.

It stated that the compliance by the private sector is as a result of the various steps taken by the commission to improve compliance and coverage, as well as marketing strategies of the pension managers, the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs).

Suffice to state that the informal sector constitutes an estimated 70 million work force in the country and represents an estimated 88 per cent of Nigerian workers that lack pensions and safety nets for their old age.

To capture more workers under the safety nets, the Federal Government through PenCom said her goal is to achieve coverage of 30 million people in the informal sector by 2024. This according to the commission will be achieved through the Micro Pension Plan (MPP) launced by President Muhammadu Buhari in March, this year.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos, the Acting Director General, National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mrs Aisha Dahir-Umar said the MPP which is an initiative of the commission is aimed at the provision of pension services to self-employed persons in the informal sector and employees of organisations with less than three staff.

She said: “The commission planned extending pension coverage to 30 million contributors by 2024, thereby ensuring that 40 per cent adult Nigerians are covered under the CPS. President Mohammadu Buhari, in March, 2019, launched the micro pension scheme to provide the informal sector with a veritable means of securing old age income.

“We believe that the implementation of the MPP would yield positive results for Nigerians and the industry. We have put in place requisite infrastructure to facilitate seamless implementation of MPP. The Enhanced Contribution Registration System (ECRS) has been deployed to facilitate seamless operations of the MPP. This system has so far aided the smooth registration of micro pension contributors.”

A member of the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Justice Sheriff Hafizu, has said there were enough evidence to prove that Senator Godswill Akpabio was denied victory in the February 23 National Assembly election.

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and the All Progressives Congress candidate for the Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district had challenged the election of Dr. Chris Ekpenyong, of the People’s Democratic Party, who was declared the winner of the election.

Justice Hafizu in a minority judgement on  Wednesday night held that Akpabio won the election and ought to have been returned as the duly elected Senator for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.

The W. O Akanbi-led tribunal had, in a majority judgement on Wednesday night, upheld the election of Dr. Chris Ekpenyong as the winner of the February 23rd National Assembly election and dismissed the petition of Godswill Akpabio.

Akanbi with the concurrence of Justice Ebetu dismissed the petition on the grounds that it was too weak to support the allegations of none compliance with the electoral laws.

But in a dissenting minority judgement, Justice Hafizu held that the argument of the Respondents that Senator Akpabio ought to have called unit polling agents to prove his case was wrong adding that Akpabio had not challenged the results of the units and therefore there was nothing to prove.

According to him, the case of Senator Akpabio was cancellation of duly collated votes at INEC office which went beyond the units.

He said he found merit in the Petitioner’s case that his collated votes which showed that he won the election were cancelled by an INEC official to give  victory to the People’s Democratic Party candidate

Justice Hafizu also held that from the evidence adduced during the trial it was obvious that the Returning Officer had cancelled the votes of Obot Akara Local Government Area due to an established case of over-voting and said it was wrong for the same cancelled result to be revalidated in INEC office in Uyo.

The Minority Judge also submitted that the Witnesses of the Respondents were unreliable as they gave contradictory evidence during trial.

He cited cases of witnesses who had alleged that they were abducted by APC thugs and forced to thumb-print for the party only for card reader reports to put a lie to such claims, a contention that the majority judgement glossed over.

According to Justice Hafizu, INEC was wrong to have cancelled the 61,329 votes by APC in Essien Udim Local Government Area against PDP score of 9,050 votes. He said the unlawful cancellation of the votes was a clear case of robbery since it did not follow the due process of INEC guidelines.

Accordingly, Justice Hafizu voided the declaration of Engr Ekpenyong as the winner of the election and declared his return invalid.

He also declared Senator Akpabio as the winner of the election for having the majority of the lawful votes and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to present a certificate of return to Senator Akpabio as the duly elected Senator of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.

Supporters the APC and lawyers applauded the minority  judgement of Justice Hafizu, describing it as sound and bound to stand the test of time.

