President Bola Tinubu on Monday swore in three new ministers during the second Federal Executive Council held at the council chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The new cabinet members are Balarabe Lawal from Kaduna State as Minister of Environment, Jamila Bio-Ibrahim from Kwara, Minister of Youths and Ayodele Olawande from Ondo, Minister of State for Youths.

The ministers were the three nominated by Mr Tinubu to take charge of the newly created Ministry of Youths and a replacement for former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai.

The Ministry of Youth was formerly with the Ministry of Youths and Sports Development.

Mr El-Rufai was rejected during the Senate ministerial screening process when a member brought up a petition against him.

The council also observed a minute of silence for a former member of cabinet, Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun, who died on July 1 at the age of 96.

He was appointed the FCT Minister in 1976 by the Murtala Mohammed military administration and served until 1979.

The Lagos State House of Assembly ad hoc committee has visited those whose buildings were demolished by the state task force in Mosafejo Oworonshoki community of the state.

The committee, led by its chairman, Nureni Akinsanya (Mushin I Constituency), visited the area for an on-the-spot assessment of the demolished buildings on Tuesday.

The other members of the committee included Lukmon Olumoh, Sanni Okanlawon, Kehinde Joesph and Obafemi Saheed.

The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, last Thursday at plenary inaugurated an eight-man committee to investigate the demolition of buildings in Kosofe area by the state’s task force.

Mr Akinsanya said the committee was visiting the affected areas with a plea to the victims to maintain peace as the issue was being investigated by the assembly.He said:

“We are at the scene at the behest of the speaker who shares his pain and had asked the agency to stop the demolition with immediate effect.

“We are also at the scene to see the extent of the demolition and to know the number of victims that are involved in the exercise.”

He said the committee would invite officials of the community development committee (CDC) and the community development area (CDA) in the area.

Mr Akinsanya urged the affected victims to avail the committee with any information needed to help the investigation.

In their responses, the affected community confirmed that the agency stopped the demolition exercise after the order from the House of Assembly.

A resident of the community, Olarenwaju Olusegun, who spoke on behalf of the affected residents, thanked Mr Obasa and members for their swift response to the community’s plight.

He told the committee that the community would be glad if there was a provision for the children whose schools were also demolished.

He promised the committee that the community would continue to be law-abiding and peaceful.

The Osun government says it will commence free medical care and surgical palliative for the residents of the state to minimise the effects of fuel subsidy removal.

Jola Akintola, the state’s commissioner for health, said this at a news conference on Tuesday in Osogbo.

Mr Akintola said that the medical care programme tagged “Imole free medical care” which was the second phase, would serve as health care palliative to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal on the people.

The commissioner said that in furtherance of the governor’s love for his people, he had instructed that palliative measures be given to the people of the state in the areas of medical care.

He said medical palliative became necessary in view of the current situation of things in the country.

He said the first phase of the programme, which was carried out between February and March 2023, catered to 22,000 people.

“As a way of touching the lives of sick people in the state, the governor assembled qualified health workers in the state, spearheaded by those at the Uniosun Teaching Hospital, to take health care to our people.

“Although the initial plan was to have 2,000 people taken care of at each of the nine federal constituencies, which equals 18,000 people, the medical team, however, ended up taking care of 22,000 people,” he said.

Mr Akintola said the medical palliative would commence on Aug. 16, and it would be flagged off at the Ilesa General Hospital.

He said medical care and surgeries such as general surgical care, eye surgery, eyeglasses and medical care would be provided for free by the state government.

The commissioner said that the six centres in the six towns of Ilesa, Ile-Ife (Osun East), Ede, Iwo (Osun West) and Ila and Osogbo (Osun Central) would be used for the medical outreach programme.

Also, Peter Olaitan, the chief medical director (CMD) of UniOsun Teaching Hospital said that only minor surgical procedures would be attended to during the programme.

Mr Olaitan, who is also the chairman, implementation committee of the Imole surgical and medical outreach, said people that requires major surgical operations would be given referrals to the teaching hospital for their treatment

Governor Dikko Radda has appointed ex-Deputy Governor Abdullahi Garba as secretary to the state government.

A statement by Mr Radda’s chief press secretary on Monday, Ibrahim Kaula, said Mr Abdullahi would replace Ahmed Dangiwa, who was nominated as a minister.

“The appointment is with immediate effect; Abdullahi is expected to bring on board his vast wealth of experience as a technocrat.

His contributions to the development and growth of the state, while serving as deputy to former governor Ibrahim Shema, remain unmatched,” Mr Radda said.

