UN $1b Nigeria Humanitarian Response Plan To Kick-Off In February
The 2022 Nigeria Humanitarian Response Plan, has been slated for launch in February, 2022.
According to an official document from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the proposed plan requires just over US$1 billion, adding that it sets out the humanitarian community’s plan to assist 8.4 million people in need this year.
In 2021, the humanitarian community was estimated to have reached more than 5 million people in need in Nigeria. The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG/ERC), Martin Griffiths, had concluded a four-day visit to Nigeria which ended on Thursday, 20th January, 2022.
Griffiths also met with humanitarian workers in Bama and Damasak and heard first-hand of the challenges they face in reaching people in need. He said: “Brave humanitarian workers, most of them Nigerians themselves, work tirelessly and often at great personal risk to help others. I deeply admire their commitment and, in turn, commit myself to advocating for their safety, and for the necessary support to the people they serve.”
FG, States, LGs Share N699.82bn As Federal Allocation For December
The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee has shared a total of N699.82bn December 2021 Federation Account Revenue to the Federal Government, States and Local Government Councils.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a virtual meeting of FAAC for January 2022. The N699.824bn total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N507.267bn; distributable Value Added Tax revenue of N187.4bn and Exchange Gain of N5.148bn.
In December 2021, the total deductions for cost of collection was N30bn and the total deductions for statutory transfers, refunds and savings was N36.64bn. The balance in the Excess Crude Account was $35.36m.
The distributable statutory revenue of N507.26bn was available for the month. From this, the Federal Government received N248.88bn, the State Governments received N126.23bn and the Local Government Councils received N97.32bn. The sum of N34.82bn was shared to the relevant States as 13 percent derivation revenue.
Abiodun Alabi Becomes Lagos New Police Commissioner
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Alkali Usman Baba, has appointed Abiodun Alabi to take over from Hakeem Odumosu as the new Lagos State Commissioner of Police.
This is sequel to Odumosu’s elevation to the new rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).
CP Alabi holds a Master’s degree in Sociology and a Bachelor’s degree from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (1989) and the University of Lagos (1986) respectively.
He is a member of Nigeria Institute of Management and Fellow of National Defence College Abuja. Born on December 31, 1964, Alabi hails from Ekiti South-West local government area of Ekiti State and enlisted into the Police Force on March 3, 1990. He is married with children.
2023 Elections: INEC Pledges To Monitor Campaign Financing
The Independent National Electoral Commission on Friday said it would beam its searchlight on politicians and political parties to track the sources of funds for their campaigns in the 2023 general election.
Speaking at a policy roundtable event on political campaign finance organised by The Electoral Forum in Abuja on Friday, the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu represented by Prof Ajayi Kunle, the INEC National Commissioner in charge of party monitoring committee, further promised to set up committee to monitor election expenditure ahead of the elections.
The INEC chairman also said that INEC would also monitor the movement of money on election days to help tackle vote-buying at polling units.
Mahmood said that through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), commercial banks would be mandated to report all suspicious transactions ahead of the election. He threatened to prosecute any bank that failed to cooperate.
EFCC Charge Woman For N38m Oil Scam, Tax Evasion
The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has arraigned one Wasila Musa Ibrahim and her company, Najaatu Petroleum Limited, before Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa at the Federal High Court, Kano.
They were arraigned on Thursday on charges bordering on money laundering and tax evasion. In 2020, Ibrahim had reportedly defrauded a company known as Lee Group of a total sum of Thirty-Eight Million, Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N38,200,000).
According to the EFCC, the suspect had approached the Lee Group owner with a business proposal to supply the company Diesel and Premium Motor Spirit (petrol). Using the name of her company, Ibrahim collected the money from the victim and his family members, diverting it for her personal use.
Buhari Grieves Murdered 5-Year-Old Hanifa, Applauds Detectives Over Arrest Of Suspects
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed the nation’s condolences to the family of the five-year-old school girl Hanifa Abubakar.
The President also applauded the police and the secret service in unravelling the mystery behind the disappearance of Hanifa, and particularly for the arrest of her teacher and other accomplices “suspected in the kidnap and murder of the child.”
President Buhari in a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the family and the whole nation which followed up on Hanifa’s travail every day since her disappearance in December last year were hoping for the girl to have been rescued alive and well.
He prayed for the repose of the soul of the little school girl and urged her parents to bear the sad loss with courage and fortitude in God.
Benue State Gov. Suspends Four Traditional Rulers
Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom, has suspended four traditional rulers in the state over alleged misconduct.
The affected monarchs were Mue Ter Ngyen, Chief D Ijah from Ukum, LGA, Mue Ter Ichongo, Chief Terngu Iorhuna and Mue Ter Ipusu, Chief Enoch Kyumen both of Logo LGA as well as the District Head of Tir, Chief Johnson Boi in Katsina-Ala LGA.
The monarchs were immediately replaced by new Chiefs appointed in acting capacity by the Paramount ruler of the Tiv tribe and Chairman of the Benue State Traditional Council, HRM, Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse and Tor Sankera, Chief Abu King Shuluwa.
A statement issued on Friday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ken Achabo, said, “the Tor Tiv, has therefore appointed Chief Donald Vihive as acting Mue Ter Ngyen, Chief Stephen Tyôkpev as Mue Ter Ipusu, and Chief Orlu Mbakor as acting Mue Ter Chôngo.” The statement added that the Tor Sankera, Chief Abu King Shuluwa had also appointed Chief Philip Saamaaya as acting District of Tir in Katsina-Ala LGA.