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.

President Bola Tinubu on Monday said the Federal Government of Nigeria has saved N1tn in the two months since the removal of the petrol subsidy.

Tinubu said these monies that would have been otherwise squandered by those he called “smugglers and fraudsters” will now be channeled into intervention programmes targeting families nationwide.

“In a little over two months, we have saved over a trillion Naira that would have been squandered on the unproductive fuel subsidy which only benefitted smugglers and fraudsters,” Tinubu said in his nationwide broadcast on current economic challenges in the country.

While acknowledging the hardship occasioned by an unavoidable lag in palliative measures these past 62 days, he urged Nigerians to “look beyond the present temporary pains and aim at the larger picture.”

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

“All of our good and helpful plans are in the works. More importantly, I know that they will work,” he affirmed.

He said the funds so far saved from subsidy removal “will now be used more directly and more beneficially for you and your families.”

President Tinubu also promised to get the nation out of this economic turbulence through the measures his administration has taken so far.

President Bola Tinubu on Monday in Abuja decorated the newly-appointed service chiefs with their new ranks at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, charging them to maintain teamwork to ensure peace and stability.

The Senate had previously confirmed their appointments before the ceremony.

The newly-inaugurated service chiefs are Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar; and Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.

At the occasion, the president emphasised the importance of maintaining teamwork, which he credited for the gains recorded so far in the security sector.

He commended the dedication, commitment and steadfastness displayed by the armed forces, acknowledging their significant contributions to the nation’s peace and stability.

We have seen that we are recording positive results in our security challenges because of your dedication, commitment and steadfastness,” Mr Tinubu said.

He assured the new service chiefs that the government was committed to supporting them in their responsibilities.

The president underscored the value of virtues such as positive team thinking, unity and selfless service to the nation, declaring that despite the current economic challenges, a better future awaits Nigeria.

Mr Tinubu also offered prayers for God’s blessings upon the Nigerian Armed Forces, wishing them peace, progress and success in their endeavours to protect the country’s territorial integrity.

He added that he is working hard to solve Nigerians’ current economic challenges, saying, We are committed to serving you and not to rule over you.

Speaking on behalf of the service chiefs, Mr Musa expressed their unalloyed commitment to ensure the security and defence of the nation in their respective positions.

I assure Mr President that the armed forces of Nigeria are 100 per cent loyal to the government. We will go wherever we are ordered, whether by air, sea or land,” he said.

The event was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Secretary to the Government of Federation George Akume, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribabu, senior government officials, members of the immediate families of the service chiefs, and other heads of security and intelligence agencies in the country.

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has approved the appointment of Salisu Isah as the sole administrator of Birnin Gwari Local Government Council.

A statement by the chief press secretary to the governor, Muhammad Shehu, on Tuesday in Kaduna said Mr Sani also approved the appointment of Abdullahi Ibrahim as the chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission.

Mr Shehu said the appointments, which are in accordance with section 22(5) of a Law to Substitute the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission Law, No. 2 of 2018, take immediate effect.

According to him, the law gives the governor the power to appoint an administrator for a local government when it becomes impracticable to conduct an election to fill any vacancy created.

The statement said, ”Salisu Isah is a seasoned educationist, administrator, and grassroots politician, with decades of service to the people of Birnin Gwari LGA and Kaduna State.

“He served as a member of Kaduna State House of Assembly (Magajin Gari Constituency 2015-2023) and Councilor, Magajin Gari II Ward, Birnin Gwari Local Government, Kaduna State, from 2012-2014.”

The governor urged the new sole administrator to use his experience and skills to reposition and stabilise the ‘troubled’ local government area.

Mr Muhammad, the newly appointed chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, is the immediate past sole administrator of Birnin Gwari LGA.

President Bola Tinubu will, in a national broadcast Monday, address Nigerians by 7:00 p.m.

This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the president’s spokesman Dele Alake.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will make a broadcast to the nation on Monday, July 31, 2023 at 7 pm. Television, radio stations and other electronic media outlets are enjoined to hook up to the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority and Radio Nigeria for the broadcast,” said the statement.

With Nigerians enduring hardships on several fronts caused by the hike in petrol prices caused by the sudden removal of fuel subsidy, worsening depreciation of the naira and a nationwide NLC protest looming on the horizon, Mr Tinubu is facing an uphill task to prove his readiness and ability to run Africa’s most populous nation.