The new SSG had served as Katsina’s attorney general and commissioner for justice from 2003 to 2009 and later as education commissioner.

He is currently the pro-chancellor and chairman of the governing council of the Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has set up a palliative committee for the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER).

This is according to a statement issued on Monday in Ibadan by the chief press secretary to the Governor, Sulaimon Olanrewaju.

SAfER is meant to mitigate the effects of the removal of fuel subsidies and the resultant economic difficulties on the citizens of the state.

The 15-man committee is headed by the chief of staff, Segun Ogunwuyi, while Musibau Babatunde, who is the state commissioner for budget and economic planning, will serve as its secretary.

Other members of the committee include the finance commissioner, Akinola Ojo; the commissioner for agriculture and rural development, Olasunkanm Olaleye; the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy matters, Segun Olayiwola; the commissioner for information, Dotun Oyelade; and the special adviser, labour matters, Bayo Titilola-Sodo.

The statement further indicated that Bayo Lawal, senior executive assistant on general duties; Kolawole Gafar, executive assistant on finance, budget, and economic planning and Rtd CP Sunday Odukoya, executive assistant on security, are members of the committee.

Also, Ololade Ajibola, senior special assistant on special duties; Bishop Daniel Oluwajimade, representative of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN); and Muniru Ogundipe, representative of the Muslim Community.

Ademola Babalola will represent the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) while Jide Bamgbose will represent the civil society organisations (CSOs) as members of the committee.

The governor advised the committee to let the sufferings of the masses propel their loyalty and admonished them to move with speed and efficiency.The committee will have its inaugural meeting on Tuesday.

Stakeholders from the Niger Delta region have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to appoint an indigene of the area as his minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

Frank Oyosongo and Godwin Edikan, chair and secretary of the Movement for the Protection of Oil-Producing Communities in Niger Delta, made the appeal on Sunday in Yenagoa.

In a joint signed statement, the stakeholders said an individual from the oil-producing areas understands the plight of the people and would be in the best position to advise the president.

They noted that the Niger Delta affairs ministry was more about political expediency and required someone from the area.

According to the stakeholders, by the Nigerian constitution, every state is entitled to produce a minister, and the president has fulfilled that requirement.They argued that experts and a minister in the relevant field would man each ministry.

“The Ministry of Justice will always be manned by a lawyer. The Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs is more about political expediency and requires someone from an oil-producing area within the Niger Delta region,” they said.

They urged the president to “put square pegs in square holes” when allocating portfolios to his team of ministers.

“This is one of those responsibilities he must discharge to the satisfaction of well-meaning Nigerians and to the people of the Niger Delta region in particular,” the group added.

A chieftain of the Labour Party in Edo, Monday Eboigbe, says the party has perfected plans to transform the state through technology advancement, improved healthcare, education, agriculture, commerce, tourism and tight security in four years.

In an interview in Abuja, Mr Eboigbe, who is leading the committee of global experts, explained that they had researched thoroughly and submitted the first phase of implementable solutions to Edo challenges.

“As I speak with you today, you cannot access my state unless through Benin,” said the Labour Party chieftain.

“The moment we are able to do that in the three senatorial districts, we would have succeeded in removing our youths from the streets to a meaningful business,” he said.

“It is our dream to ensure that every son and daughter in Edo does not have to wait to be employed by anybody. The moment you finish your vocational school, the government will ensure we provide those facilities you will need in the microfinance bank and give you some time to work and start paying,” Mr Eboigbe stated.

He further stated, “At the end of the day, the issue of unemployment will become history in this state. We are going to create a market along the road so that people can come from other states and patronise our agriculture, to patronise products that we will be bringing out from our university of technology.”

He added that the Labour Party would create that “type of commerce,” adding, “We are going to encourage our traders, give them a good market so that at the end of the day, we will make at least 35 per cent of Edo people millionaires.”

The party’s candidate, Peter Obi, in the February 25 presidential poll, is in court seeking to replace incumbent President Bola Tinubu.

Mr Obi promised during electioneering that he would turn the fortunes of Africa’s most populous nation around and fight corruption head-on.

The police command in Lagos State says it is investigating the death of Mr Adeniyi Sanni, a senior aide to the chairman of the Senate committee on appropriations, Sen. Solomon Adeola.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development to journalists on Sunday.

“Police confirmed the killing of Mr Adeniyi Sanni. The wife told the police that her husband called saying he was stopped by ‘some soldiers’ demanding to see his papers.

