A lawmaker representing Obowo constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly, Kenneth Ibeh, has sponsored a bill to reduce the expenses of marriage in the state to a maximum of N180,000.
Ibeh said the bill was necessary as many young women in the state are yet to be married due to the expensive cost of marriage and the bride price.
According to him, the bill, which was presented for the second reading on Friday, would address the outrageous marriage bills that had caused many ladies to remain single in the state as suitors cannot afford to pay.
“A suitor coming to pay for a lady’s dowry may finds it taxing to settle for the English wedding which again demands more expenses.
It is quite unfortunate that this practice has caused so many of our marriageable ladies to remain single and men apprehensive of taking the bold step. This is wrong and we must discourage it at all cost,” Ibe said.
The bill proposes that once a suitor pays and completes the bride price of a woman, a clearance certificate should be issued to the groom by the father of the bride, who will present the certificate to the traditional ruler of the community.
The clearance certificate, the bill says, would then be presented for the final issuance of Customary Marriage Certificate at a cost not exceeding N1000.
The proposed law stated that no customary marriage in the state, including the final stage of the Igbankwu ceremony, should exceed the sum of N180,000, and that the bride price should not exceed N80,000.
The House of Representatives ad hoc committee auditing the arms and ammunition procured by the country’s Armed Forces on Friday knocked the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, for snubbing its invitation before the panel.
The House Ad Hoc Committee on the Need to Review the Purchase, Use and Control of Arms, Ammunition and Related Hardware by Military, Paramilitary, and Other Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria held its first investigative hearing in Abuja on Friday.
The COAS was represented by the Commandant of Nigerian Army War College, Maj.-Gen. Charles Ofoche.
Ofoche, who pleaded on Attahiru’s behalf, said the COAS was attending a meeting with other service chiefs in Ibadan, Oyo State.
He said: “The country is embroiled in a lot of crisis, so they are moving around. And he thought he could make it down here this morning for this meeting, so the notice was quite short for me to come and represent him because he would have loved to do it personally and that is why there is no written note.”
“We are at your service. We are here to serve you as a people and to serve all Nigerians. We cannot pretend that we do not know there is a crisis all over the country.
The Chief of Army Staff cannot be at every location at every time. He is on the way trying to get to know his men. He took over barely a week ago. He is going around trying to get first-hand information as to the capability of the fighting force he is leading.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of the committee, Aliyu Al-Mustapha, alleged that criminals had been caught with arms and ammunition said to have been procured by the Armed Forces.
He said: “You can bear witness to the fact that Nigeria is embroiled in serious security issues and year in year out, appropriations were made and huge sums expended on procurement of arms and ammunition.
“Yet, in the whole of the arrests made, you find these arms and ammunition with some of these bandits and miscreants. Some of them can be traced back to the very military or police. It is a serious issue and the National Assembly is well-positioned to dig deep into the root of this issue and find a solution.”
Al-Mustapha stated that the lawmakers were not witch-hunting the COAS or the army.
He added: “This is a very serious and sensitive security matter; at least, let us see the man, being that this is the first meeting with the Nigerian Army. The accounting officer of the army should have appeared to give us his account and position as far as the communications made to him.
“For the chairman and secretariat, there is no communication before that the COAS is having another schedule that may not allow him to be physically present here. That is a contravention to Section 88, Section 89 (1) (of the Constitution), and of course Section o1 of the Armed Forces Act 1994.
“There is a need for a motion to allow the COAS to come and make his submissions personally to this committee.”
In the same vein, a member of the committee, Ifeanyi Momah, condemned Attahiru for not writing the committee to introduce and endorse Ofoche to speak for him.
He said: “So if he is not the one making the remarks, it makes it very easy for him to actually engage in culpable deniability since he is not the one making the remarks.”
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, on Thursday, March 11, revealed that the armed forces had the requisite manpower and firepower to ensure the complete elimination of terrorism and banditry in the country.
He also dismissed insinuations of lack of synergy among the ranks of the troops.
Irabor, during a visit with other service chiefs to the 2 Division Headquarters of the Nigerian Army in Ibadan said the visit was to demonstrate leadership by example.
