Category: National Issue

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Fuel hike price looms as Lagos filling stations shut, queues persist in Abuja, others

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Many filling stations were shut and this led to queues by motorists in the few outlets that dispensed Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, in Abuja, neighbouring states, as well as in parts of Lagos.

It was learnt that marketers of PMS were still unsure about moves to halt petrol subsidy, considering the fact that the government had projected in 2021 that it would stop the subsidy regime in February this year.

The National President, NARTO, Yusuf Othman, told journalists in Abuja that “our people have parked their trucks and more people are going to park (theirs).”

The National President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, also stated that: “I’ve explained to you that DPOs are studying the situation around subsidy, since the government has been making various statements on this matter and this has its way of affecting the market,” he told news correspondent.

“They (government) said they want to fully deregulate. That statement and similar ones which some ministers made that by 2022 we are going to start full deregulation, made some PDOs decide to hoard or withhold their products.

“They (PDOs) are doing this to be able to match up with the cost of petrol when it rises above N300/litre upon full deregulation. Now, this became a bottleneck in terms of the chain of demand and supply.

“So people who were taking petroleum products out of Lagos from the PDOs stopped a little bit to be able to look at the market value and their cost of logistics.”

Punch

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We’re set for indefinite strike, FG dribbling us – ASUU

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The Chairman of The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Dr Biodun Olaniran, and  Secretary, Dr Toyin Abegunrin, who said this in a statement issued after the congress of the union, stressed that the failure of the government  to fully implement the agreements was worrisome.

The statement read in part, “Our union, ASUU, is using this medium to call upon the Federal Government of Nigeria once again to implement the agreement it signed with ASUU. It is unfortunate to mention that the FG signed an agreement with the ASUU since 2009, but the agreement is not implemented till date.

“The agreement was renegotiated in the name of peace. But to our dismay, the government has refused to sign the renegotiated agreement. In order to make the implementation of the agreement easy for the FG, the union has limited its demand to only three.

“These include the signing/implementation of the renegotiated agreement of 2009; and the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Software instead of the controversial IPPIS.”

He said, “It is wrong for President Muhammadu Buhari to assign two ministers to oversee the implementation of the Memorandum of Action signed last year with ASUU. First, the assigned ministers are not part of the agreement. Only the ministers of Finance and Education were part of the agreement. The Federal Government is trying to take away university autonomy through its designed programmes and it is trying to shy away from implementing the resolutions of the negotiations.

“ASUU is having its National Executive Council meeting at the University of Lagos on February 12 and 13. If nothing is done by the government between now and then, the lecturers may go on strike.”

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Nigeria is living on extra time, says Sanusi

Posted in Election, National IssueLeave a comment

The former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, spoke in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at a reception for him (Sanusi) as part of activities marking the 80th birthday of Babanla Adinni of Egbaland, Chief Tayo Sowunmi.

Sanusi said, “To be honest, we are living on extra time. In 2015, we were in a deep hole. In 2023, we will be in an even much deeper hole than in 2015.

“Those struggling to be President, I hope they understand that the problems that they are going to face are multiples of the problems that were faced in 2015. All of us have to be ready for difficult decisions and if they are taken, we are all going to pay for them.

“But the solution is not for all of us to jump into politics. This country needs good politicians. It needs imams, pastors and bishops who are going to stand up and remind them (politicians) of the fear of God. It needs technocrats who are going to critique their policies. It needs traditional rulers who are going to speak as the conscience of the people. Everyone has a role to play and we should try to play that role to the best of our ability.”

Punch

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UPDATE: No job loss if police take over NSCDC, Peller explains bill

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The lawmaker representing lseyin/ltesiwaju/ Kajola/lwajowa Federal Constituency in Oyo State at the House of Representatives, Shina Peller, has said the intention of his bill has been “misconstrued” to mean the scrapping of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps when it actually seeks to make the Nigeria Police Force absorb the security outfit.

Peller, in a statement issued on Saturday and titled ‘It was titled ‘Proposed Bill to Repeal NSCDC Act was Misconstrued…We Must Begin to Think of the Future of Our Policing System…Avoid Duplication of Functions,’ said he needed to make some clarifications.

