Buhari has asked NBS to change statistics on unemployment rate —Presidency

Buhari has asked NBS to change statistics on unemployment rate —Presidency
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Statistician-General of the National Bureau of Statistics, Dr. Yemi Kale, to change the high unemployment statistics and reflect the rising rate of employment in the agriculture sector.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said this on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels Television.
Shehu said during a recent meeting with the Federal Executive Council, Kale admitted that the NBS was only focusing on the creation of white collar jobs and not the agriculture sector and the informal sector.
He said the President subsequently told him to go and admit his error to members of the public and make appropriate changes.
When asked why job losses were being recorded, Shehu said, “There was a departure last week. The NBS chief had addressed the federal cabinet and he made the admission himself that they had concentrated analysis over time on white collar jobs and they had not taken cognisance of job creation in areas of agriculture.
“Rice Producers Association of Nigeria made the open claim and nobody has challenged them up until the time that we speak, that they had created 12 million new jobs.
“When he finished addressing the federal cabinet last week, the government asked the DG of the NBS, go out there and tell the Nigerian public, you are just saying to us now that Jigawa, Zamfara, Kebbi and Ebonyi are recording the lowest unemployment rates in the country on account of agriculture.
“So, the point is that the data collected which has formed judgement on the data that have been passed and misleading and I think there is now a convergence. The data has been unfair to the administration, it had ignored job creation in the areas of agriculture but that is now being integrated and Nigerians will be impressed.”
However, a spokesman for the Abubakar Atiku Campaign Organisation, Mr. Phrank Shuaibu, who was on the programme, lambasted Shehu, accusing the Presidency of attempting to alter job statistics on the eve of elections.
He said it seemed the Presidency was trying to cow the NBS like it did to the West African Examination Council when the registrar personally handed over a certificate to Buhari at the Villa.
Shuaibu said, “The National Bureau of Statics came for EFC meeting and according to the President’s spokesman, the man admitted that he miscalculated. That is an agency funded by government, not an agency sponsored by any international organisation.“He has forgotten that this is not 1984. 2015 is not 1984. The world has gone digital but because they are operating an analogue system of government, they don’t know that even a 10-year-old can use the internet to find out statistics.
“When the NBS came out with the figures about loss of jobs and how it was affecting the economy, nobody came out to defend the government. But just as the certificate issue was managed, they have pushed the DG to the villa and obviously dictated to him what he should say.
“You cannot say that a government that is in power, the DG of NBS reeled out statistics, you did nothing to him, many months after and because elections are here, on the eve of elections, he is summoned to FEC and is asked to generate new figures. That is a fallacious tale and an affront on the sensibilities of Nigerians and they should apologise to us.”
Incidentally, the NBS has failed to release the statistics on unemployment for over a year, citing lack of funds as the reason.
However, the opposition has always insisted that the Presidency had ordered the agency not to release the figures until after elections.

17 KILLED IN FRESH KADUNA ATTACK

No fewer than 17 people have been reportedly killed with 26 others injured after gunmen attacked Ungwan Paa-Gwandara village in Godogodo Chiefdom of Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Although the police authorities are yet to confirm the incident, the Chairman of the Local Government, Mr Peter Averik told our reporter that the gunmen invaded the community on Sunday evening and opened fire on residents who were attending a wedding ceremony.
However, the chairman could not ascertain the number of casualties, but eyewitnesses who spoke with our correspondent said women and children were among the 14 people killed in the attack.
The eyewitnesses explained that nine persons died on the spot, while five died today at the Kafanchan General Hospital, where those who sustained injuries are still receiving treatment.
Meanwhile, the council chairman says a combined team of security operatives have been deployed to the affected community and environs to maintain law and order.