The armed forces of today demands that each of the services work together given that the threat that we face required partnership and collaboration. The misconceived ideas or opinions in the town by those who are uninformed to the effect that the armed forces are working in disparity group are not true.
“What we have been doing today is to let you know that disparity does not exist, we have come today to be an encouragement team to work together and let you know the directive of the president,” he stated.
According to Irabor, President Buhari had directed them to ensure they restore peace and security to the country within a few weeks in conjunction with other security agencies.
He lauded the officers for what they have been doing so far and charged them not to rest on their oars.
He also urged them to ensure that they overcome the security challenges facing the country within the shortest time possible.
The CDS assured the officers that much is being done on their welfare while charging them to be disciplined in order to end terrorism.
Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho on Thursday, March 11, revealed his utmost confidence in former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode over his staunch defence of Yorubaland.
His comment may not be unconnected with the exchange of words between Fani-Kayode and the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) over whether or not the suspected Fulani warlord Iskilu Wakili in police custody is the authentic person wanted for alleged killings and abductions.
Fani-Kayode had stated that the Wakilu arrested last Sunday by OPC operatives is not the notorious gang leader terrorising the Ibarapa area of Oyo State.
However, the OPC had accused him of seeking undue relevance and prominence.
But Sunday Igboho, in a statement by his spokesman Olayomi Koiki, said he has no problem with anyone who supports the agitation for the Yoruba nation.
He said: “Anyone who is willing to support the agitation for the Yoruba Nation is highly welcome, the goal is ‘YORUBA NATION NOW’.
We know what we want and no going back. Every other side talk is nothing but a distraction. We are fully focused, YORUBA NATION is the goal.
“Let me reiterate, anything you did not hear from I, Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho) or my spoke person Olayomi Koiki of Koiki Media is not a fact.
“Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is one of the stakeholders that identifies with us on the struggle of Yoruba Nation agitation.
“He can give his own advice at any time as regards the agitation and there’s no reason to doubt him. We have a 100 percent confidence in him.
Let’s not talk with envy. We must unite and stay strong in one voice. Therefore, we want to identify with Chief Femi Fani Kayode and any other person that stands for the Yoruba race irrespective of their religion or political party affiliation. Thank you and God bless”.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, has insisted that Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari has no need to engage foreign mercenaries to defeat terrorism in the country.
Monguno said this during a briefing on Thursday, adding that the Buhari-led administration believes the country is well equipped to deal with Boko Haram’s insurgency and other security challenges on its own without seeking help as many have continued to advocate.
The NSA cited ‘national pride and other non-specific issues’ as reasons why Buhari would not sanction the use of mercenaries to fight insurgency as the “President is more interested in how to utilise the nation’s resources to win the counter-terrorism war.”
What we’re looking at here is that we have the resources; it’s just misapplication and under-utilisation that has affected our abilities to deal with these people,” Monguno said.
He added that the government remains committed to supporting troops with equipment and intelligence to completely eradicate the terrorists.
The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) has said the petrol price template published on Friday was only an indication of current market trends.
In a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Abdulkadir Saidu, the agency said the published template was in line with its mandate to maintain constant surveillance of key indices relevant to pricing policy and monitors market trends on a daily basis to determine Guiding Prices.
The statement read: “One of the conditions for the implementation of the Market-Based Pricing Regime for PMS Regulation 2020 is the monthly release of Guiding Price to reflect current market fundamentals.
“The agency is not unaware of the challenges with the supply of PMS due to some concerns leading NNPC to be the sole importer of PMS. PPPRA is also mindful of the current discussion going on between the government and the organised labour on the deregulation policy.
While consultation with relevant stakeholders is ongoing, PPPRA does not fix or announce prices and therefore there is no price increase. The current PMS price is being maintained while consultations are being concluded.”
PPPRA also confirmed the return of fuel subsidy as it noted the government’s effort to keep the price of petrol at N162.
“Even though market fundamentals for PMS in the past few months indicated upward price trends, the pump price has remained the same and we are currently monitoring the situation across retail outlets nationwide,” it added.
The agency, however, assured the public of adequate supply as the average PMS Day Sufficiency as of March 11 is over 35 days.