“He was later found dead with about five bullet holes in his back and three shells of expended ammunition by his body. Investigation has commenced,” Hundeyin said.

A statement signed by Kayode Odunaro, spokesperson for Sen. Adeola (APC/Ogun West) said the lifeless body of Mr Adeniyi was found with gunshot wounds and was dumped at Toyota Bus Stop in the Oshodi area of Lagos on Saturday morning.

According to Mr Odunaro, information available to the bereaved Senator in Abuja indicates that Sanni was stopped at a checkpoint around Berger area of Lagos on his way to his home at Isheri.

“He was asked to provide the documents of the car he was driving, which he did through his wife who sent all the documents to his phone WhatsApp.

“It was gathered that the wife called a while later and the late Mr Sanni told him they were still checking the vehicle’s papers.

“His apprehensive wife later called on Mr Sanni’s associates to say he could no longer reach her husband on phone necessitating the mobilisation of a search party,“ he said.

The statement said that the Sanni’s wife was later called by passersby through the next-of-Kin phone number on his driver’s licence that the body of her husband was dumped around Toyota Bus Stop, Oshodi, with gunshot wounds.

“Sen. Adeola, who is involved in the ongoing ministerial screening at the Senate, is shocked beyond words and devastated by the news of this sad incident.

“Mr Sanni was his close aide for over two decades,” Mr Odunaro said in the statement.

The Senate has rejected President Bola Tinubu’s request to send military intervention to remove the coupists in Niger Republic, a move that cancels any hope of Nigeria marching to war against the neighbouring nation as the ECOWAS 7-day ultimatum to the junta approaches its last hours.

Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, “condemned in totality the coup that took place in Niger Republic” but asked Mr Tinubu to explore lasting resolutions that would still preserve the “cordial relationship” both Niger and Nigeria have enjoyed for years.

“The Senate recognises the fact that President Tinubu, by the virtue of his correspondence, has not asked that we should approve a request to go to war, but he expressed a wish to solicit support in the successful implementation of the ECOWAS communique,” Mr Akpabio said after a two-hour closed-door session on Saturday.

“The Senate is mandated to further engage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on how best to resolve the issue in view of the cordial relationship between Nigeria and Niger,” Mr Akpabio stated.

A military junta spearheaded by Abdouramane Tchiani last week ousted Niger’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, and has since been running the nation.

Since Mr Tchiani gained the support of Mali and Burkina Faso, he has cut off ties with Nigeria, U.S., Togo and France.

Bauchi State on Saturday urged stakeholders to adopt preventive measures to reduce the risks of infectious disease transmission in livestock.

Ibrahim Bello, director of veterinary services at the state’s Ministry of Agriculture, advised during a lecture organised by the National Association of Animal Health and Husbandry Technologists on Saturday.

“Stakeholders must do everything possible to reduce the chances of infectious diseases being spread to farms by humans, animals, equipment, or vehicles.

“Animal health workers must always take preventive measures against disease transmission from animals to humans as front-liners in the fight against animal diseases,’’ he said.

Mr Bello emphasised the significance of biosecurity among animal health workers, either at veterinary clinics or during ambulatory services at various homes and farms.

He also called on herders, butchers, and other processors to constantly protect themselves from animal disease transmission and to sell, buy and slaughter only healthy animals.

Earlier, Lamido Muhammad, the Bauchi State chairman of the Nigerian Association of Animal Health and Husbandry Technologists, said the sensitisation lecture was to keep stakeholders abreast of the outbreak of anthrax in some parts of the country.

Anthrax is a disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax spores in the soil are resistant and can cause diseases when ingested, even years after an outbreak.

People can get sick with anthrax if they come into contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products.

The Nigeria Labour Congress president Joe Ajaero says organised labour has been summoned for contempt of court following a nationwide protest on Wednesday.

The NLC president stated that the organised labour received a summons purporting to charge it with contempt of court over the protest and directed all workers to resume at the courts wherever they may be across the nation on the days of the court sittings to hear the contempt proceedings against the leaders of trade unions.

“The airports, the seaports, the hospitals, schools; all public and private sector workers will all appear in court across the nation in response to the contempt charges,” stated Mr Ajaero.

He commended the leadership of the National Assembly for their timely intervention and pledged to resolve the issues raised by Nigerians.

The NLC leader also lauded them for their deep understanding of the need for the government to provide quick wins as succour with short timelines to ameliorate the adverse effects of the hike in petrol price on the citizens.