In his reaction, counsel for Senator Akpabio, Mr Adekunle Oyesanya ( SAN), praised Justice Hafizu for his courage in giving the dissenting judgement and expressed the readiness of Senator Akpabio to go on appeal, adding that Justice Hafizu’s minority judgement represented the position of the law.

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi would be “thrilled” if Neymar returned to the Catalan side but insisted they could still win trophies without the Brazilian.

In an interview with the Catalan newspaper Sport this week, Messi said the return of Neymar, who was at Barca from 2013 and 2017 when he left for Paris Saint-Germain, could only strengthen the Spanish champions.

“I would be thrilled if Neymar came back,” said the Argentine.

“I understand that not everyone agrees. That’s normal after everything that happened around Neymar, the way in which he left, the way he abandoned us.

“But when you look at the sporting angle, for me Neymar is one of the best players in the world and obviously would improve our chances of getting the results we want.”

The summer transfer window saw an on-off soap opera surrounding the 27-year-old’s apparent desire to leave PSG, who paid a world record 222 million euros ($264 million at the time) in 2017, with Barcelona and Real Madrid both linked.

Ultimately he stayed in the French capital, at least for the time being.

“I am not disappointed,” said Messi. “I would have liked it if he had come and been with us but, as I have said, we have an exceptional squad to challenge for every title, even without him.”

Messi denied reports he had used his influence to try and force the Barcelona board to push through the deal.

“Here, it is not me that gives the orders,” he said. “We never said that he had to be brought in. We didn’t make any demands.”

“I don’t know if the club (Barcelona) wanted it to happen. What I do know is that Neymar really wanted it. But I understand it is very difficult to negotiate with PSG.”

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu said on Friday Neymar “did everything” to force through a return to the Camp Nou in the close season, but his club could “not meet” the French champions’ demands.

An Austrian man who smuggled 88 living reptiles including 43 poisonous snakes from the Philippines was stopped by customs officers at Vienna airport, Austria’s Finance Ministry said Thursday.

When the Austrian national arrived via Doha on Sunday, the officers screened his suitcase and saw that it was full of animals.

After the man admitted that it contained poisonous snakes, the officers decided to transfer the closed luggage to Vienna’s Schoenbrunn Zoo, where experts opened it.

They found Samar cobras, Mangrove snakes, and vipers, as well as dozens of monitor lizards and geckos. Many of the smaller animals were transported in nylon stockings.

The traveler said that he had planned to sell the reptiles at a fair in Germany.

He faces legal proceedings for alleged breach of Austria’s law regulation trade in protected species.

The zoo in Vienna, as well as an Austrian reptile zoo, agreed to take in the animals.

Following the Xenophobic attacks in South Africa, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye has appealed to Nigerians not to retaliate.

He said that it is better to leave the matter for the government to handle, and not for citizens to take laws into their hands.

He made this appeal on Friday night, at the monthly Holy Ghost Service of the church, tagged “Lifted into Glory.”

Nigerians had during the week attacked business and firms of South African origin in major parts of the country, in retaliation of attacks suffered by Nigerians living in South Africa.

It is alleged that the people of the rainbow nation were against the Nigerians because they believe that the foreigners are overtaking their jobs in their own land.

Adeboye, speaking to his congregation at the Redemption Camp, recalled what happened in 1966, just before the Nigerian civil war, when the former leader of the Republic of Biafra, Odumegwu Ojukwu announced that he could not guarantee the safety of those who came outside the eastern region, asking them to return back home.

He recalled that the people of the east were nice to the strangers, as the university authorities made plans to transport them back home, until they got information that the students of the University of Ibadan were holding their people from the east hostage, saying they would not be released until everyone from the western region had returned.

“You don’t know what it means to be in another man’s land, not knowing what will happen. Be careful. Don’t retaliate against South Africa because of the Nigerians who are still in South Africa,” Adeboye said.

Speaking further, the General Overseer said “Anytime they say that a university is rioting, the people who are rioting are usually ten per cent of the population of the university, the rest of us lock ourselves in the room, reading.

“The average South African is a decent person, I know that. Those who are causing the trouble are not many. If you have a South African living near you, show them love, protect them from any harm.

