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Business
Fmance
1'uesd~
lagos govt to achieve 1m metric tons offish production
Telecoms firms shun NCC directive on instant bills K UHLE A ZEEZ
ome telecoms oompanies have shunned the direc· 1M! from the Nigerian Communicalions Commission mandating a.il telecoms operators to provide free instant Short Message Service to aU phone users detailing the cost of each call and available bal ancec: to the subscriber at the end of (!l.'ery call Checks by National Mir· ror yesterday from telecoms subscribers revealed thai only MTN Nigeria and Airtel have complied completely with the din!Ctive as their subscribers now receiw such instant SMS after 1!\'eT)' call. Subscribers on Etisalat. 010bacom and oUler CDMA net· ....urks said 01ey had yet to start receiving such notification after making calla from their netwoOO. With the two OSM compa·
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November 6, 2012
STANLEY IHEDlGBO
H()'A.'e\w. rrve days aRer the dl·
nies and other COf.,iA opera· tors shunning the regUlator directive, It was learnt that the erring operator have secun!d the wrath of the oommission to impose a (ine of N5m each on them for failure to comply. It wouJd be t'l'C3lled that fol lowing avalanche of oomplainls received from telecoms subscribers over billing irregulari· ties, the NCC had on October 31. 0012. issued a statement direct· ing all telecom operators to provide instant SMS seJv\ce to their subsa1bers aflerevery call. Such SMSservk'e is expected to provide full details of the cost of each call, and available ba1 ances 10 the subscriber. 1be regulator. in the stalement signed by its Head. Media and Publ.ic RelaUons. Mr. Reu· ben Muoka. said the service is free to all subscribers WIUI the oommencement dme for all the operators rued for November 1. 201~
mUllon metric tons on a yearly
rectnre
"'as issued. Etisalat. Globacom and other CDJ\.1A networks have not complied with the dlrcc· U\'e.
--Lagos State is working t~ wards improving the produc· tion of fish in the state to one
basis," Lawai said. the economy of Ule state, The commissioner added La~ Ministry of Agriculthat to achievt! this feat, the lure and Cooperatives is set to state is coUabornting with the encourage sea food IndustrIes Federal Government and other to achieve one million metric states In the coastal area 10 ad tons of fish production on a dress food security in the na yearly basis. tion's territorinJ waters Speaking to journalists at According to him. there is a unVt'iIIng of Ule '"First Lagos robust plan 10 curb sea IJiracy Sea Food Festival", the State in the nation's waterways. -""There is a robust plan beCommissioner. Mr Gbolahan LawaI, disclosed, that Lagos tween the state and thl" froerni presently produces nbout government ....1.th other coastal 125.000 metric tons of fish states to curb the menace of pl· while about 780.000 metric tom racy in our water ways. Pirates are beIng imported. adding that have eroded our territorial \Va ' there is urgent need to boost lers, and fishermen are unable produclion::._ _ _ __ ___:.:loc:"=~:.:hc:beca =::use =o:.:r_=i:.:nsec =u=,:.:l,"_ ty " ,,--
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n Its effort to contribute to
The statement also specified heavy penally for any operator that fails to comply with new directive. aimoo at checking dubious charges on phone calls made by telecoms subscribers. According to Ole directIve nny operator which falls 10 commence the service to Its subscribers will be liable to floe in the sum of NSmll· lion as sanction and a further swn of N5OJ.ooo per day as long as the contravention persists.. The statement further noted that the commission. has In a direction issued since August 2012. mandated "th,.'~t from lsi of November. 2012. AN AN urges accountants to tackle corruption all mobile operators shall send. free of charge. a message or an aJert Solomon Oladimeji, said the as· MESHACK IOEHEN to both postpaid and prepaid subsociation is sending a message Ihat betrayal of public trust by scribers after every call, Sto.1S. or system generated charge or tarlfT. he Association of Na· those in public omce will no wilh a proviso that a subscriber Uorlal Accountants of longe.r be tolerated by accoun can opt OUI if he or she so wishes.~ Nigeria (ANAN) has said tants. It was im lKlrtanl fOl- aCCOUDOladimeji noted thnt cor· tlUlls In general and ANAN rupUon and lack of transparmembers in particular to com· ency bas become a scourge on mit to the eradication of cor· the economy, :Ii development ruption and promote transpar· he said has continually jeap· ency in the profession. ardised efforts by concerned The association said further stakeholders and the govern· that lack of transparency In ment to imllrove the quality of business have dealt great blows life ond standard of living of on the economic growth of the Ihe citizenry. nation. adding also that NigeAccording to the ANAN boss, ria will witness massive and the association abhors ('orrup sustainable development when tlon in all its rnmlflcntions. corruillion Is eliminated [rom which Is why they are slressing the polity. Ulat the body was ready to pun Speaking to journalists on Ish any of its members involved Monday, the Chairman of the In corrupt practices within and lkeja Dranch of ANAN, Mr:. outsIde the profession
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Nine firms bid for position of external auditor in NCAA OLU SEGUN E..." ....... DlrKI.... EnI~ Bank Llmlled, ..... AmI ..... I"""" (rlghtl. PfUenlIng • 2012 C.,.I_ Ok..... _ '" II'M ""'-<s '" 1M C.,.t_-e-fc Sta" "'-.lin tt.. bM"ok.~.
