Insecurity: Katsina governor tells residents to pray, buy guns to defend themselves

The Katsina State Government has asked residents to do whatever it takes including prayer or even having to acquire arms to defend themselves against criminals.

He also promised to assist security agencies in registering all the weapons illegally acquired by some of the good residents of the state.

“Anyone interested in acquiring arms should do so as it’s not right for bad elements to acquire arms while good people are denied this right,” he said.

Speaking during a press briefing at the Government House in Katsina on Tuesday, the governor also urged the people to support the efforts by security agencies to provide security in the communities.

NUJ Lagos EXCO visits Late Bonnie Iwuoha’s Family

The Executive members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Lagos State Chapter, on Tuesday, visited the Surulere home of the former National President of the union, Mr Bonnie Iwuoha, where they condoled with his widow and four children.

Bonnie Iwuoha died in Umuahia, on Monday, December 20, 2021 during an illness.

Commiserating with the family, the Chairman, Adeleye Ajayi, described the late Comrade Iwuoha as a peace-loving gentleman, who apart from occupying the highest office in the union, was always ready to contribute towards its progress.

Gov Abiodun Signs N350.735bn 2022 Budget Into Law

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has signed the N350.735bn 2022 appropriation budget into law.

This was coming barely a month after the governor presented it to the State House of Assembly

Abiodun, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin said that the Assembly had passed the exact figure of N350,735,149,739.57 contained in the State 2022 budget.

Abiodun further said his administration would continue to espouse projects that will affect the state’s socioeconomic activities positively.

UAE Suspends Luanda, Conakry, Nairobi, Other Flights From Entry, Transit Via Dubai

The United Arab Emirates has suspended flights from Luanda, Conakry, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Entebbe, Accra, Abidjan and Addis Ababa to Dubai.

In a circular released Wednesday, Emirates informed the public through a travel update, stating that customers originating from the above named destinations will not be accepted for travel to or through Dubai with effect from 28th December, 2021 until further notice.

In recent times and due to COVID-19, most countries have adopted an approach of flight restrictions as a precautionary measure to curb the spread of the virus.

Buhari Says His Regime Will Improve Forex Supply

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) that his regime will do everything in its power to improve access to foreign exchange for importation of raw materials and machines.

Buhari spoke on Wednesday at the State House during an advocacy visit by the leadership of MAN, in response to requests for the manufacturing sector to contribute more to the Nigerian economy.

The president in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, told the Mansur Ahmed-led MAN executives that the relevant ministry would revisit their concerns about the increase in excise duties on selected products and other tariff-related matters.

President Buhari also reemphasized that despite limited resources, his regime has made appreciable progress in road and rail infrastructure development; provision of stimulus packages for the manufacturing sector; improvement in energy management and support for exporters to improve the operating environment for businesses in Nigeria.

Lagos Assembly passes N1.758tr ‘Budget of Consolidation’ for 2022

The Lagos State House of Assembly has passed the 2022 budget, with a slight increase from the initial N1.38 trillion to N1.758 trillion.

The budget was passed at a sitting presided over by the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, after a presentation of the report by the chairman of the committee on economic planning and budget, Gbolahan Yishawu.

Yishawu, after the plenary, explained that the total budget size passed has left overs from the previous allocations in the 2021 budget.

He said the leftover was rolled into a ‘contingency fund’ in the 2022 budget. He also put the capital and recurrent expenditure ratio at 66:34.

While the recurrent expenditure is N591,280,803,486bn, the capital expenditure is N1.166,915,843,358trn, which brings the budget total size to N1,758,196,44,844trn. According to him, the loans, bonds and ISPO funds have been captured in the budget that was passed.

NAFDAC Promise To Ensure Donated COVID Vaccines Have 6-Month Expiration Dates

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Wednesday said the agency is working with international partners to ensure Nigeria gets vaccines with long expiration dates.

Director-General of the Agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made this known on Wednesday. Mrs Adeyeye spoke against the backdrop of the one million doses of vaccines that expired in November and were destroyed by NAFDAC and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the Abuja Environmental Protection Agency.

Mrs Adeyeye in a chat with newsmen on Wednesday said the expired vaccines had a very short expiration which made it impossible to be administered in time due to logistics reasons.

She added that going forward, the agency will be working with international partners to ensure the expiration date of any vaccine we will be receiving are up to five or six months.

Abductors of Plateau Monarch demands N50m Ransom

The abductors of the paramount ruler of Pyem Chiefdom, Charles Mato Dakat, have demanded N50million as ransom.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 3 Division, Nigerian Army, Rukuba who doubles as commander of the Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Ali, made this known when officials of correspondents Chapel of Plateau Council of Nigerian Union of Journalists visited him on Wednesday in Jos.

Dakat was abducted from his palace on Sunday morning by gunmen suspected to be bandits.

On the rise in the spate of kidnapping in the country, Ali assured that security agencies are on top of their game toward ending the menace.

Bandits Storms Zamfara Community, Kill District Head, Sons

Suspected bandits have stormed Gada community in the Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara state.

The district head of the community, Umaru Bawan-Allah, and his two sons were reportedly killed, while several other persons were abducted by the bandits.

The Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, who confirmed the incident, said the bandits also razed down the district head’s home.

An indigene of the community said the assailants invaded the area in the early hours of Wednesday and unleashed mayhem on residents. Gada community is about seven kilometres from Bungudu town, the headquarters of the local government.

Former VC Applauds Buhari, Akpabio Over NDDC Hostel In UniUyo

A former Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Professor Akaeren Essien, has applauded President Mohamadu Buhari and Senator Godswill Akpabio for their efforts in completing the abandoned 1,050 bedspace hostel in the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

The commendation was contained in a personal statement issued by Professor Essien on the eve of the hostel’s commissioning.

He said: “Your Excellencies, thank you for the great value addition to the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) Hostel project of University of Uyo.

“When I assumed office as the Vice Chancellor in 2005, the project was abandoned and all efforts to get the work restarted were not successful. You allowed yourselves to be used by God to reinitiate and complete the project on a higher and unprecedented pedestal.”