“If the government was to repatriate all Nigerians from South Africa, they will be back in the next two months. Do we have enough jobs for those who stayed back in Nigeria, in the first place, not to talk of repatriating people back?

“For the sake of your kit and kin, don’t retaliate against South Africa, let us leave this issue for government to handle, while we pray for God to give them wisdom and understanding to handle the situation,” the revered cleric appealed.

The Taraba State National and State House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja has upheld the election of Senator Emmanuel Bwacha representing Taraba South Senatorial District on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A three-man panel of the tribunal, led by Justice E. I. Oritsejafor, in a unanimous judgment on Saturday, dismissed the petition by Bauka Ishaya Gamgum of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Oritsejafor, in the lead judgment, held that the petitioners failed to prove their claim of over-voting and substantial non-compliance.

Earlier, the tribunal upheld the preliminary objection of the 2nd and 3rd. respondents – PDP and Bwacha – on the grounds that the petitioners did not pay the required filing fees as at the point of presenting the petition before the tribunal’s secretary on March 14, 2019

After a long period of relative peace in southern part of Kaduna State, bandits on Thursday last week, attempted wiping out Zangang village in Kaura local government. Seven persons were reported killed during the attack, while several houses were torched. ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE brings the sad accounts of survivors.

“I heard gunshots. I rushed towards the scene. I saw tens of gunmen, shooting every living soul around. Only then I realised how curiously stupid I was.” Those were the words of Emmanuel Kushwai.

Kushwai is not just a member of the attacked Zangan community. He is the Head of the village’s vigilante group. But, like the proverbial bulldog, himself and the entire team of security men he commands are toothless. Worse than the bulldog that at least barks, the security watched their attackers with fear of raising alarm.

According to him, goverment had in the heat of crises in southern Kaduna stopped all vigilante groups from carrying arms. “So, our work is now more of surveillance. When we see anything or observe any suspicious movement, we report to the authority.” He said.

Narrating the incident, Kushwai said, “Around 4:30 in the evening of Thursday 29th August, 2019, I was in the village, when I heard gunshots. As the head of security, I rushed towards the scene, then I saw many gunmen, shooting every living soul around.

“Then, I suddenly realized how stupid I was in my curiosity. I was carried away by my position as a security man and the spirit of defending my people, not realizing that, I didn’t have what it takes to confront the attackers.

“We are the community vigilantes, but we don’t have guns, government stopped us from using guns. What we do is that, whenever we see anything, we inform the Police and wait for the police to take action.

“From my hiding, I saw the attackers bearing AK47 rifles. They were many in number. By my estimation, they were up to 100. They were actually on their way to to the village, so they met some people in the farm and opened fire at them. Some of the farmers escaped.

“I saw as they fired at our defenceless brothers, but I could not do anything but just hide. All of a sudden, I decided to take another route to the community to alert the people of the coming danger.

“By the time I arrived the community, some of the farmers who escaped from the farm had arrived the village too. So, we asked people to quickly leave the community. You know, like I told you, we don’t have guns to retaliate.

“That was how everyone quickly left the village. Women and children were quickly taken to the neighbouring communities. But, some of us went into hiding, to study the movement of the attackers.

“When they entered the community, they opened fire again, shooting at buildings. They were obviously disappointing that, they did not meet people in the village. Then, they started burning houses. They did not even spare the church and the hospital.” He said.

Another resident of the village

Benjamin Bala told Saturday Nation that, the attackers were ruthless and were not prepared to spare anyone if they had met them in the village.

According to him, “Our saving grace was that, we heard the gunshots before they could enter the village. So, as we heard gunshots, we sensed trouble, then, we started evacuating the women and children. After that, we went to hide too to see what exactly the attackers were up to.

“When they entered our village, they were close to 100, almost all of them carrying guns, while few of them carried machete and swords. So, if not that we heard gunshots, they would have rounded us up and wiped out the entire village.