Nigeria's economic rebound lies in housing sector - Ashafa cent rebound of the American economy lies in the housing sec· tor: he Vice Chairman or '~ner the manufacturing sec· Senate Committee on tor. the houstng sector provides Housing, Lands and the greatest spread of value per Urban Development, Senator Nt of government expenditure, Cbenga Ashafa, said Umt the that is, Nt spent by government housing sector is vital to mak· would touch unimaginable lng Nigeria a modest state. number or lives." he said_ According to him, for the Ashara made some hYPOtheti· nation to wllness economic de- cal analysis on a house con· velopmeni, hOllslng sector must struction [rom conception to Ix> giving priority comptellon and different la)"t'rs The lawmaker disclosed this of Quantifiable economic value "hile deliVering a goodwill that go with il messaee at Ule seminar on the In his analysis, he categoSocial Housing Bill (2012) held rised the activities involved Ahuja at the weekend. in constructing a house under III' remarked that the mnjor three major areas. These in ingredient to the modest and reo elude land, decision to begin DAYO A VEYEMI
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10 Mrs. Nh"III
construction and fOlllmation 10 roofing. Under the land purchase. he explained that the activities wouJd serve as economic opportunities for surveyors and tawyers. while construction proper wouJd serve as economic opportunities for archltects and artisans that wouJd do Initial cutting of trees and land prepa· raUon. According to Ashafa. the foundation laying to roofing nco tivlties wouJd provide economic opporlunities for the bricklay· ers. architects, builders. plumbers. carpenters, aluminium workers and suppliers of ce menl and s..nd. To buttress his point. the law maker said. "tf only IO.ooohous ing units are constructed in the 36 slates of the federation .
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line with the Public Proct.trnment Act. or :D11 or the Fed· ral Uepublic of Nigeria. the Nigerlnn Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) yesterday commenced the opening d bids fol' the posl· tion of external auditor for the
ag"""" AI least. nine interested bid· der.; expressed iDleresis in Ole
position of external auditor with lhe~n~ NcAA had cnrrled ad· \'CTtisements In the InOOla in 0ctober requesting for bklders for the position
At the opcn bidding )utenJa.:,l: ",hid, in\'OIVttI all the Interested bkklets. Oil! Director-Gl>neraJ. NCAA. Dr Harold J)('muren said thai Ule agency was ronunitted to tile Act of Public Procurement DJ1, 53,Ying that a slKX."CSSfu1 oompallY \rollkI be made public alter the excrt:isc.
DemllTl!n who W1lS l't!presented
by the Deputy General Manager. Audil Mr. Gabriel AdlaYi at the C\'Cnt disclosed that nine bWders e~ressed interest in the position or external audJt for the agency and assured 013t the management wouJd ensure objecLivlty and openness In pICking the rightful candidate for the position. Some cl' the inl!!n!Sted bidders are Blodun 1ge & CD. Sulniman & Co, Peter 0saI0r & Co. ""red Okan· fa &Co. Oluf~ Adenlyi &Coand J,K Randle & Co among others. Also speaking. the coll\'Cner of the evenl Head. Procw'ement. NCAA. ~k Ilarnabas """,mk· wu assured interested bidders d the objccUvtty or NCAA wiUl the bidding. III' explained Ul...t lnaslnuch all applkants wt'l"t' expected to be present al the opening or the bid, tile bids d absentee companies COUki still be opened in their absence aa:ording to the law guid Ing Public ProcumTll'nl Act or :1007.