ENDSARS
#EndSARS: If unemployment is not addressed, protest may re-emerge – Senate President
The Senate President has warned that if youth unemployment is not addressed, protests and unrests could return.
The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, warns that the country may still witness another civil unrest if the government fails to effectively address the issue of youth unemployment.
Senator Lawan made the statement on Monday during the budget defense session of the Ministry of Agriculture.
While recounting the events of #EndSARS protests, Senator Lawan said the youths genuinely expressed their anger and successfully gained the government’s attention and called on the government to make provision in its national budget to inclusively engage the youths, which he opined can be done through practical budgetary allocations.
READ: FG set to create at least 5 million jobs for youths in the power sector – Minister of Power
He, therefore, called on the Ministry of Agriculture to be more practical with budgetary allocations in a bid to create jobs for the youths and advised the FG to see the Agriculture sector as very important in its efforts to diversify the economy from oil – as the sector is able to finance the national budget.
READ: INEC seeks N5.2 billion to cushion shortfall in 2020 budget
What you should know
Former Nigerian Minister of External Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, during a news interview in October, disclosed that the judicial panels of inquiries have just two weeks to address all the issues raised by the #EndSARS protesters, as failure to do so may drag youths back to the streets.
READ: Amaechi proposes a capital budget of N205 billion for Ministry of Transportation in 2021
He likened the #EndSARS protest to the #BlackLivesMatter demonstration and reiterated that the demands of the youths extend beyond stomach infrastructure.
READ: CBN reveals framework for the N75 billion Youth Investment Fund
Akinyemi called for strategic actions towards combatting the evils of unemployment in Nigeria, he tasked the military to employ more military men to mop-up unemployment, and also provide security for the country.
Business
ICPC Chairman reveals #EndSARS protests was financed with cryptocurrency
ICPC Chairman has revealed to the Nigerian Senate that the #EndSARS protest was largely funded with cryptocurrency.
The Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Commission (ICPC), Bolaji Owasanoye has revealed to the Nigerian Senate that the #EndSARS protest was largely funded with cryptocurrency.
This is as he said there are strong indications that it could be used to fund Insurgency in the country.
According to a report from Vanguard, this disclosure was made by the ICPC Chairman, during an interactive session with Senate Joint Committee on Banking, ICT, Cybercrime and Capital Market led by Senator Uba Sani on Tuesday, February 23, 2021.
READ: ICPC uncovers N9.8 billion Government money hidden in Aso Savings
The Joint committee was mandated to look at the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ban Cryptocurrency in Nigeria.
The ICPC boss while supporting the position of the CBN, said that the nature of operations of Cryptocurrency exposes it to money laundering and terrorism financing.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has said that the agency averted a $3million fraud linked to 20 bank accounts.
READ: ICPC moves against NDDC top management over corruption allegations, quizzes directors
Owasanoye further explained that the anti-graft agency currently has a number of cases linked to Cryptocurrency but is unable to track the suspects.
He brought the attention of the Senate to a period in 2018 when a number of globally rated financial institutions said their financial statements had been hacked with the perpetrators asking to be paid in Cryptocurrencies.
ICPC Chairman noted that the CBN as a regulator has the responsibility to ensure sound financial stability and it will be difficult to achieve in the case of Cryptocurrencies where the players are anonymous.
While sharing the experience of the Indian Supreme Court and how it ruled and admitted that it does not know what it is, he urged the Lawmakers to as a matter of urgency, take decisive action against Cryptocurrencies.
READ: Most powerful financial leader takes side with CBN, says Bitcoin is untrustworthy
What you should know
- It can be recalled that the CBN had directed the financial institutions to immediately close the accounts of such persons or entities transacting in or operating cryptocurrency exchanges, warning of severe regulatory sanctions in the event of any breach of the directive.
- The apex bank warned the Deposit Money Banks, Non-Financial Institutions and other Financial Institutions against doing business in crypto and other digital assets.
- The latest directive is coming after the CBN had in 2018 stated that cryptocurrencies are not legal tender and as such are illegal.
ENDSARS
#OccupyLekkiTollGate: Lagos Attorney-General explains large police presence at Lekki toll gate
Lagos Attorney-General has stated that the State does not support the abuse of peaceful protesters.
