Category: National Issue

The former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, stated this in Abuja at the 2022 Workers’ Political Conference organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress.

Jega said, “The sorry state of the socio-economic conditions under which the Nigerian working people, indeed the overwhelming majority of all citizens live and work, the reckless misrule and misgovernance by a tiny, rabid and reckless band of the elite, and the manner by which these myopic ‘elected’ so-called ‘leaders’ and their collaborators, have devastated the Nigerian economy, heightened insecurity, and virtually destroyed the basis for national cohesion and integration, Nigeria, as a potentially great nation, is crying for a rescue mission before it is too late.

“Such a rescue mission cannot be serious, positive and successful, without the active engagement and involvement of the Nigerian workers through their genuine representatives in working-class organizations and movements, in alliance with other progressive and patriotic Nigerians.

“While Nigeria may not have totally collapsed, it is in the process of collapsing, as reckless elite in control of the governance process are blindly running the country aground. And the 2023 general elections may be the ‘make or break’ epochal moment.

“Given this, all hands of progressive forces must be on deck to prevent our country from imminent collapse, and to turn it around on to a trajectory of good democratic governance for beneficial democratic, socio-economic development, and human security for Nigerian citizens.

Punch

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, Zubairu Dada, disclosed this to State House Correspondents shortly after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Dada who spoke alongside the Minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, Sadiya Farouk, said the approval followed a joint memo presented by both ministries at the Council meeting.

On the amount approved, Dada explained that “The ministry of humanitarian affairs wrote a memo to the president seeking funding to enable us to conduct this exercise. The memo was to the tune of $8.5m which Mr. President has graciously approved. That provision entails an arrangement to evacuate no less than 5,000 Nigerians.

“It also includes some assistance for the feeding that may have been done by the missions under whatever arrangements. Even the missions themselves are also in dire situations.”

Quizzed about when the funds will be released Dada said, “That is why the evacuation flights will begin today (Wednesday).”

The president in a letter addressed to the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, and read at the plenary asked the federal parliament to consider the outright deletion of Section 84 (12).

The section has to do with the resignation of political appointees before party primaries.

The president stated that the provision amounted to the disenfranchisement of political appointees.

Punch

A former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, spoke in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, while unveiling the autobiography of the Babanla Adinni of Egbaland, Chief Tayo Sowunmi, titled “Footprints Of A Rebel.”

Obasanjo said “Looking at the title of the book, I ask myself, why would someone call himself a rebel. But it is good.

“But the truth is that if you have to leave a life of honesty and integrity, you have to become a rebel. There would be some time you would be asked have to do something, but you would say no, this is not right. And when you say that you will become a rebel. You may even become a persona non grata.

“Our country, there is no country that we can call our own except Nigeria. Our country, Nigeria, needs more rebels. Those who would look at things straight in the face and say ‘this is not right, this, I will not be part of, this is not good for Nigeria.”

Punch

The Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has urged Nigerians to expect early rainfall in April and May this year in Central states and within June to July in the Northern states.

This is even as the agency advised farmers to commence planting crops from February 28 in the coastal states further predicting that the dry spell could set in from May to August with different levels of severity.

Minister of Aviation Sen. Hadi Sirika made the disclosure in his address during the public presentation of the 2022 Seasonal Climate Prediction, SCP, titled “Strengthening Climate Actions through Timely and Impact-based Climate Prediction for Economic Recovery” at Nigerian Air Force, Conference Centre, Abuja.

In a summary of the 2022 weather forecast, Sirika said, “The earliest onset of the planting season (beginning of planting activities) is expected about 28th February 2022 in the coastal parts of the country while the onset of rainfall is expected to occur between April and May in the central States and eventually within June to July in the Northern states. The onset of the planting season is predicted to be normal over most parts of Nigeria with a few areas having it earlier while some areas having it delayed.

“Rainfall cessation dates across most parts of the country in 2022 is predicted to be near the long term average conditions. The window between the inset and cessation dates can be regarded as safe periods for the planting of various crops in accordance with their cropping calendar. The growing season is predicted to last between 250-300 days in Southern parts of the country and 100 to 200 days in the North”.

Vanguard