The statement read, “Given the controversy that my bill has caused – the bill seeks to absorb the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps into the Nigeria Police Force and set a transitional framework to achieve this objective, I shall weigh in and make certain clarifications about the proposed bill.

“Contrary to what is being falsely spread by some people, the bill is not about scrapping NSCDC but merging the agency with the Nigeria Police Force to achieve better results in policing. The bill does not in any way seek to render people jobless rather the bill proposes the transfer of assets and personnel of the NSCDC to the Nigeria Police. In other words, assets and personnel will be absorbed by the Police; so there won’t be loss of jobs.

“In conclusion, fragmentation of security resources across multiple competing agencies is counterproductive, coupled with the fact that we have limited resources. What’s the essence of having multiple security agencies with no desirable result when we can harness the resources together to make our Police Force more efficient? This is what the bill seeks to achieve.”

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JUST IN: Sunday Igboho will be released soon –Lawyer

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An Abuja-based human rights lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, made this known in a Facebook post, scolding Yoruba leaders for allegedly being selfish.

The PUNCH reports that Igboho has spent over 200 days in Benin Republic detention since he was arrested at Cotonou airport en route to Germany alongside his wife in July 2020.

“Chief Sunday Igboho will be out very soon and there will be massive jubilation across the entire Yorubaland.

“He is no doubt a courageous man. This is very authoritative just that our Yoruba leaders should stop being selfish and allow good to prevail,” the lawyer said.

This is coming barely 48 hours after members of Agbekoya Worldwide asked the authorities of Benin Republic to free Igboho or they would use traditional means to get him out.

The President, Agbekoya Worldwide, Kamorudeen Okiki, who spoke in Osogbo on Thursday, said, “Sunday Igboho is not a criminal. We will continue to say that. We know that it is the Federal Government that is holding Igboho in Benin Republic, but we are telling Benin Republic authorities now to legally release him using their court.

“They should release him legally and quickly or we will use our traditional means and powers to take Igboho out of the court.”

Punch

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I’ll prioritise poor, vulnerable Nigerians’ welfare till 2023 – Buhari

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The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), gave the assurance while speaking at the virtual official presentation of the Country Review Report of Nigeria to the 31st Africa Peer Review Forum of the African Union, according to a statement by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, titled, ‘Poor and Vulnerable in Nigeria Will Continue to Enjoy Social Safety Nets, Says President Buhari’.

“Your Excellencies, Nigeria’s strategic focus, as we set out to achieve the objectives of the African Union Agenda 2063, has been around the following: Building a thriving and sustainable economy; Enhancing social inclusion and alleviating poverty; Enlarging agricultural output for food security and sufficiency; Attaining energy sufficiency in power and petroleum products.

“Expanding transport and other infrastructural development, business growth, entrepreneurship and industrialisation; Access to quality education, affordable healthcare and productivity, social cohesion and security; and, building a system that fights corruption and improve governance.

“Nigeria remains resolutely committed to achieving these set goals despite the challenges that the report highlighted, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria remains committed to providing social safety nets for the poor and most vulnerable in our society, while also taking advantage of the huge opportunities offered by the information and technology sector,’’ he said.

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Emerging influenza viruses may cause pandemic, says WHO

Posted in Health, National IssueLeave a comment

In a statement to commemorate the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System’s 70 years anniversary, the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said cases of seasonal influenza were responsible for up to 650,000 influenza-related respiratory deaths globally.

According to the WHO DG, “Influenza is a serious global health problem that impacts all countries: every year, there are an estimated one billion cases of seasonal influenza causing three to five million severe cases including up to 650 000 influenza-related respiratory deaths globally.

“Moreover, new influenza viruses are constantly emerging – these can cause pandemics that lead to widespread societal disruption and millions of deaths.

“Influenza viruses constantly evolve into new variants and spread rapidly, similar to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.”

“Founded in 1952, the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System, or GISRS, is celebrating 70 years of success as a worldwide network founded to protect people from the threat of influenza, reviewing its added value to other respiratory virus threats including COVID-19, and setting its sights to the future.