The Lagos State Government has commenced its COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccination programme while setting up 88 centres for the administration of the vaccine to residents.
Prof. Akin Abayomi, the Commissioner for Health, disclosed this during a media briefing on the Official Rollout, Distribution and Administration of COVID-19 vaccines in Lagos on Friday, March 12.
Abayomi said that the commencement of the vaccine at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Yaba, would involve inoculation of the state governor, members of his cabinet and some frontline healthcare workers.
He said that three centres namely; IDH Yaba, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, would begin vaccination on Friday for frontline healthcare workers.
He said that the other centres spread across various local government areas of the state would start their vaccination on Monday.
The commissioner listed those qualified to be inoculated in the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout as medical personnel, police, military, judiciary and port health officials.
According to him, citizens 50 years and above with comorbidities were also eligible to receive the vaccine.
He said that phase two would have 18 to 49 years and those with comorbidities vaccinated, phase three and four would include everyone interested in receiving the vaccine, especially in high burden local government areas.
Abayomi disclosed that pregnant women and children under 18 years were exempted from the vaccine, saying that they weren’t included in the clinical trials.
He said that an online portal would be opened to facilitate easy registration for the vaccine, advising those not listed in the priority list not to register.
He further said that the AstraZeneca vaccine has two doses, with the second dose taking up to 12 weeks apart from the first dose.
“After the first dose, you will have 60 per cent protection and up to 80 per cent after the second dose.
“Note that you might still contract COVID-19 after vaccination, but the level of severity might not be much after achieving this level of immunity,” he said.
The commissioner’ also said that the risk of not taking the vaccine outweighs that of being inoculated, adding that it would assist the state and Nigeria achieve herd immunity.
Abayomi appealed to citizens to submit themselves to be vaccinated when it gets to their turn as the vaccine was a global responsibility to slow down the disruption of the virus.
He commended the Federal Government for providing financial and technical assistance for the state to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in the last 12 months.
The commissioner said that the state received 507,742 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from the Federal Government, saying it would help to boost its COVID-19 response.
Mr Gbenga Omotoso, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, said that the vaccine rollout was a landmark event that would halt the catastrophic effect of COVID-19.
Omotoso appealed to the media to continue to assist in disseminating information that would educate and promote the health and wellbeing of the citizens.
Also, Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), said that the AstraZeneca vaccine was safe and advised residents against hesitancy.
Shuaib, represented by Mrs Omar Oto, a Director in the Agency, assured residents of the availability of the vaccines as the Federal Government was scheduled to receive more vaccines in May.
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Friday, quashed the purported service of court processes served on former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode in the suit instituted against him by his ex-wife, Precious Chikwendu.
The decision followed the doubt created in the mind of the court as to whether personal service was actually effected on the politician as required by law.
Besides, the trial court held that the affidavit of service deposed to by the court bailiff was very clear that he did not see the former Minister personally when he took the process to his Abuja residence.
Although Justice Slyvester Oriji held that there was proof before the court that the respondent was actually in receipt of the court summons, there is no evidence that he was personally served by the bailiff as required by the rules of court.
“The text message from the respondent to the applicant which read in part: “I received your summons, we shall meet in court” proves the fact that he has actually received service.”
He, however, stated that the police will investigate whether the acknowledgement containing the endorsement with the name of the respondent was actually forged or not.
“The issue of whether the respondent actually signed the document or any other person signed on his behalf is subject of investigation by police and the court cannot make any findings on it.
I need to point out that the bailiff did not see the respondent personally as contained in his affidavit of service. Bailiff should have insisted to see him personally and if that was not possible, he court have return the process to the court.
“In the light of the doubt cast on personal service of the process on the respondent, it is proper to set it aside. The purported service is hereby set aside”, Justice Oriji ruled.
The court, however, refused the prayer made by counsel to the respondent, Adeola Adedipe, for the striking out of the suit.
He ruled that the action cannot be invalidated by reason of non personal service on the respondent.
Meanwhile, the court has ordered that the originating motion including a fresh hearing date be served on the respondent and adjourned the matter to April 21, 2021.
In the substantive suit, the former beauty pageant, through her counsel, Enohor Moi- Wuyep, demanded for full custody of their two sons aged five and three.
