Category: National Issue

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The Director, Public Affairs Nigerian Communications Commission, Ikechukwu Adinde; and the Head, Corporate Communications, Nigeria Identity Management Commission, Kayode Adegoke, made this known in a joint statement, titled ‘FG Extends NIN-SIM verification deadline to 31st October, 2021′.

Before now, FG had approved the extension of the deadline for NIN-SIM data verification to July 26, 2021.

The statement read, “The Federal Government has approved the extension of the deadline for NIN-SIM data verification to October 31, 2021.

“The decision to extend the deadline was made following a request by stakeholders to accommodate registration in hard-to-reach remote areas, foreigners and diplomatic missions, diaspora and address low enrolments in schools and hospitals, as evidenced by enrolment statistics.

“It also followed a review of the progress of the exercise which indicated significant progress hence the need to consolidate the gains of the enrolment and NIN-SIM verification process across the country.

Punch

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The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Justice Obiora Egwuatu in his ruling on the ex parte application before the court, ordered that the Department of State Service should produce the detained aides of Sunday Igboho in court on the next adjourned date.

Justice Egwuatu also ordered the DSS to show cause why the applicants should not be admitted to bail.

The matter was adjourned to July 29 to take place during the court vacation.

Punch

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The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Federal Government said this in a counter-affidavit they deposed to in response to an originating motion filed by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, which was obtained by newsmen.

The government had on June 4, 2021, suspended Twitter barely two days after the social media platform deleted a tweet by the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

However, many Nigerians have bypassed the Twitter suspension by using Virtual Private Network.

Malami in a statement threatened to prosecute Nigerians still using the platform while the National Broadcasting Commission ordered all radio and television stations to stop using Twitter or picking content from the platform.

In an affidavit deposed to by Mr Ilop Lawrence on behalf of the Federal Government and the AGF, it was stated that the suspension of Twitter was not an abuse of human rights because Nigerians were still using Twitter despite the suspension.

It read in part, “The applicant (Effiong) and the class he seeks to represent can still operate those Twitter accounts from anywhere in the world and even from Nigeria. Nigerians are still tweeting, even at this moment as the ban on Twitter is not aimed at intimidating Nigerians or an infringement on the rights of Nigerians to express their opinion.

“The respondents (Federal Government and AGF) have never stopped the applicant (Effiong) and the class of persons he seeks to represent from voicing their opinions to access government information and offer criticism where necessary.”

Punch

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NiMet`s weather outlook released in Abuja, forecast cloudy skies over the northern region on Thursday with chances of thunderstorms over parts of Sokoto State and Kebbi during the morning hours.

“Cloudy skies are anticipated over the North Central region, with prospects of rains over Niger, Nasarawa State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the morning hours.

“Progressing into the afternoon and evening hours, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the FCT, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Nasarawa State and Plateau.

“The inland and the coastal cities of the South are expected to be cloudy with chances of rains over parts of Oyo State, Imo, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom during the afternoon and evening hours,” it said.

“Progressing into the afternoon and evening hours, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the FCT, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Nasarawa State and Plateau.

“The inland and the coastal cities of the South are expected to be cloudy with chances of rains over parts of Oyo State, Imo, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom during the afternoon and evening hours,” it said.

“Progressing into the afternoon and evening hours, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the FCT, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Nasarawa State and Plateau.

“The inland and the coastal cities of the South are expected to be cloudy with chances of rains over parts of Oyo State, Imo, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom during the afternoon and evening hours,” it said.

“The afternoon and evening hours should expect isolated thunderstorms over parts of the FCT, Nasarawa State, Plateau and Niger.

“The inland and the coastal cities of the south should be under cloudy skies in the morning.

“Later in the day, rains are expected over parts of Imo, Oyo State, Delta, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa,” it said.

NAN

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In a statement released by the Press Secretary to the state Governor, Taiwo Adisa, the Implementation Committee of the Oyo state 2019/2020 Civil/Public Servants Audit and Payroll Re-Engineering/Validation Exercise had recommended the removal of 41 officers, who were classified as “no show”, from the government’s payroll.

The recommendations of the committee were based on a report by Messrs Sally Tilbot Consulting firm which was engaged by the Oyo State government in 2019 to carry out an audit into its employees and pensioners payroll.

It was revealed that Tilbot indicted 602 workers for irregularities, and recommended them for sanctions by the government.

However, it was observed by the 13-member implementation committee headed by Permanent Secretary of the Civil Service Commission, D.O Olatunde, that 341 workers with irregular records out of the 602 had opted for voluntary retirement while 170 had systematically retired “due to no particular influence of the screening exercise”.

Forty officers were also cleared and absolved of any offence, while 10 officers on the list were found out to be dead.

In final recommendations of the committee it was advised that “40 officers should be absolved and allowed to remain on government payrolls, 170 officers who had retired systematically should be allowed on pension payrolls, and 10 deceased officers should be paid their due entitlements.”

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He was arrested at an airport in Cotonou , a top source familiar with the matter told our correspondent.

Igboho was arrested by the security forces in Benin Republic about three weeks after the Department of State Services declared him wanted for allegedly stockpiling arms, an allegation he has since denied.

The source told newsmen that Igboho will be repatriated to Nigeria on Tuesday (today) from Benin Republic, one of Nigeria’s neighbouring countries in the West African sub region.