He disclosed this in a statement jointly signed with Festus Osifo, the president of the Trade Union Congress, on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the unions said they had resumed dialogue with President Bola Tinubu’s regime to allow full implementation of its pledge and commitment to the petrol subsidy removal.

Mr Ajaero said it was pertinent to inform Nigerians that the extent of the protest’s success was underlined by Mr Tinubu’s request to meet with the leadership of organised labour at a closed-door session.

He said the engagement with the president was fruitful as immense mileage was obtained regarding the issues that bogged down the work of the Presidential Committee on Subsidy Removal and necessitated the protest.

According to him, the president said he was committed to an immediate restructuring of the framework for engagement in line with the input of the labour leaders.

“He let out a certainty that the Port Harcourt refineries will commence production by December this year. He pledged to ensure that Agreement is reached on the Wage Award for Nigerian workers immediately,” Mr Ajaero explained.

The NLC chief added, “He promised to unveil a workable roadmap to the CNG alternative next week. On the strength of the president’s pledge and commitment, we have decided for return to a new and reinvigorated dialogue process to allow for full implementation.”

Governor Peter Mbah has suspended the operations of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) with immediate effect.

Chidiebere Onyia, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Enugu.

According to Mr Onyia, the suspension is necessitated by the need to conduct a detailed review of the agency’s activities, its processes, and the transparency of its operations.

Mr Onyia added that only operations directly authorised by the governor would be treated during the review period.

He said it would ensure that the state attended to the needs of the public that could not wait for the completion of the exercise.

“All third parties and individuals who currently collected any form of motor park, keke park, truck park fees on behalf of ECTDA should submit memorandums of understanding to the SSG before August 9,” he stated.

He added, “Failure to comply will result in the suspension of such MOUs. The public is assured that this exercise will be concluded as soon as possible, and the recommencement of operations will be duly communicated. Please be guided accordingly.”

Military chiefs across West Africa met Wednesday at the Nigerian Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

ECOWAS Commission chairperson, Omar Touray, disclosed this after an extraordinary session presided over by its chairman, President Bola Tinubu, in Abuja.

The meeting was to find a way forward on the coup in Niger.Military officers in the Niger Republic deposed President Mohammed Bazoum’s democratic government.

Soldiers took over state television on the night of July 26 and declared a successful operation in the West African country.

The news came hours after Mr Bazoum was detained inside the presidential palace in Niamey.Mr Tinubu quickly dismissed the threat to democracy in Niger and dispatched a delegation to engage with all parties to restore constitutional order.

On Sunday, the ECOWAS Commission issued a one-week ultimatum for coup plotters in Niger to hand over to the democratically elected government or face military intervention.

Additionally, stringent measures, including travel bans, have been imposed on all soldiers involved in the coup. Their accounts were also frozen.

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has flagged off a fresh phase of palliatives which is targeting about 300,000 households, a total of 1.8 million persons as an average of six persons make a household.

Zulum launched the distribution on Tuesday at Muna internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp in Jere Local Government Area of the State.

The governor explained that Borno started the initial distribution of palliative about one month ago while scaling up the exercise to key into presidential food emergency declaration.

He said:

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has recently declared an emergency on food security across the country. In compliance with the declaration and to complement federal government’s efforts to alleviate the suffering caused by fuel subsidy removal, we have since rolled out a palliative distribution initiative targeting 300,000 households.”

The governor also noted that the initial distribution of palliative was conducted in Gwoza and three communities in Kukawa local government area which include Baga, Cross Kauwa and Doron Baga.

The governor added that the initiative is aimed at reducing the hardship occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal for the average of 300,000 most vulnerable families.

Under the initiative, each eligible beneficiary receives N5,000 cash, a bag of rice, a bag of beans and one wrapper (for women).

Zulum emphasized that his administration will prioritize the welfare of the people and ensure that all measures are put in place to alleviate the hardship faced by citizens.

The governor urged citizens to give maximum support to the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that the hardship resulting from the fuel subsidy removal is temporary.

“I want to urge the people of Borno State to support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I want you to understand that subsidy is not sustainable, we understand that people will feel the impact adversely at the initial stage, but in the long run, it will be beneficial to all of us”, Zulum said.

Meanwhile, Zulum on Tuesday distributed 400 houses to vulnerable IDPs from five communities displaced by Boko Haram insurgents.

The communities are Maibukarti, Jibrinti, Mainari Shuwa, Mainari Kanuri and Tilori. The 400 houses are sited at a resettlement estate constructed by Borno State Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement.

