A chief magistrates’ court in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, on Thursday, remanded a 30-year-old woman, Mercy Michael, in a correctional facility for allegedly killing her daughter with rat poison.

Michael was charged by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp, NSCDC, with culpable homicide, contrary to Section 189 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law.

The NSCDC prosecutor, Mr Marcus Audu, told the court that on December 11, one Godfrey Sunday of Fadia Bakut, Zonkwa, reported the case at the Corp’s office.

Audu said that on December 10, the defendant inexplicably fed her eight-month-old daughter with rat poison.

He explained that the baby was rushed to the General Hospital, Zonkwa. But she died the following day.

According to him, the matter was first reported to the Salama Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Kafanchan. But it was referred to NSCDC for investigation.

The presiding judge, Mr Samson Kwasu, did not take the plea of the accused, for lack of jurisdiction.

Kwasu directed the prosecutor to forward the case file to the State Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.

He, thereafter, adjourned the case until December 17 for further mention.

United States President-elect Donald Trump has surpassed multiple prominent figures, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Princess of Wales Kate Middleton, Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, and others, to be named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2024.

This marks the second time Mr Trump has been named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, following his recognition in 2016—the year he won his first election to the White House.

The year 2024 has undoubtedly been a tumultuous one for Mr Trump, characterised by mixed fortunes. He faced a conviction on 34 felony charges in New York, survived an assassination attempt on his campaign train, and ultimately secured reelection to the White House in November.

Mr Trump’s opponent in the recently concluded U.S. presidential election, Ms Harris, was also a leading contender for Time’s 2024 Person of the Year. However, the president-elect has now bested her twice this year.

Economist and activist Yulia Navalnaya, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell, Mexico’s first female president Claudia Sheinbaum, and Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg were among the ten shortlisted individuals for the honour.

Speaking about his recognition as Time’s Person of the Year, Mr Trump said, “It is a tremendous honour… getting this honour for the second time, I think I like it better this time, actually.”

He later told CNBC: “We’re going to be cutting taxes still further,” specifically corporate taxes, adding that “a lot of incentives are going to be given.” He also suggested potential interventions in ongoing wars around the globe.

The Nigerian Armed Forces on Thursday retired 656 senior non-commissioned officers, who have served for 35 years.

The retirees were celebrated in a colourful ceremony at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi, following a six-month demilitarisation training programme designed to prepare them for civilian life.

The retirees included 535 personnel from the Nigerian Army, 86 from the Nigerian Navy, 35 from the Nigerian Air Force, and two from the Defence Intelligence Agency.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hasan Abubakar, paid tribute to the retirees, acknowledging their invaluable contributions to the country’s peace and security.

“This training has equipped you with the knowledge and skills needed to transition seamlessly into civil life as resourceful managers, entrepreneurs, and contributors to national development,” Abubakar said.

Quoting the popular military saying, “Soja come, soja go, but barracks remain,” he reflected on the resilience of the armed forces and the enduring legacy of its members.

“The discipline, courage, and commitment that defined your careers will inspire future generations. As you move into civilian life, I urge you to uphold these values, becoming role models and ambassadors of the military profession in your communities,” he added.

The Air Chief encouraged the retirees to embrace the new chapter with confidence, reminding them that their training and experiences would ensure a successful transition.

NAFRC Commandant, Air Vice Marshal Mamman, highlighted the centre’s role in preparing retiring officers for life after service.

“NAFRC has trained over 51,000 personnel, providing them with self-reliant and managerial skills to excel in civilian life,” Mamman said.

He urged the retirees to face the future with optimism.

“Do not fear the future. With the discipline and skills you have acquired, along with faith, you will enjoy a bright and prosperous future filled with long life, good health, and success,” Abubakar said.

Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja Special Offences Court has reversed the bench warrant issued against former Managing Director of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, Ahmed Kuru.

The judge had issued the bench warrant last week following Kuru’s failure to appear in court in an alleged fraud case involving N76bn and $31.5m.

Kuru, alongside four others, faces charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which accused them of theft, abuse of office, false statements, and dishonest misappropriation of Arik Airline assets.

