NYSC Withholds Certificates To Graduates From Benin, African Varsities

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has asked
foreign-trained graduates with questionable degrees from
institutions in Benin Republic and some other African countries who
have not been issued Certificates of National Service to visit the
headquarters of the scheme for further scrutiny.

The NYSC made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja, the
nation’s capital.

The organisation asked the foreign-trained graduates concerned
to report at the NYSC headquarters on Monday in Abuja.

“Foreign-trained Ex-Corps Members who participated in the
recently concluded 2018 Batch C, Stream l Service Year with
questionable degrees from Universities in Benin Republic and some
other African Countries, and have not been issued Certificate of
National Service (CNS) to present themselves for further
scrutiny.

“Those concerned are to report at NYSC National Directorate HQ,
Abuja from Monday 14th October, 2019,” the statement said.

The statement explained that only qualified Nigerian graduates
who have duly completed the one year mandatory service will be
issued the Certificate of National Service.

This, according to the statement, is in line with the NYSC Act
2004.

“Management of NYSC wishes to reiterate that only qualified
Nigerian graduates will be issued Certificate of National Service
in line with the provisions of the NYSC Act 2004,” it added.

The NYSC had noted that it was prosecuting over 65 fake
graduates apprehended during Batch B Stream 2 Orientation
Course.

It noted that the fake graduates, mostly from foreign-trained
institutions in Africa, were handed over to the Police for further
investigation.

The organisation had said that three of the corps members had
claimed to have graduated from Istop University, Cotonou in Benin
Republic.

A claim, the scheme said, it found out to be false.

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RIPAN Warns Local Rice Distributors over Price
Hike
Following the shutdown of the country’s land borders since August,
and increase in the price of local rice at several markets, the
Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN) has convened a
stakeholders meeting involving officials of the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Small and Medium Scale Millers Association (SMSMA),
Rice Millers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN) and some commercial
farmers.

At the meeting, RIPAN and the other stakeholders cautioned rice
distributors, wholesalers and retailers against engaging in the
exploitative act of jerking up the prices of their local rice.

An Executive Member of RIPAN, Mr. Abba Dantata told PRNigeria^[1] that the sharp increase
in the price of bags of local rice across several markets in
country is the handiwork of some wholesalers, other distributors
and retailers of the staple food commodity.

He revealed that they summoned the meeting not because of the
brouhaha generated by the border closure, but because some rice
traders have been exploiting the general public, through hiking the
price of their commodities.

Dantata, maintained that none of their members and other rice
processors sell a bag of rice to wholesalers above their fixed
price of N14, 000, saying: “It will surprise you to know that some
RIPAN members even sell a bag of their locally-processed rice for
N13, 500. There are those who choose to sell for N13, 800. Others
sell bag of their local rice for N13, 900. But none of our members
sell above N14, 000.”

He however, added that the some retailers, wholesalers and
distributors, who have since cashed in on the shutdown of the
country’s land borders, are the ones who sell a bag of rice for
between N17, 000 to N18, 000 to their customers and other
Nigerians.

“Those buying from us are the ones engaging in needless and
exploitative profiteering. They are the ones taking advantage of
the system to hike their price,” Dantata added.

While pointing out that without adequate supply and with higher
demand there must be a price hike, the RIPAN official, said “it is
normal that there will be an initial hike in the price of the
commodity. But it will soon fall. The prices will crash by the time
the volume of local rice supply increases at markets.”

He dismissed a media report, which claimed that the price of
local rice will exceed N30, 000 (the minimum wage amount) during
the forthcoming yuletide, saying the story is only aimed at causing
panic among consumers and buyers.

Asked if RIPAN has evolved measures to check the
over-exploitation of rice buyers by wholesalers, Dantata, said only
government and other relevant law enforcement bodies can formulate,
monitor and then enforce adherence to the stipulated price for
selling the commodity.

He thereafter called on rice distributors to be responsible and
humane, while also appealing to them to stop jerking up price of
their commodities beyond consumers’.

According to the RIPAN member, shutting down the borders has not
only curbed the illicit activities of smuggling, but also helped to
reduce unemployment and boosted the country’s economy.

While urging the Federal Government not to review the policy,
Alh. Dantata, said “when the borders were porous, activities of
rice smuggling was rife in the country. Then, most of our rice
millers had to close down their factories. But with the recent
closure, most of them are now back in business, and doing very
well. The last thing RIPAN and other local millers want to hear is
that government will soon re-open the borders.”

By PRNigeria^[2]