Chikwendu had explained before the FCT High Court in Apo, Abuja, that Fani-Kayode, her ex-husband beat her up on several occasions even while she was pregnant.
Chikwendu had made the allegations in an affidavit she deposed to in support of an originating motion brought pursuant to Section 69 of the Child’s Rights Act, 2003.
She told the court that “From the early days of our relationship, the respondent (Fani-Kayode) has always maintained a lifestyle of utter disregard to my feelings. This was evident in the way and manner the respondent assaulted me while I was pregnant with our first son.
“The respondent (Fani-Kayode) kicked me several times on my stomach over a petty argument that ensued. It was my friend, Vanessa, who was around at the material time that intervened at the nick of time to save me.
I had to leave the respondent’s (Fani-Kayode’s) house a few days after this incident. The respondent (Fani-Kayode) repeated the same act when I was pregnant with triplets. This time it was my mother and sister that intervened.”
The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of a former governor of Plateau state, Joshua Dariye, over a branch of trust which carries 10-year jail term.
The judgment delivered on Friday by Justice Helen Ogunwumiju also dismissed the charges of misappropriation of funds which carries a two-year jail term.
The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday, said it would ensure that the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) serve out their tenure which expires in December.
It also said the party would do everything necessary to take over power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023, noting that it was taking steps to resolve all disputes within the ranks of the PDP and unite it for the attainment of its objective.
Secondus has been having a running battle to retain his position in the party. There have been reported moves by some PDP governors to remove the national chairman as part of the permutations for the bid for power in 2023.
But the BoT said it would ensure this does not happen.
“The Board of Trustees will ensure that a fluent and uninterrupted operation of all the organs of the party, particularly the National Working Committee (NWC), remains in place leading up to a successful convention in December 2021,” the BoT said in a communiqué signed by its Secretary, Senator Adolphus Wabara.
It said it would ensure that harmonious relations exist between the organs of the party, adding that a detailed meeting between the BoT and the NWC is planned to hold soon.
It said it was working with other stakeholders to resolve disagreements among party members as a way of ensuring peace and stability in the main opposition party.
According to the communiqué, which was read to reporters by Wabara,, the BoT reviewed and discussed the situation of the party nationwide, stating that this was necessary due to the heightened political and economic tensions in the country.
The purpose of the meeting, Wabara said, was to ensure the stability of all the organs of the party and to place them on the alert as the party prepares to take over power once again.
The communiqué said the BoT recognised the ongoing work of the Reconciliation and Strategy Committee, led by a former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki.
“The meeting was briefed on the outcome of zonal congresses held over last weekend. Three out of the six congresses have been successfully concluded.
“The Board of Trustees in playing its statutory role as the conscience of the party will work earnestly towards ensuring that the highest level of morality exists in all its activities and that all the members of our party live up to expectation,” it said.
The communiqué added that the board is committed to not allowing any strained relationship between it members, particularly at the top management level of the party.
“With a determination to do all that is necessary to ensure that we fulfill the overwhelming desire of the vast majority of the people of Nigeria that the PDP regains national power in 2023, the board is unequivocally committed to ensuring that normalcy and peace prevail through all the organs of the party to permit the development and implementation of well-structured plans
Finally, the board is very appreciative of the commitment of our governors to the party and the exemplary roles they have all been playing to keep the party at the optimum operational level. The board will consult with the governors’ forum on necessary measures towards solidifying the party,” the communique read.
Commenting on the zoning of the presidency, a BoT member and former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, said: “Zoning is in the PDP Constitution, it is a party matter.”
Another member and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi, however, said it was too early to discuss the matter.
It is still too early for the PDP at this point in time to declare its position on zoning. You know very well that APC has done five years now; politics as far as Nigeria is concerned is between APC and PDP. PDP has to be very careful in dealing with this issue; we will take it step by step. I believe that your concerns will be taken into consideration when the decision will be made,” he said.
Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, has said some Nigerians are the greatest problem of their country. In his weekly column, the presidential spokesman cautioned Nigerians against ” disintegration, destabilization and outright war”.