The co-defendants are Kamilu Omokide, former Receiver Manager of Arik Airline Ltd; Captain Roy Ilegbodu, Chief Executive Officer of the airline; Union Bank Ltd; and Super Bravo Ltd.

The bench warrant, issued on December 3, 2024, was lifted on Thursday after Kuru appeared in court and his lawyer, Olasupo Shasore (SAN), filed a motion requesting its revocation.

Justice Dada granted the application, emphasising the absence of objections from the EFCC prosecution team.

“In view of the attendance of the second defendant in court and the undertaking signed by his counsel to ensure his presence at all times, the application is granted, and the bench warrant is set aside,” Justice Dada ruled.

The court adjourned the case to January 20, 2025, the date originally scheduled for arraignment.

Shasore assured the court of his client’s commitment to attending all future court sessions.

“We undertake to ensure that the second defendant will be available for arraignment and trial as required,” he stated.

EFCC counsel, Dr. Wahab Shittu (SAN), did not oppose the motion, citing the undertaking by Kuru’s lawyer.

“We are not objecting to the application since the learned silk has assured the court that the second defendant will be available for arraignment on January 20, 2025. We are satisfied with the undertaking,” Shittu affirmed.

Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, has been awarded Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Educational Practitioners, United Kingdom.

According to the Global President of CIEPUK, Dr Marcel Ezenwoye, the fellowship award was in recognition of Mefor’s outstanding professional achievements and contributions to the fields of mass communication and entrepreneurial technology.

Ezenwoye, who spoke during the investiture and induction awards ceremony, at Paul University, Awka, on Thursday, said the award reflected the commissioner’s distinguished career spanning over three decades, during which he successfully handled notable media and communication projects domestically and internationally.

He said, “Also, your fellowship with other Nigerian institutions is a testament to your exceptional expertise and commitment to excellence.”

Mefor, on his part, appreciated the institutions, respectively, assuring them of his support and that of his friends.

He further reiterated Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s special interest in education, which he said the governor demonstrated by offering free education from primary to secondary school for not only the people of Anambra but all residents of the state regardless of their states of origin.

He said, “Free education is a tool created to break generational poverty transfer. Some families are so poor that unless something is intentionally done, the poverty will continue from generation to generation.

“With free education, it becomes possible that such families where you have dynasties of poverty can now become havens of wealth because, with secondary school education, any person can spring up from the family with a basic education.

“The free education offered by Governor Soludo is not just for Ndị Anambra. As long as you live in Anambra, you will enjoy free education. I am aware that some people living in neighbouring states are enrolling in Anambra schools because of free education. We are not sending them back because Anambra is a place for all.”

The Vice Chancellor of Paul University, who handed Mefor the fellowship award, approved the request of the Information Commissioner to lecture in the university gratis in his spare time, assuring him of his appointment as associate professor or professor after peer review of his academic credentials.

The vice chancellor also announced a 50 per cent rebate for school fees for certain categories of students and the university’s readiness to partner with the Soludo administration to advance education generally in the state.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Oluyemi Oluyede, has reaffirmed his commitment to lead the Nigerian Army with empathy and promised to ensure every officer and soldier gets their entitlements.

Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, in a statement, said Lt Gen Oluyede stated this during his maiden operations visit to Headquarters, 1 Division, Nigerian Army, in Kaduna, as part of his tour of formations and units across the Nigerian Army on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.

Addressing officers and soldiers during the visit, Oluyede reaffirmed his commitment to leading the army efficiently while prioritising the welfare and professional development of personnel.

He assured troops of his resolve to address accommodation challenges, ensuring that no soldier is left without proper housing.

Lt Gen Oluyede also emphasised the importance of rigorous training to maintain a combat-ready and result-driven force, even as he urged officers to take ownership of their roles, uphold professionalism, and contribute significantly to the growth and efficiency of the Nigerian Army

Earlier, the Chief of Army Staff was received by a well-turned-out quarter guard before being thoroughly briefed on the operational activities of 1 Division by the General Officer Commanding, GOC, Maj Gen Mayirenso Lander Saraso.