During a brief ceremony, Zulum also shared resettlement packages to the 400 households allotted the houses.Each household got rice, maize grain, mats, wrapper and cash support.

Borno State has been at the centre of insurgency for more than a decade, but with recent victories by the Nigerian Military, Borno State Government was able to return more than one million displaced persons to the newly built resettlement houses and reconstructed communities.

Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have commenced nationwide protests over the removal of petrol subsidy.

In Lagos, the protesters have converged on the Ikeja under-bridge in Lagos.

Last Wednesday, NLC issued a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government to reverse all “anti-poor” and “insensitive” policies.

The union also called on civil society organisations (CSOs) and its councils across the states to join in the August 2 nationwide rally to protest the soaring cost of living in the country.

Efforts by the federal government to halt the planned strike and protest failed.During his inaugural address on May 29, President Bola Tinubu announced that the petrol subsidy regime was over.

The pronouncement immediately led to a hike in the pump price of petrol, a quadrupling of transportation costs in certain areas, and ballooning inflation across several market segments.

In a nationwide broadcast on Monday, Tinubu reeled out palliatives that would cushion the impact of the petrol subsidy removal on the masses.

However, organised labour said on Tuesday that the measures are not enough.

President Bola Tinubu, on Monday evening, apologised to Nigerians for scrapping the fuel subsidy without a corresponding palliative distribution scheme, which caused untold hardship for many citizens that could have been prevented.

Mr Tinubu, at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, addressed Nigerians and expressed regret for the unthoughtfulness of his administration in cutting off the petrol subsidy without first implementing the policies to cushion its consequences on the poor masses.

“Sadly, there was an unavoidable lag between subsidy removal and these plans coming fully online. However, we are swiftly closing the time gap,” Mr Tinubu said in his address.

“I plead with you to please have faith in our ability to deliver and in our concern for your well-being.”

He announced provisions to roll out 3,000 units of 20-seater CNG-fuelled buses across the states and local governments for mass transit at affordable rates.

Mr Tinubu said he had approved infrastructure support funds to be distributed in all states to relieve the suffering of the masses and revamp the “decaying healthcare and educational infrastructure,” noting that the subsidy elimination was a necessary step in stopping some persons from feeding fat on the nation’s resources at the expense of a regressing economy.

Reaffirming an increase in the national minimum wage, the president said he was working with labour unions and assured Nigerians it would be speedily implemented as soon as they reached an agreement.

“Once we agree on the new minimum wage and general upward review, we will make budget provision for it for immediate implementation,” Mr Tinubu said.

The president, who just clocked two months in office, acknowledged the “period may be hard” on Nigerians but urged them to “look beyond the present temporary pains and aim at the larger picture.”

President Bola Tinubu is engaging banks to disburse cash to impoverished Nigerians, forgoing the so-called poverty register used by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari in selecting beneficiaries of a N5000 monthly stipend, many of whom cannot be traced.

To soften the blow the removal of fuel subsidy has dealt millions of Nigerians, Mr Tinubu, in a live broadcast on Monday evening, announced cash would be doled out to the masses and that the banks, unlike in the previous regime, would be in charge of verifying the eligibility of beneficiaries before distribution.

“In this regard, the expertise of Development Finance Institutions, commercial banks and microfinance banks will be tapped into to develop a viable and an appropriate transaction structure for all stakeholders,” Mr Tinubu said in the Monday broadcast.

Although Mr Tinubu was elected on the same platform — All Progressives Congress (APC) — as Mr Buhari, he has made decisions in his first two months in office that demonstrate how different their approaches to governance are.

Sadiya Umar Farouq, former minister of humanitarian affairs, in 2020 said Nigerians who purchased N100 call airtime and had less than N5000 in their accounts were those the government considered poor and eligible for the stipend.

She claimed approximately 15 million “lives were touched” and benefited from various programmes like TraderMoni, MarketMoni, Farmer Moni, and N-Power scheme even though several reports by the World Bank showed that millions of Nigerians were living in abject poverty because of Mr Buhari’s dangerous poverty-coping mechanisms.

But Mr Tinubu, wanting no part in the failures of his predecessor, is taking a different turn by assigning financial institutions the task of identifying who and who was not qualified to receive the cash in a move that boldly implies he does not think the so-called poverty register by Mr Buhari and former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo’s regime served any purpose.

That Mr Tinubu is not relying on Mr Buhari’s poverty register to continue giving out cash suggests he does not believe the beneficiaries were genuine.