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He said although the country is not perfect, many should do their best to make it work. Adesina criticised those who do nothing but find faults in the country, saying the repercussion of a crisis can better be imagined. “It’s often intriguing to hear eminent and well appointed Nigerians talk about disintegration, destabilization and outright war, as if it’s a picnic. War? Not a tea party, and not something you should wish even upon your enemy. Nigeria fought a war before, in which about two million people died. There was sorrow, tears and blood, till good sense prevailed, and we said there was no victor, no vanquished. The scars of that internecine conflict are still very evident in some parts of the land. “Why then do some newspaper columnists, public commentators, ethnic warlords, even academics, talk of war as something they long for, an affliction they want to inflict their country with? War? Is it a picnic or tea party? “I have seen enough to make me conclude that the greatest problem of Nigeria are Nigerians themselves. They seem to hate their country. There was that atheist who said on his death bed. “I hate everybody. I hate God. I even hate myself.” That seems to be the experience of a good number of Nigerians,” he wrote. Nigeria is not perfect The presidential spokesman said although the country is not perfect, wishing evil upon it is not the solution to the problems. “What am I saying? Is Nigeria in a perfect state, nirvana, a Utopia? By no means. We all see things that exasperate us about our country. So, is cutting off the head the cure for headache? Is death wish for the country through the constant craving for war the way out, couched as warnings by some interest groups? For really, that is what they would wish to see, if only to have the morbid satisfaction of saying: we warned, they didn’t listen. “We have our grouses with Nigeria. The President often talks of missed opportunities, and yes, this country has missed many, over the decades. But he adds that those of them who have fought to keep this country together would never open their eyes and see Nigeria dismembered. Loving the unloveable. That is what Nigerians need, if we would eventually get the country we desire. William Cowper, English writer, who lived between 1731 and 1800, said: “England, with all thy faults, I love thee still-my country.” “That is one thing we find lacking. We have not got to the point that we can say, Nigeria, with all thy faults, I love thee still-my country. “The Good Book says love covers a multitude of sins. And it does. But does it happen in respect of our country? Don’t Nigerians carry around giant-sized grudges against themselves, against their leaders, against the next ethnic group, and against their own very land… They seem to hate their country. There was that atheist who said on his death bed. “I hate everybody. I hate God. I even hate myself.” Many reasons to love Nigeria “The need of the hour is love for Nigeria, warts and all. Yes, there are many reasons not to love this land. But it’s the only one we have. We would be second class citizens anywhere else. Nigeria we hail thee. Our own dear native land. The fault lines are many: ethnicity, suspicion of domination, religious differences, language, centrifugal forces. But, Nigeria, with all thy faults, I love thee still-my country. “Do you know that some Nigerians actually gloat when things go wrong in the country? They rejoice at wanton killings, massive insecurity, prostrate economy, decrepit inter-ethnic relationships, and the like. They want things to fall apart in the ‘zoo.’ But Nigeria will survive. The singer, Veno Marioghae, said it long ago. Nigeria is like the testicles of a ram. It may sway from side to side as the ram runs, but it will never fall off. “It’s time we began to have a Nigerian agenda, instead of sectional agenda. It’s time we began to see the big picture, and wish our country well. Enough of wars and rumours of war. Can we cavil less about our country? Can we emphasize less on things not done, and focus more on things being achieved? And I tell you, the Buhari government has stories to tell. Of rice pyramids, roads, rail, bridges, airports, massive infrastructure everywhere. “Just on Thursday, the 13 Floor, Twin Tower ultra-modern Headquarters Building of the Niger Delta Development Commission was commissioned, about 26 years after it was conceived. And many of such projects abound. Let’s wail less, and appreciate more. Nigeria, with all thy faults, I love thee still-my country.”
The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Ekiti, Dr Kayode Fayemi has said the federal salary structure should not be imposed on states.
He submitted this when he hosted the pro-chancellors of the state-owned universities on Thursday in Abuja, noting that the federal and state governments do not have similar economic or financial situations.
Fayemi in a statement issued by the Head of Media and Public Affairs of NGF Secretariat, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, said, ”I, for example, do not have the resources of Lagos State, so you won’t expect me to earn the same salary as the governor of Lagos.
