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EDUCATION: National Assembly Proposes 63 New Varsities, Others, Experts Kick

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About 63 bills have been tabled before the Senate and the House of Representatives for the creation of new universities, polytechnics, colleges of education since the beginning of shutdown of activities in public tertiary institutions in the country in 2022.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) have, however, warned the government against the establishment of new institutions while failing to fund the existing ones.

It was gathered that Nigeria has a total of 49 federal universities. The official data from the National Universities Commission also revealed that the country has 59 state universities and 111 private universities.

The National Board for Technical Education also puts the number of Federal Polytechnics at 40; state owned at 49 and private at 76.

While a total of Federal and state owned colleges of health is 70; Nigeria currently has 17 private colleges of health.

Also, the National Commission for Colleges of Education put the total number of colleges of education in Nigeria at 219.

An analysis of the 63 bills on creation of new institutions being considered by both the Senate and the House of Representatives revealed that 26 bills are for federal universities; 33 bills for federal colleges of education; agriculture; health; technology; and forestry among other specialised colleges.

The lawmakers also proposed four bills for the creation of new polytechnics.

However, a professor at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State, Victor Olumekun, in an interview, slammed the lawmakers for turning the establishment of new institutions into constituency projects.

Olumekun said, “I say it often that it is not the number of universities that we have that matter but the capacity to do what universities are supposed to be doing.

“As an academia, we don’t have to establish universities in every town, village and hamlet. University education is not about number, it is about capacity.”

The National President of ASUP, Dr. Anderson Ezeibe, said the move showed a clear lack of direction.

“We have continued to maintain that government should fund existing institutions to enable them meet their mandates.

“Passing bills for new institutions at this time is for political convenience and not in the public interest,” he argued.

The General Secretary, COEASU, Dr Ahmed Bazza, also faulted the development.

He said, “There is shortage of lecturers in all tertiary institutions because the system has made it so harsh that there is high level of brain drain in the system. We are trying to cope with that and also trying to cope with the funding and facilities.

“Then someone will just wake up for political reasons and say he is proposing a bill to establish a new university. That is not fair to the system honestly.

The Programme Director, Reform Education Nigeria, Ayodamola Oluwatoyin, also accused the lawmakers of trying to score political goals.

Oluwatoyin said, “It is so unfortunate that we live in a country where lawmakers use matters like education to score cheap political goals, this is unheard of in any part of the world.

“How will you propose new bills for new institutions when the existing ones are on shutdown? Who advises these individuals?”

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JUST IN: CBN Increases Banks Capital Base To N500bn, N200bn For National Commercial Banks

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The capital basis for commercial banks with international permission has been raised to N500 billion by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The policy change was confirmed by Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, CBN’s acting director of corporate communications. in a declaration.

She added that commercial banks with regional authorization are expected to reach a capital floor of N50 billion, while those with national authority must meet a ceiling of N200 billion.

Announced on Thursday, March 28, 2024, this comprehensive financial reform requires significant increases in banks’ minimum capital bases, which vary depending on the size of the bank.

The latest policy directive specifies that commercial banks with international authorization are now required to shore up their capital base to N500 billion.

In a bid to tighten the financial fabric, the CBN has not overlooked merchant banks, which are now subject to a N50 billion minimum capital requirement.

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Detained Binance Executive Gambaryan Drags EFCC, NSA To Court

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Tigran Gambaryan, the CEO of Binance who is currently in detention, has claimed that he has been violated in his fundamental human rights by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission and Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser.

Gambaryan, in an originating motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/356/24 sought a declaration that his detention and seizure of his international travel passport, contravened Section 35 (1) and (4) of 1999 Constitution.

He urged the court to order the NSA and the EFCC to release him from their custody and return his international travel passport with immediate effect.

Gambaryan also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents and their agents from further detaining him in relation to any investigation into or demands from Binance.

He also urged the court to order the respondents to issue a public apology to him.

Gambaryan averred that he was in Nigeria alongside fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla to honour the invitation of the ONSA and EFCC to discuss issues relating to Binance in Nigeria.

Anjarwalla escaped from the guest house where he and Gambaryan were being held

He argued that he had not committed any offence during the meeting, and neither was he informed in writing of any offence he personally committed in Nigeria at any other time.

“The only reason for his detention is because the government is requesting information from Binance and making demands on the company,” he added.

The fleeing Anjarwalla also filed a similar suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/355/24.

At the proceedings on Thursday, T.J. Krukrubo (SAN) appeared for the plaintiffs, while the respondents had no representation.

Krukrubo informed the court that the respondents were served two days ago.

Shortly after that, he announced to the court that he was withdrawing from the matter as counsel for the fleeing Anjarwalla.

He did not give reasons for his withdrawal.

The trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, adjourned the matter till April 8.

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Federal Government To Arraign Binance Executives Over ‘Tax Evasion’ On April 4

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On April 4, the federal authorities will file charges against senior executives of the cryptocurrency company Binance, Tigran Gambaryan, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, for allegedly engaging in “tax evasion.”

Anjarwalla is Binance’s regional manager for Africa, while Gambaryan oversees the company’s compliance with financial crimes.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) charged Binance with a crime on March 25th for “tax evasion.”

The service claims that the action is intended to maintain national economic integrity and fiscal discipline.

The lawsuit, designated as suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/115/2024, is said to “implicate Binance with a four-count tax evasion accusation”.

However, on Thursday, NAN reported the federal government will charge the three defendants before Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, at the federal high court (FHC) in Abuja on a four-count charge.

Despite not being a vacation judge, according to the report, the chief judge granted the fiat for the judge to oversee the case during vacation because it is a matter of critical national interest.

The lawsuit comes a month after Anjarwalla and Gambaryan were detained by the Nigerian authorities.

Anjarwalla and Gambaryan had flown into Nigeria but had their passports seized by ONSA.

On March 12, Anjarwalla was transferred to a local hospital after he fell ill while in detention in Nigeria.

However, on March 25, Anjarwalla escaped from custody and fled Nigeria with a smuggled passport.

Meanwhile, Gambaryan, on March 28, sued Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA) and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging violation of his fundamental rights.

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