Kwara State Government sets up panel to investigate brutality on Ilorin Arabic Students
The Kwara State Government has set up a commission of inquiry into the brutality recently meted out to five students of an Ilorin based Islamic institution named Musbaudeen Islamiy Arabic School in Ganmo, Ifelodun local government area of the state.
The five students comprising of four males and a female were alleged to have attended a youth social party in a club house within the Ilorin metropolis, which was claimed to contravene the school’s rules and regulations.
The head of the school has also been suspended pending investigation into the unfortunate incident as the wounded students are being given intensive medical attention.
Second Niger Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway`ll be ready before 2023- Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday assured Nigerians that the 11.9km Second Niger Bridge, 120 km Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and other key projects under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) will be completed before his 2023 exit from office.
He made the assertion during the opening of a two-day Mid-Term Ministerial Performance Review Retreat organized to assess progress made towards the achievement of the nine key priorities of this Administration.
While hosting attendees at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the President showered encomiums on his ministers for good work done to ensure he met his mandate to Nigerians over the past two years and their promptness in delivery of reports on their achievements to the Federal Executive Council.
Presidency 2023: Pastor Bakare launches `Nigeria for Nigerians` (N4N) Movement
The Founding Pastor and Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church (CGCG), Pastor Tunde Bakare, recently launched a new movement christened Nigeria for Nigerians (N4N) Movement.
Bakare launched the movement during a state of the nation address which he titled: ‘The black box of Nigeria’s politics’, at his church auditorium in Oregun, Lagos.
Bakare, while declaring the launch of the association reiterated that it was high time Nigerians rose up for their emancipation and took the oppressive bull by the horn so that they could be set free.
“The time has come for the true progressives to arise, say enough is enough to political hypnosis; it is time to take our country back”, he added.
Nigeria set to declare genetically modified maize fit for open cultivation, consumption
After due evaluatlon including field tests and trials, the Federal Government recently granted environmental approval for evaluation and open cultivation of TELA Maize in Nigeria.
In a statement signed by Communication Officer of African Agricultural Technology Foundation, (AATF), West and Central Africa, Mr Alex Abutu, it was explained that TELA maize is a variety developed by researchers at the Institute for Agricultural Research, (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, that resists fall armyworms, stem borers, and tolerates moderate drought.
The statement also said that the decision was contained in a certificate issued to IAR by the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA).
Community Policing Initiative to gulp N13•3b – Buhari
In line with his recent commitment to strengthening security nationwide, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday approved N13.3 billion for the take-off of the Community Policing initiative.
Buhari disclosed this in Abuja at the opening of a two-day Mid-Term Ministerial Performance Review Retreat to assess progress made towards the achievement of the nine key priorities of his administration.
According to him, the funds are meant for the full implementation of processes establishing the initiative and its take-off.
Nigeria works towards self-sufficiency in arms` production
To meet the need for Nigeria to be appreciably self-sufficient in arms production, the Ministry of Defence has been instructed to create a modest military industrial complex for the local production of weapons to meet some of the requirements of the country’s armed forces.
The project which is being implemented under the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), a military department responsible for arms manufacture, is to address Nigeria’s over-dependence on other countries for military equipment and logistics.
The country also recently took delivery of six units A-29 Super Tucano Aircrafts already being employed in tackling insurgency.
A Nigeria Police Trust Fund is also being set up to improve funding of the activities of the Nigeria Police.
INEC plans registratlon of new, emerging political parties
There are strong indications that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) might embark on registering new political parties ahead of the 2023 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who was represented by its National Commissioner and Chairman (Outreach and Partnership Committee), Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, dropped the hint in Abuja recently during the annual summit of political parties and stakeholders. This year’s summit was themed: “Political Parties and Democratic Stability in Nigeria: Setting Agenda for 2023 General Elections.”
The Commission also expressed concern over irregularities associated with the existent political parties which include lack of internal party democracy, inclusiveness, marginalisation of women/persons living with disabilities and the youths, while strongly advising the involved political parties to address the ugly trend.
Covid-19: Low -income countries bear strangulating debt burdens
Low income countries the world over have been struck by heavy debt burdens occasioned by the global Covid-19 pandemic, increasing their overall burden to as high $860 billion in 2020, the World Bank has said.
According to the world apex bank, massive response by governments around the world to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their citizens caused this unfortunate setback to the economies of affected countries.
In a release at the start of the World Bank/IMF annual meeting in Washington on Monday, the Bank stated that the massive fiscal, monetary and financial stimulus packages to cushion the impact of the pandemic on the poor has brought severe debt burden on the low- and medium-income countries, adding that urgent actions are needed to address the situation.
Edo State Government owes no pensioner a penny- Crusoe Osagie
The Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media, Crusoe Osagie has said the state government does not owe its pensioners a dime, thus debunking earlier public claims that the state`s refusal to pay pensioners entitlements led to the demonstration by the affected aged ones.
Osagie in his statement claimed that the government unfortunately was caught in between disagreements between pension unions in the state and that was the real cause of the crisis and not anything concerning the government.
“There is supposed to be a statutory one percent deduction which they have not ironed out among themselves yet, so that is what is causing this crisis,” he said.
“The state government is caught in a cross-fire of disagreements within pension unions in the state. Whatever happened today with pensioners’ protest didn’t have anything to do with pensioners being owed because this state government does not owe a penny, he added.