He said it was true that no state had fulfilled the payment of salaries to states universities, but said states were not always solely responsible for this.
The people you appoint as vice-chancellors need to speak truth to power, they need to be able to bite the bullet, and not just be a YES person. We need to work together to confront these issues, we are running glorified secondary schools as universities by this system and you have to help us in insisting that the institutions too, do the right thing, ” he added.
Earlier, the pro-chancellors led by Mallam Yusuf Ali, the Pro-Chancellor of Osun State University, said that the seamless educational progression that the country should be experiencing was being hampered by lack of funds.
Ali called on the owners of state-owned universities to relegate politics to the backgrounds when considering their appointees.
The team, which represents all the 48 universities owned by states pleaded with governors to take over the burden of payment of salaries of state universities.
They also called for the reintroduction of scholarships for indigent students and assist the committee of pro-chancellors of states universities to erect a secretariat of their own to facilitate their activities.
The recent hike arrives after the federal government promised that it has no plans to increase the pump price of petrol. Nigeria’s federal government, through the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) has increased the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly referred to as petrol.
The retail price for a liter of petrol will be between N209.61 and N212.61, the PPRA announced late Thursday.
The price adjustment from N170 to above N200arrives 11 days after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which regulates the oil sector in Nigeria and which is the sole importer of refined crude, promised that it has no plans to increase the pump price of petrol for the month of March.
“The corporation is not contemplating any raise in the price of petrol in March in order not to jeopardize ongoing engagements with organized labour and other stakeholders on an acceptable framework that will not expose the ordinary Nigerian to any hardship,” the NNPC said in a statement signed by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Kennie Obateru.
Ending the subsidy regime
The President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government has repeatedly announced that it has no money to continue paying for subsidies on petrol, adding that the petroleum sector has now been deregulated, with pump prices set to be determined by market forces of demand and supply periodically.
There was always the possibility that the pump price of the product would be adjusted upwards as the price of crude oil in the international market rebounds.
Brent crude now sells for around $70 a barrel, from a peak pandemic low of around $20 a barrel. Petrol dispensing stations across Nigeria have been hoarding the product in anticipation of the latest increase, causing an artificial scarcity.
The recent increase will lead to even more inflation and economic hardship for Nigerians, in an economy where prices of foodstuff, goods and services have been spiralling out of control every other day.
Leaders of Yoruba nation under the aegis of the Pan Yoruba Congress (PYC) are billed to meet and deliberate over the security crisis facing the South-Western region of the country.
A statement by the Congress’ Committee Chairman, Ogbeni Sola Lawal, on Thursday revealed that the meeting is bill for Wednesday next week in Ibadan, Oyo State.
According to Lawal, leaders of the region expected at the event includes leaders of all facets of human engagement such as traditional, political, religious, business and social among others.
Everything is set for the historic gathering.The Pan Yoruba congress is about our unity as a race, it is about our destiny and it is about our stake in securing the southwest and making our region safe for all and sundry, ” Lawal said.
Lawal noted that the event would set the agenda for comprehensive safety and security across the southwest region as allowed within the ambit of the law of the nation.
The region has been bedevilled of late by killings and violence prompted by allegations against herders.
The House of Representatives said on Thursday the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) would be passed into law before the end of the year.
The House Spokesman, Benjamin Kalu, disclosed this to journalists in Abuja.
He said the host communities remained an integral part of the bill, adding that the parliament would ensure that their interests and those of other stakeholders were protected.
Kalu said: “We have increased our speed. The first and second reading, committee level, and public hearing have all been done on the PIB. The next thing now is for us to go into a technical session to compile all the views of the people.
A lot of documents are being worked on, the consultants will sit with us to make sure we are able to bring out what people actually desire from this bill
“And so, we can package it for the third reading and then for concurrence. We are on the verge of the third reading.
“This will be sorted out in no distant time. Our target is that the bill will come out this year. It might even come out earlier than expected but we will finish it this year. We have gone so far and nothing is stopping us.”
The House spokesman stressed that the required concurrence from the Senate would not be hectic as both chambers are working simultaneously on the bill through various stages.
President Biden will sign his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief proposal on Thursday afternoon, the White House announced, a day earlier than expected.