“GISRS is a proved global network that has provided a first line of defence against influenza for 70 years,” Ghebreyesus added.

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JUST IN: 123 companies, 96 others linked to terrorism financing -FG

Posted in Corruption, National Issue, SecurityLeave a comment

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this at a press conference, saying that the suspected companies and individuals were uncovered by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.

He said, “To check terrorism financing in Nigeria, the Federal Government has deployed a plethora of tools, including the Money Laundering Act, 2004, the EFCC Act, 2004, the ICPC Act, 2000, Department of State Services and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit to deal with the issue of corruption, money laundering and terror financing. The ongoing harmonization of Bank Verification Numbers with National Identification Numbers is also a means of tracking the flow of funds within Nigeria and, by extension, tackling terror financing.”

Mohammed added, “For its part, the analysis by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, in 2020-2021, revealed 96 financiers of terrorism in Nigeria, 424 associates/supporters of the financiers, involvement of about 123 companies and 33 bureaux de change, in addition to identifying 26 suspected bandits/kidnappers and 7 co-conspirators.

“The analysis has resulted in the arrest of 45 suspects who will soon face prosecution and seizure of assets. Also, from its analysis of tax evasion and tax avoidance linked to corruption, NFIU has identified N3,909,707,678,112.43 in VAT and N3,737,918,335,785.82 in Withholding Tax due to the Government.

“NFIU has also sent 1,165 intelligence reports on cases of corruption, money laundering and other serious offences to 27 domestic agencies for investigation, prosecution and asset recovery. On terrorism financing, NFIU had intelligence exchanges on Boko Haram, ISWAP, banditry, kidnapping and others with 19 countries. During the same period, 2020-2021, the organization returned fraudulently-obtained funds totalling US$103,722,102.83, 3,000 Pound Sterling; 7,695 Singapore Dollar and 1,091 Euros to 11 countries of victims who came into the country.”

Punch

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Insecurity: Ogun, Oyo to install CCTV cameras on highways

Posted in National Issue, SecurityLeave a comment

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, disclosed this, in a communique, jointly released after a joint security meeting, held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Rising from the meeting, the two states in the seven-point communique read by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Oyo State, Oyelowo Oyewo, agreed to set up a Joint Border Security Task Force “with membership drawn from various security agencies in the two states, to patrol the border communities to ensure the security of lives and property for the residents and commuters.”

The communique read, “To jointly collaborate on emergency/distress calls, especially on the highways that connect the two States.

“To effectively engage, cooperate and collaborate with all the stakeholders, including but not limited to the Federal government, state, and non-state actors (traditional institutions, religious groups, community development associations, etc.) whose input and support are required for improved security in the two States and around the border communities.

“The meeting also agreed to implement the following initiatives in the short term: Threats assessment and analysis along the border corridors; deployment of CCTV on the interstate highways; setting up of outposts along the border communities for the use of the Joint Border Security Task Force; harmonisation and mainstreaming of voluntary police and informal security outfits

“Timeous and diligent prosecution of criminals to signify the resolve of the governments of both states to clamp down on criminality. In this wise, the Attorneys-General of the two states should ensure synergy between law enforcement agencies and their prosecution departments or directorates during the investigative and prosecution phases of cases.”

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NECO begins 2022 common entrance registration

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NECO Registrar, Dantani Wushishi, made the announcement in an official jingle on the council’s website.

Wushishi said the registration was only for pupils who would not be less than 10 years of age by September 2022.

“National Examinations Council wishes to inform the general public that registration for the 2022 National Common Entrance Examination for Admission into Federal Government Unity Colleges has commenced.

“Registration fee is N4,500 per candidate, while payment should be made into NECO treasury single account through ATM card, bank branch, USSD, internet banking or wallet,” he said.

Wushishi also noted that registration for the examination would be done on the council’s official website: http://www.neco.gov.ng.

While stating that registration would close on April 23, the registrar encouraged parents to visit the website or any NECO state office nearest to them for more information on the registration process.