DIAMOND BANK MERGES WITH ACCESS BANK

Diamond Bank Announces Merger With Access Bank
The Board of Diamond Bank PLC has announced plans to merge its operations with Access Bank.
The bank disclosed this in a statement on Monday by the company’s Secretary and Legal Adviser, Uzoma Uja.
According to Diamond Bank, the decision follows a strategic review leading to a competitive process, as the preferred bidder with respect to a potential merger of the two banks (“the merger”) that will create Nigeria and Africa’s largest retail bank by customers

“The Board of Diamond Bank believes that the merger is in the best interest of all stakeholders including, employees, customers, depositors and shareholders”.
Statement Regarding Scheme To Merge With Access Bank
The Board of Diamond Bank Plc (“Diamond Bank”) today announces that following a strategic review leading to a competitive process, the Board has selected Access Bank Plc (“Access Bank”) as the preferred bidder with respect to a potential merger of the two banks (“the merger”) that will create Nigeria and Africa’s largest retail bank by customers.The Board of Diamond Bank believes that the merger is in the best interest of all stakeholders including, employees, customers, depositors and shareholders and has agreed to recommend the offer to Diamond Bank’s shareholders. Completion of the merger is subject to certain shareholder and regulatory approvals.
The proposed merger would involve Access Bank acquiring the entire issued share capital of Diamond Bank in exchange for a combination of cash and shares in Access Bank via a Scheme of Merger. Based on the agreement reached by the Boards of the two financial institutions, Diamond Bank shareholders will receive a consideration of N3.13 per share, comprising of N1.00 per share in cash and the allotment of two (2) New Access Bank ordinary shares for every seven (7) Diamond Bank ordinary shares held as at the Implementation Date. The offer represents a premium of 260% to the closing market price of N0.87 per share of Diamond Bank on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (“NSE”) as of December 13, 2018, the date of the final binding offer.
Immediately following completion of the merger, Diamond Bank would be absorbed into Access Bank and it will cease to exist under Nigerian law. The current listing of Diamond Bank’s shares on the NSE and the listing of Diamond Bank’s global depositary receipts on the London Stock Exchange will be cancelled, upon the merger becoming effective.
Diamond Bank expects the transaction to be completed in the first half of 2019.
We will keep the market updated with any new development.

Yours faithfully, For: DIAMOND BANK PLC

Uzoma Uja Company Secretary/Legal Adviser

PMB SHLD RESIGN OVER COLLAPSED ECONOMY:ATIKU

The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has called for the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari over the state of the nation’s economy.
Speaking on Sunday through his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the president’s recent assessment of the nation’s economy, in which he stated that it had gone out of control, was enough evidence that he had failed.
He said, “The result, of course, is this late hour confession of failure on the eve of our general elections, in the hope that millions of Nigerians, whom he has condemned to poverty and hardship will give him a clap for failing abysmally
“I dare say that President Buhari has miscalculated badly on this matter because Nigerians are simply fed up with him.”
The PDP candidate also described the president’s assessment indicating Nigeria’s economy had collapsed under his watch as not only a self-indicting ploy to attract the sympathy of Nigerians, but also a disguise to get a soft landing from the people.
But reacting, the All Progressives Congress (APC) says the PDP needs another strategic session in Dubai to find a new direction for the party, ahead of the polls in 2019.
Earlier in November, top leaders of the opposition party spent some days in Dubai, strategizing for the 2019 elections, the ruling party, however, says that that convention was fruitless.
APC spokesperson, Lanre Issa-Onilu in a statement said, instead of focusing on its own campaign, the PDP is worried if the ruling party has commenced its own or not.
Lanre said it was “amazing” that the opposition party cannot present any alternative governance agenda before the elections get underway.
He said, “It is very amazing that two months into the election, PDP is still not presenting any alternative governance agenda before the people of this country.
“Sadly, the main opposition party appears at a loss as to how to face Nigerians knowing they would have to explain why they so badly mismanaged this country at a period of surplus.”

APC URGES P. BUHARI NOT TO HONOUR DEBATE

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in the United Kingdom has urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to attend the debate organised for candidates vying for the highest office in the land in 2019.
The party made the appeal yesterday in a post by its leader, Ade Omole, on the party’s verified Twitter handle.
Recall that the Nigeria Election Debate Group, NEDG, had fixed January 19, 2019 for a debate among five selected presidential candidates including President Buhari.
However, the APC UK branch said the President should consider a townhall session with the people rather than a debate in view of the outcome of last night’s debate among vice-presidential candidates.
The tweet reads: “Dear President Muhammadu Buhari, we appeal to you NOT to attend the presidential debate in view of the lecturing witnessed tonight (Friday).
“Please, consider a townhall session. Despite the antics, Prof. Osinbajo tutored the opposition candidates on nation-building. Thank you.”