The White House issued an updated guidance on Thursday saying Biden would sign the American Rescue Plan, which passed the House on Wednesday in a party-line vote, in the Oval Office at 1:30 p.m. Vice President Harris is expected to attend but no additional guests are expected.
White House chief of staff Ron Klain tweeted that the relief bill arrived on Wednesday night, earlier than planned, and that the signing had been moved up as a result.
Once the bill is signed, the Biden administration will race to implement its numerous provisions, including sending out relief checks to tens of millions of Americans and aid to states and localities. The signing comes just three days before enhanced unemployment benefits are due to expire.
Biden is slated to deliver a primetime address Thursday evening to mark one year since the coronavirus lockdowns in the United States. He is expected to reflect on the sacrifices Americans have made and the lives lost and discuss his administration’s efforts to ramp up vaccine production, according to a White House official.
Biden also plans to “lay out the next steps he will take to get the pandemic under control, level with the American people about what is still required to defeat the virus and provide a hopeful vision of what is possible if we all come together,” according to the official.
President Joe Biden
The speech will also present an opportunity for Biden to take a victory lap following his first legislative accomplishment with the passage of his coronavirus relief plan.
The bill includes funding for $1,400 direct payments to Americans who qualify, funding for vaccines and school reopenings, an expansion of the child tax credit, relief for small businesses, assistance for state and local governments, among other measures.
The House approved the bill in a 220-211 vote on Wednesday afternoon. No Republicans backed the bill and one Democrat voted against it. The Senate approved the bill over the weekend.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki indicated Wednesday that it would take time for the bill text to reach the White House. She said it was expected to arrive sometime on Thursday and that Biden would sign the bill on Friday, a schedule that has now been moved up.
The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in Oyo State, has accused a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, of spreading lies and misinformation.
This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday, March 10, by the OPC Coordinator in Oyo State, Mr Rotimi Olumo.
Olumo’s statement came in the aftermath of a claim by Fani-Kayode that the Fulani warlord, Abdullah Iskilu-Wakili, captured by OPC members on Sunday was not the real Wakili tormenting the people of Ibarapaland in Oyo State.
According to Olumo, Fani-Kayode‘s claim was misinformation taken too far.
An excerpt from the statement read, “Fani- Kayode is one of the politicians that thrive in telling lies. He has a reputation for using his social media page to foment trouble and cause disunity in Yorubaland. He had once said that the Yoruba language was Anago. How can you take such a person too seriously?
He lives in Abuja, romancing with the North, yet he was the first to refute the claim that the kidnapper was not Wakili. Where did he get his information?
“He should be warned to stop drumming the beat of disunity in Yorubaland. Fani-Kayode was one of the few people that called and congratulated our leader, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams on Monday, on the success of the operation of the OPC, and the following day, he twisted the story refuting the claim that the man apprehended wasn’t Wakili.”
Regarding the battle to capture Wakili, Olumo stated that the operation lasted over five hours, with a fierce battle ensuing between the OPC, the joint security operatives, and the suspects.
However, in the end, he said Wakili was apprehended, but his son, Abu, escaped using their cows as a cover.
The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasiru El-Rufai, has restated his administration’s commitment to supporting vulnerable people in the state to actualise their full potentials.
Speaking in Kaduna on Wednesday, while receiving the Country Representative, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Ulla Mueller, who was at the Government House for a joint programme to mark the International Women’s Day, El-Rufai said his administration believed that disabilities and other circumstances should not be a hurdle to reaching a person’s full potentials.
“We believe in giving equal opportunities to all and to do that, the government needs to identify with those that are not able to assist themselves. The main purpose of government is to ensure that those who cannot help themselves are helped to achieve their full potentials.
We have invested in primary health care, we have introduced contributory health Insurance to give a pathway to universal health coverage and also the social protection policy,” he said.
The Governor said 63 per cent of the state budget in the first four years of his administration was invested in education, healthcare and assisting the poorest and vulnerable persons.
He told the UNFPA officials that the government was in the process of establishing a social protection agency, to target the poorest and ensure that they did not go uncared.
He thanked the UNFPA for its unique approach of reaching out to women and other works that touched the lives of the people.