Oluyede leveraged his visit to commission several key projects, including the 1 Division Officers’ Mess Annexe at Dallet Barracks and the remodelled Corporals Below Quarters at Kotoko Barracks, Ribadu Cantonment.

Each of the commissioned blocks comprises 30 housing units, designed to enhance the living conditions of personnel.

The police command in Borno has apprehended two suspects and recovered 25 stolen mobile phones during a stop-and-search operation along Damboa Road, in Maiduguri.

The police disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

The command explained that the suspects, identified as Ibrahim Abubakar and Ibrahim Mohammed, were intercepted by the Rapid Response Squad on December 10 while riding a tricycle.

During the search, the operatives uncovered various mobile phones reportedly stolen from individuals across communities and villages along the Borno-Adamawa border.

The command identified some communities as Mubi, Tashan Alade, Miringa, Kwaya Kusar, and Biu LGAs.

The spokesman said during interrogation, the suspects confessed to snatching the phones from their victims.

“The police have initiated efforts to return the recovered devices with their rightful owner. Also, the suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations,” he said.

The command reiterated the commitment of police commissioner Yusufu Lawal to maintain public safety during the Yuletide season.

Emmanuel Ahmadu, a Nigerian who sat the West Africa School Senior Certificate Education exam 17 times, has earned a distinction from the prestigious London Graduate School in the UK.

Mr Ahmadu, a Nigerian mental health advocate based in the U.S., disclosed this in an interview in Lagos. He said he was also inducted as a fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants in Lagos.

“My fellowship, the highest grade of membership in the Institute of Management Consultants, will position me as a thought leader equipped to provide innovative strategies in tackling depression and suicide.

“This recognition is not just a personal milestone but a step forward in the global fight against mental health crises,” said Mr Ahmadu.

“It’s a call to action to innovate solutions that inspire hope and resilience,” he added.

Mr Ahmadu said his personal story had resonated globally, inspiring millions.

“A childhood marked by instability saw me attend 16 primary schools and 14 secondary schools. Yet, I persevered, ultimately earning two honorary doctorates and publishing in mental health journals,” stated Mr Ahmadu.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an ex-parte order suspending the production and distribution of Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, a book authored by human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi.

The court granted the order pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction dated and filed on Friday, December 6, 2024.

The book, which has sparked widespread debate due to allegations of judicial manipulation, recently became a global bestseller in the politics category on Amazon.

It was earlier reported that armed police officers arrested Farotimi at his Lagos office on December 3, transporting him over 300 kilometers to Ekiti State.

Justice Peter Kekemeke granting the order after listening to the exparte application filed by the claimant, the managing partner at Afe Babalola’s law firm, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, said: “The order temporarily restrains the agents, publishers, distributors, sellers, re-publishers, re-sellers, or any other person howsoever described, including Dele Farotimi Publishers, Amazon Online Bookstore, Rovingheights Bookstore, Booksellers Bookstore, Jazzhole Lagos Bookstore, Glendora Bookshop, Quintessence Lagos Bookstore and Patabah Books Limited from further publishing, selling, circulating, advertising, or distributing the physical/hard/digital/soft copies of the book online, electronically, physically or by any other means including social media.”

The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was temporarily shut down on Wednesday following an Allied Nigeria aircraft skidding off runway.

A statement by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, noted that a cargo plane belonging to Allied Air Cargo skidded off the runway on Wednesday.

“At 10:05am on December 11, 2024, an Allied Air Carge aircraft with registration number SN-JRT skidded off Runway 22 at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja with five (5) souls on board with no reported injury,” the statement read.

The aircraft, a Boeing B737-400, made its first flight over 31 years ago.

According to Flightera.net, an aviation tracker and flight data website, The Boeing 737 Classic are narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the original Boeing 737-100/-200. Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in February 1984 and entered service in December of that year. The stretched 737-400 first flew in February 1988 and entered service later that year The shortest variant, the 737-500, first flew in June 1989 and entered service in 1990.

Nigerians are experiencing power outages across the country after electricity distribution companies announced a grid collapse Wednesday afternoon.

“We wish to inform you that a system disturbance occurred on the national grid at 1:32 p.m. today causing power outage across our franchise areas,” AEDC said on Wednesday.