“But, unfortunately, some of our people were caught up in the farm by the attackers on their way to the village. They opened fire at them and killed them. Some of them escaped to the village too.

“So, when they discovered that, we had run away, they looted our property, including food stuffs and set the houses on fire.” He narrated.

Also speaking on the attack, the Councillor of the area, Mr. Godwin Cletus said, “after a relentless search for the two persons who were initially declared missing during the attack, their bodies were found between Zangang and Ryom two days after the attack and they have been buried.”

He however said that, despite the heavy security presence in the village and it surroundings, people of Zangang village have continued to flee for safety as they were seen  packing their belongings and leaving the village for fear of unknown.

“Even though security agents are doing their work and safety and normalcy have returned, people are still seen packing their mattresses, food and other valuable items and leaving the village.

“The Zangan people who deserted the community are still afraid of returning because they think the criminals may come back and relaunch attack on them. That has been the way they operate.”

“Before the incident, villagers noticed suspicious movements of Fulani herdsmen relocating with their cattle and wives from the village, but they assumed there was no cause for alarm.

“On Tuesday, prior to the attack,  something happened. There was a sign that, the Fulani people came to the area and had a meeting. So some people in the village began to suspect them that, it is any time they want to launch an attack that they will begin to move their cattle, wives and children out of the village.

“A villager adept in security measures observed a gathering of Fulani men and quickly notified security men and probably he might not have followed the right channel. Even after the security men came, they told the Council Chairman that the place is safe and immediately they left, around 4 o’clock, the bandits came in large number and attack the villages when the people were harvesting in their farms.

“Almost all the village was burnt down. They burnt hospital and before doing that, they packed all the items in the hospital like drugs. When they entered people’s house and noticed there is a good mattress, they take it.

“The villagers observed that these people used to come from Ryom, after they finish attacking, they will go back to a village called Ganawuri. And they hide in that community and so it will be very difficult for security men from Kaduna to arrest them inside Plateau state. Any time they are being pursued they run into Plateau and constitutionally, there is no any way they can be apprehended.

“When these people come for attack, they first divide themselves  into three and start shooting. Immediately there is no response from security, they start attacking.

“There would have been more casualties on that very they if not that the villagers devices a tactics of hiding their relatives inside their corn farms.

While disclosing that, they have submitted some report to security agents that can aid in arresting the perpetrators, Cletus argued that, the only way to stop the incessant attacks on Zangan village is for security agents and government to  question the chief of Ganawuri on why the criminals are being harbored in their place.

President of Kaura Youth Coalition, Darek Christopher who also condemned the attack said, “killers who crossed the border in their hundreds surrounded the village and burnt about 36 houses, including St. Peters Catholic and Anglican Churches, and killed seven natives.

“The attackers who were unmasked stole livestock, and burnt food stuffs.” He said.

Christopher alleged that, the main  objective of the bandits is land grabbing, arguing that, “another Attakar Chiefdom’s settlement of Kirim-Mayit in Ryom Local Government Area of Plateau State was attacked and its people were displaced into IDP Camps and their lands were being farmed by some people who were believed to be from Ganawuri.”

He said, though, calm has returned to Zangang, as security forces have taken over, leadership of Kaura and Ryom LGA should as a matter of great importance set up a Conflict Resolution or Dialogue Committee to look into the conflicts and proffer solutions that would restore the peace that was once enjoyed.

He also called on the state government, donor agencies, religious organisations, all community development associations of Kaura Local Goverment Area, humanitarian organisations and individuals to come to the aid of the affected people of Zangang.

In continuation of the media interaction with the President of the NICN, Honourable Justice Adejumo, His Lordship whose retirement is 1^st October 2019 spoke to DNL Legal & Style on the various transitions, brilliant transformations and innovations at the NIC and his plans after retirement.

DNL L&S: Is my lord an advocate of streamlining being an advocate and solicitor in Nigeria?

Justice Adejumo:  It is a difficult thing as it is not our practice. In other jurisdiction, a solicitor will not tell you he is an advocate, all he does, is to interview and review your case. But here in Nigeria, if we are to split it, we need to look at the purchasing power of the citizenry. Who will go to a solicitor first for advice before being directed to an advocate?