Earlier, Mueller said they chose to celebrate the day in Kaduna because the state has 43 per cent women in leadership positions.
“The 43 per cent I notice is more than what is obtained in most developed countries. My country has 29 per cent of female in cabinets although we have a female prime minister and 14 per cent women in a leadership position.” She congratulated the governor for the feat, saying “when you focus on equality and when you are mindful, deliberate about the decisions you make, you steadily prosper.”
She pledged to work with the Kaduna state government and find ways to support its efforts to drive sustainable development.
Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd.), has said there was an urgent need to strengthen regional and international cooperation, to identify and manage emerging trends in drug trafficking.
Marwa who made this call during the 14th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, in Kyoto, Japan, on Wednesday, said the new trends was through increased online criminal activities, in a bid to navigate the global shutdown of traditional trafficking routes following the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement by the agency’s Director Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Wednesday in Abuja, Marwa said criminals and organised criminal groups had deployed new strategies
There is, therefore, an urgent need to strengthen regional and international cooperation to identify and manage the various jurisdictional manifestations of this ugly trend,” he said.
The NDLEA boss said the country was addressing and countering illicit trafficking in drugs through an integrated and balanced approach implemented under the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP).
“The NDCMP outlines strategies to neutralise threats to law enforcement efforts by strengthening regional and international cooperation in countering illicit trade and trafficking in narcotic drugs. One example of such is ‘Operation Eagle,’ which is a joint operation with select countries to counter the menace of illicit drugs.
Nigeria has adopted a holistic national anti-corruption strategy that provides an entry point for both state and non-state actors to contribute to the fight against corruption at all levels. We are actively implementing the Justice Sector Reform Strategy covering issues such as International Cooperation Mechanisms, Mutual Legal Assistance and reform of the Criminal Justice System,” Marwa added.
According to him, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act enacted in 2015 has expedited the trial of corruption cases and resulted in deterrent sanctions for the corrupt.
Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd.), has said there was an urgent need to strengthen regional and international cooperation, to identify and manage emerging trends in drug trafficking.
Marwa who made this call during the 14th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, in Kyoto, Japan, on Wednesday, said the new trends was through increased online criminal activities, in a bid to navigate the global shutdown of traditional trafficking routes following the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement by the agency’s Director Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Wednesday in Abuja, Marwa said criminals and organised criminal groups had deployed new strategies.
“There is, therefore, an urgent need to strengthen regional and international cooperation to identify and manage the various jurisdictional manifestations of this ugly trend,” he said.
The NDLEA boss said the country was addressing and countering illicit trafficking in drugs through an integrated and balanced approach implemented under the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP).
“The NDCMP outlines strategies to neutralise threats to law enforcement efforts by strengthening regional and international cooperation in countering illicit trade and trafficking in narcotic drugs. One example of such is ‘Operation Eagle,’ which is a joint operation with select countries to counter the menace of illicit drugs.
“Nigeria has adopted a holistic national anti-corruption strategy that provides an entry point for both state and non-state actors to contribute to the fight against corruption at all levels. We are actively implementing the Justice Sector Reform Strategy covering issues such as International Cooperation Mechanisms, Mutual Legal Assistance and reform of the Criminal Justice System,” Marwa added.
According to him, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act enacted in 2015 has expedited the trial of corruption cases and resulted in deterrent sanctions for the corrupt.
“Nigeria recently enacted a Mutual Legal Assistance Law, and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit Act to create a stand-alone Financial Intelligence Unit. Other necessary legislation such as the Proceeds of Crime and Whistle-Blower Protection bills are receiving urgent attention.
“We have also launched two significant initiatives: The open treasury initiative, which establishes a financial transparency portal to keep the public informed about financial transactions and a pilot beneficial ownership register focused on the extractive sector,” he said.
Marwa noted that the private sector was not left out in the various reforms and current interventions being introduced by the government, as Nigeria adopted a Code of Corporate Governance in January 2019
This Code, which covers the private sector entities, including professional bodies, strengthens regulatory oversight and monitoring by accountability and anti-corruption agencies. Our focus is building institutions to combat corruption including its links with drug trafficking, illicit financial flows, money laundering and other forms of organised crime,” he added.
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