“He was arrested in Cotonou while he tried to travel out on Monday night. His destination was Germany. The security forces in Benin Republic should repatriate him to Nigeria on Tuesday,” the source said.

When contacted, a member of Igboho’s legal team, Pelumi Olajengbesi, said he would speak with the lead counsel, Yomi Aliyu (SAN), and revert later.

DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, did not respond to a text message seeking confirmation on the matter.

Punch

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This was contained in a press statement titled, ‘Eid-el-Kabir: President Buhari extols the sacrifices of Nigerians, urges patience as government addresses hardships’.

The statement read in part, “Reflecting on current challenges facing the country, the President states that COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the economies of all countries, including Nigeria, in addition to the fact that floods have caused large scale destruction to agricultural farmlands, thereby impacting negatively on our efforts to boost local production in line with our policy to drastically reduce food importation.

“This, he explains, has led to food inflation which the government is working hard to address.

“Bo government in our recent history has invested as heavily as we are doing to promote local production of about 20 other commodities, through the provision of loans and several other forms of support to our farmers.

“Apart from the destruction caused to rice farms by floods, middlemen have also taken advantage of the local rice production to exploit fellow Nigerians, thereby undermining our goal of supporting local food production at affordable prices.

“As an elected president who enjoys the goodwill of the ordinary people that gave us their mandate, let me assure you that we are continuing with measures to bring relief to Nigerians, including making fertilizer available at affordable prices to our farmers.”

“I urge all Muslims to continue to live in peace and harmony with their fellow Nigerians of other faiths in the spirit of peaceful coexistence. Let us pray for the progress of Nigeria at all times. Let us expose undesirable elements among us who are creating security problems for the country.”

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DPR Director, Sarki Auwalu, stated this while responding to questions and comments generated by a paper he delivered in Lagos, recently, at the Second Quarter, 2021 Business Dinner of Petroleum Club Lagos.

He said, “So, to eliminate subsidy, they don’t call it subsidy anymore now, it’s under-recovery of purchase. So, to eliminate under-recovery, what you need is alternative fuel. Without an alternative, you will subject people to higher prices and that is why we go for price freedom.

“As at today, there are 22 million cars in Nigeria. Eight million are for public use. Imagine if you want to convert every car into gas, the average cost of conversion is $400. Converting eight million cars requires $3.2 billion. To do that, there are a lot of environmental investors which can invest and recover from the sale of gas and we are encouraging that.

“Once that is achieved, you will see that PMS can be sold at N1,000. After all, the average distance covered by one-gallon equivalent when you compare it with LNG or CNG with respect to energy for mobility is 2.7 against one. One for PMS, 2.7 for LNG or CNG.

”So, with that advantage, you will see that it creates an opportunity for this industry again. The issue of subsidy, the volume will all vanish and that is what we are working towards.”

Punch

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The House of Representatives, has mandated its Committee on Special Duties to liaise with the relevant authorities of the Federal Government to immortalize Prof. Felicia Adebola Adedoyin for her contributions to the advancement of Nigeria.

The resolution followed a unanimous adoption of a motion moved by a member from Oyo State, Olajide Olatubosun, which was titled ‘Need to Immortalise the Author of the National Pledge, Late Prof. (Mrs) Felicia Adebola Adedoyin.’

At the plenary,  Olatubosun recalled that the National Pledge was written in 1976 by Prof Felicia Adebola Adedoyin who was a princess from the Iji Ruling House of Saki, Oyo State.

The lawmaker also noted that the motivation for writing the National Pledge was the reality of non-existence of a National Pledge for Nigeria at the time, unlike other nations like the United States of America and Ghana in West Africa.

The lawmaker said, “The thoughtful and solemn words of the National Pledge have become an invocation for every Nigerian citizen to serve our fatherland with faithfulness, loyalty and honesty;

“The House regrets that the iconic composer of the National Pledge passed away on Saturday, May 1, 2021, after a brief illness.

“The House is convinced that the contribution of the deceased great Nigerian deserves special acknowledgement by immortalising her to keep her memories alive.”

Punch

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This was made known in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, titled, ‘Despite our challenges, we’re still a lucky country, says President Buhari’.

The statement read, “We are a lucky country and should congratulate ourselves, despite challenges that could have torn us apart, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.

“The President spoke Tuesday at State House, Abuja, while receiving the report of the National Security Summit held on May 26, 2021, by the House of Representatives. The report was submitted by a team of House members, led by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

“President Buhari urged leaders to respect the people, from the lowest to the highest, ‘so that it becomes a duty to them (the people) to pay back to the leadership.’

“Respect for the people, according to the President, should come in allowing them ‘to choose who they like as their leaders, irrespective of political party or religion.’

“Describing the event as ‘a remarkable occasion,’ President Buhari restated his determination to serve the country to the best of his ability, recalling his visits to the 36 States during the campaign for 2019 elections.”

The statement quoted Buhari as saying, “The number of people that turned out to see me, some waiting for 10 hours in the sun, was more than anyone could buy, or force. They just wanted to see who this Buhari was. People wonder why Nigerians accept me, despite not being rich. I wonder, too. I felt I just have to serve Nigeria and Nigerians to the best of my ability.”