I am not soliciting for the split but rather at the law school, there’s need to emphasize the duties of a solicitor, what are the conflicts and where did they meet. Everything boils down to curriculum and curriculum both at the law school and the university needs to be reviewed as we are not ripe for the splitting.

We complain that junior lawyers are not well paid yes, but instead of streamlining it’s better to improve. The 1st Five years of every lawyer is struggle, one must not blame the lawyers entirely because once the system is faulty, you must sort it out from the root first.

DNL L&S: How does my Lord relax?

Justice Adejumo: I don’t think I do. I resume office around 8 am and close around 9 pm to 10 pm. I sleep around 1 am and wake up at 5 am routinely. I have not had a siesta for over 20years I have been in the judiciary. Relaxation is a thing of the mind, at times I drive alone, put on my face cap and nobody recognizes me. I am a member of the Ikoyi Club but I can’t remember the last time I attended the meeting though I pay all my dues. I relax more when I am in Akure especially with my old school mates and go round my garden. One must not fraternize too much as this job is a delicate one. I like music a lot and listen to good old music like Haruna Ishola’s.

DNL L&S: What is that thing my lord wishes to be remembered for as the president NICN?

Justice Adejumo: I will like to be remembered for a singular fact that, this court is a court every Nigerian believes that when he gets there, justice will not only be done but will be seen to have been done without fear or favour and in accordance with the constitution and justice, fairness and equity is followed.

DNL L&S: My Lords birthday is October 1st, if my lord is to make a wish, what will that wish be?

Justice Adejumo: My wish is for Nigeria to be a better place for all of us to live and thrive in harmony, egalitarian, peaceful society where everybody will be proud of being called a Nigerian.

DNL L&S: My Lord another milestone achieved by the NICN is the deployment of Technology in its administration of justice, what drives my lord in this regard?

Justice Adejumo: What motivates us is that at this jet age if you are not moving with the train you will be left behind. The world is not a global village but a global room, it is a small room you can get things done in any part of the world and we at the NICN can’t afford to be left behind in the scheme of things. In recent times lawyers and litigant complain of coming to court and being informed that the court won’t be sitting, can we continue like that? The question is what will be the public perception? And lots more and there are lots of things we can correct using the electronic scheme system. During my 1st to 3 years as the president, I traveled wide to see how courts are being managed and had to go electronically and informed the judges on the need for E-Judiciary.

Today, via our Mobile Apps, you can sit at the comfort of your offices or anywhere in the world to know when your matters are coming up, the NICN rules is on the App and can also read your judgments/ruling on the app free of charge. We will continue to embrace  E- Judiciary to ease judicial processes. In the NICN, every judge has an E-Library and can access any judgments anywhere in the world because we are determined to make a difference by making a dead end a living end.

We have developed applications that allow electronic notification of hearing notices to be sent to counsel in addition to bailiff services. It also allows me to see the activities in any of my courtrooms from here, so if you don’t sit, I would know and ask questions. We are trying and moving as we are yet to get to our desired destination.

DNL L&S: May I say my Lord is looking into the future already?

Justice Adejumo: In the beginning, I said that people look at personality and not the institution. When you look at an institution, you would realize it didn’t start with you and even if it did, it won’t end with you as generations yet unborn will come after you. We are building the foundation and looking towards an avenue where a case will be dispensed with within 4 to 6 months. When you said it seems am looking into the future, any good leader must not limit himself to his tenure alone as there are many things that can not be achieved in your tenure alone but one must lay the foundation for others coming to thrive.

For instance, in some jurisdiction, people are asking why we are building more than a courtroom and I replied that in the next 10 to 15 years when the bulk of cases starts to trickle in and there’s no fund to build new court won’t this already built court serves the purpose. When I came I know what I met and I know by the time am retiring we would have made our mark. One must be futuristic if the country needs to develop, it must not be shortsighted. We must do things to build the institution.

To be continue…