The August 2 is expected to ground commercial and social activities across the country.

As the head of the regional bloc ECOWAS, the Nigerian leader is also enmeshed in resolving the political impasse in neighbouring Niger Republic, push the pustchists back to the barracks and restore democracy to the trouble West African nation.

Mr Tinubu’s foreign policy is also under scrutiny amid ECOWAS’ potential military response to the coup d’etat in Niger.

The president, alongside other leaders in West Africa signed an ultimatum to Niger’s coup plotters.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has raised the alarm that hoodlums were invading the National Assembly complex to harass and steal lawmakers’ valuables.

Akpabio, who claimed the lawmakers now feel threatened by their presence, said as the 10th NASS settled down for legislative activities, hoodlums and people who did not have any business in the premises had been invading the federal parliament.

According to him, the uninvited guests loitered without apparent purpose all over the Senate and the House of Representatives wings, and that the hoodlums constituted themselves as nuisance by harassing lawmakers and staff of the National Assembly.

Akpabio stated this, when he received in audience members of the National Assembly Service Commission, who paid a courtesy call on him at the NASS complex, in Abuja.

The Senate President’s lamentation came after the remarks by the Chairman of the NASC, Ahmed Kadi Amshi, who presented the challenges faced by the Commission and other issues to him.

“We are aware that the entire complex is under renovation. We must also look after the environment. It is not all about the staff, we will like to see a cleaner environment and a secure complex. A lot of Senators have lost their telephones, because of the influx of people into the complex,” Akpabio said.

He explained that President Bola Tinubu would in December, inaugurate the N30bn worth different ongoing projects at the National Assembly.

“The entire Complex of the National Assembly is like a construction site now due to ongoing general renovation work and fresh projects which would on completion, be commissioned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in December this year.

Aside from the general renovation work, part of new edifices being put in place, is the permanent office complex of the National Assembly Service Commission and very befitting Library Complex,” he said.

Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River has directed the immediate audit and verification of civil and unified local government service staff in the state.

This is contained in a statement by Innocent Etteng, permanent secretary, Office of the Secretary to the State Government.

The governor noted that the exercise would commence from the Northern Senatorial District of the state from Monday to Friday at 9:00 a.m. daily.

Mr Otu called on the workers to avail themselves of the exercise, which would be held in two designated centres of the zone in Ogoja and Obudu.

“In Ogoja, the exercise will take place at the Ogoja Local Government Headquarters for staff in Ogoja, Bekwarra and Yala councils, while Obudu Centre will be for staff in Obudu and Obanliku with the venue at Obudu Council Headquarters.

“All staff coming for the exercise need to appear with their complete enrollment form, letter of first appointment, confirmation and last two letters of promotion where applicable.

“Other documents required are staff identity card, birth certificate or affidavit of birth, educational qualifications, Bank Verification Number (BVN) and current pay slip,” he said.

He further directed all staff to comply with the requirements to avoid the omission of their names in the verified payroll that would emanate from the exercise.

The Nasarawa State government has set up 36 mobile courts in its 13 local government and 18 local council development areas to prosecute violators of its monthly sanitation law.

The law demands that residents clean their homes and neighbourhoods every last Saturday of the month.

Abubakar Mohammed, the chief environment officer and chief prosecutor at the Nasarawa State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, said the courts would ensure proper enforcement of the sanitation law.

Mr Mohammed told journalists in Lafia on Saturday that Lafia and Karu council areas have three mobile courts each for administrative convenience.

He represented the permanent secretary in the ministry, Garba Mohammed, at a news briefing on the sanitation exercise for July.

Mr Mohammed expressed satisfaction and applauded traditional rulers, chairman of area councils and security agencies for the success of the exercise.

He noted that up to 90 per cent of residents complied with the law by locking up their shops and businesses to clean their surroundings.

“We allowed those on essential services to move around during the exercise, though,’’ he said.

Forty-two persons who violated the sanitation law in Lafia Local Government Area were arrested and prosecuted by the mobile courts.

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi has appealed to the federal government to channel funds from fuel subsidy removal towards improving health, education, agriculture and other critical infrastructure to help cushion its effect on citizens.

According to a statement on Friday by his chief press secretary, Onogwu Mohammed, the governor appealed during a meeting with the state Traditional Council of Chiefs at the Government House in Lokoja.

Mr Bello explained that the appeal became imperative and essential toward enhancing the well-being of citizens in the face of the hardship being faced.

He said he was fully aware of the effects of the removed petroleum product subsidies on the government and its people.

He expressed happiness that Operation Light Up Kogi East, a rural electrification project in Kogi East Senatorial District, has recorded substantial progress and impact.

“The operation Light up Kogi East is very important to my administration in its continuing efforts to ensure that every community in the region receives reliable electricity supply to improve citizens’ standard of life,” he said.

The governor told the traditional rulers that recruiting qualified academics for the new Kogi State University (KSU) had been advertised for Kogi indigenes with the necessary qualifications to apply and support the project.

He expressed his gratitude to the royal fathers, whom he described as “crucial supporters” of his administration, especially in community policing and overall development.

Mr Bello encouraged the traditional rulers to advocate for peaceful coexistence, tolerance and unity among their subjects.

On the upcoming gubernatorial election, Mr Bello urged the traditional rulers to advise their subjects to conduct peaceful campaigns devoid of any crisis, violence or acts that might threaten the state’s peace and security.

He, however, expressed confidence in his political party, the All Progressives Congress, and its ability to secure a rancour-free atmosphere for the state’s people to cast their votes on November 11.

Responding, the president of the Kogi Traditional Council of Chiefs, the Attah Igala, Mathew Ogwuche-akpa II, represented by the Ohimege-Igu of Koto Karfe, Abdulrasaq Isah-Koto, conveyed their solidarity to the governor.

John Onaiyekan, the Catholic Bishop Emeritus of Abuja Archdiocese, has called for a national conference to address the increasing brain drain problem, particularly among Nigerian youths.

Mr Onaiyekan made the call when he received a delegation from the Initiative for Fostering Unity in Diversity, Youths and Nation Building (IFFUIDYANB) in Abuja on Friday.

He said brain drain and other issues affecting Nigerian youths had become issues of national emergency that required concerted efforts to tackle.

“It is scary how Nigeria is losing a lot of its resourceful youths to other countries because they do not see a future for themselves in this country,” said Mr Onaiyekan.

The cleric said further that “the situation cannot be patched up with new policies; it is more than that.

“We know our country is polarised, divided and broken, so there is a need for some kind of forum to bring us together to discuss the best ways out of this scary situation.

“My concern is, who will bell the cat as they say because we have leaders who are anxious to convince us that they are doing very well.

“They are living in complete denial, and that will not solve the problem.”

On fears that even if a national conference were convened, it would go the way of previous conferences, where resolutions were not implemented, Onaiyekan said things must change.

According to him, it is better to continue to make efforts and push for the implementation of resolutions for national development than do nothing for fear of non-implementation.

The cleric commended IFFUIDYANB for coming up with the ”Naija Unity House Initiative” to foster national unity among the younger generation of Nigerians.

Mr Onaiyekan said that the initiative would foster unity and peace and engage youths in critical discussions on youth and national development.

The Sokoto State House of Assembly has received 16 nominees for appointment as commissioners and members of the State Executive Council.

This development is contained in a letter by Governor Ahmed Aliyu, addressed to Speaker Tukur Bala and presented to the lawmakers at the assembly’s plenary on Thursday in Sokoto.

The governor referred to section 192 and other relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended on the appointment of commissioners.

He said the nomination of the 16 persons followed due consultations in line with relevant procedures in the Public Service Regulations.

“The nominations being the first batch, followed the need to constitute the state Executive Council as enshrined in the public service rules.

“This is as well as other processes as required by the law pertaining to such appointment,” Mr Aliyu said.

The speaker informed the members that the assembly, as a committee of the whole, will screen the nominees on August 2 and 3, respectively.

The nominees include Tukur Alkali, Bala Kokani, Aminu Abdullahi, Mohammed Shagari, Nasiru Aliyu, Ya’u Danda, and Yusuf Maccido.

Others are Jamilu Gosta, Bashar Umar, Jabir Mai-Hulla, Balarabe Kadadi, Isa Tambagarka, Aliyu Tureta, Hadiza Shagari, Asabe Balarabe, and Bello Wamakko.