Jos disco posted a similar message on social media pleading for patience, noting that efforts to restore the power was underway..

The discos did not attach a timeframe to when the grid would be fixed, leaving many business entities in limbo regarding when electricity would be restored.

The national grid continued to suffer incessant collapses in recent months on the heels of unfulfilled promises by the Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu to improve the sector.

The Nembe Division of Bayelsa High Court on Wednesday ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to appear before it within 42 days in connection with a N649 million accommodation debt suit.

The court, presided over by Justice T. Y. Abasi demanded the appearance of the IG following the suit filed by Darius Obienem, the owner of Euphemie Motel in Opu-Nembe, Bayelsa State.

The court threatened that failure of the IG and the two other respondents, the Nigerian Police and the Police Service Commission, to make an appearance, personally or through a legal practitioner, would result in a judgement being entered in their absence.

The hotel owner, Mr Obienem, had filed a suit over an alleged refusal of the respondents to settle the accommodation debt incurred by the Police SWAT team deployed from August 12, 2023, to October 3, 2024, in Opu-Nembe.

The SWAT team deployed to the Opu Nembe community had allegedly occupied the motel, turning it into their operational base without due permission of the owners.

The SWAT team was allegedly drafted to the area on the request of Timipre Sylva, former minister of state for petroleum resources and the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 general elections.

The claimant prayed the court for a declaration that the defendants forcefully entered and allegedly took over the entire claimant’s business premises on August 12, 2023 as illegal.

He said, “A declaration that the claimants are entitled to the sum of N25,000 per night per room for rooms contained therein from August 12, 2023, to October3, 2024, when the defendants vacated the claimant’s premises. A declaration that the claimant is entitled to the sum of N100,000 only per conference hall per day for the three conference halls contained therein from August 12, 2023, to October 3, 2024, when the defendants vacated the claimant’s business premises. A declaration that the claimants are entitled to the sum of N649,450,000 for the period between the 12th of August, 2023, and the 3rd of October, 2024.

“An order of this court mandating the defendants to pay the defendant the sum of N649,450,000 for the period between August 12, 2023, and October 3, 2024.

“And the sum of N200,000,000 against the defendants for the damages done to the claimant as a result of their forceful entry and occupying same for a period well over 13 months and loss of revenue accruing from the bar and restaurant.’’

Ebonyi governor’s wife, Mary-Maudline Nwifuru, on Tuesday, secured the release of 41 inmates from the Abakaliki Medium Security Custodial Centre after paying their fines.

Ms Nwifuru announced the gesture when she visited the inmates and officers of the centre in Abakaliki.

The intervention was part of the activities organised by her office to celebrate Christmas.

Ms Nwifuru urged the inmates to consider their stay in the facility as their fate, urging them to turn a new leaf and repent from the crimes for which they were convicted.

The governor’s wife also donated cash to the inmates, encouraging them to take advantage of their incarceration to make a change in their lives.

She said her initiative, Better Health for Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced Foundation (BERWO), aims to transform lives.

She underscored the need for the inmates to imbibe good morals and shun crime for the betterment of society.

She said that her passion for assisting the vulnerable and underprivileged members of society spurred her visit to the facility.

“This is the second time BERWO is providing such a gesture to inmates in the state. We will continue to give hope to the inmates,” Ms Nwifuru said.

Ebonyi’s attorney general, Ben Odo, said there were 1,265 inmates at the centre.

Mr Odoh appealed to the federal government to complement similar efforts by decongesting the prisons.

“Some of the inmates here have stayed for years because they do not have money to pay their fines,” he said.

A 27-year-old beneficiary, Emmanuel Nwafor, said he had been in jail since August 2023.

“Hardship led me to prison. I stole a generator and was asked to pay a fine of N100,000, but I could not pay,” Mr Nwafor said.

Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is expected to arrive in Nigeria Wednesday on a two-visit to President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.

The visit of the German president to Nigeria, according to a recent statement by the country’s embassy, is scheduled for this week.

According to the statement, Mr Steinmeier would visit the president of the Commission of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Alieu Omar Touray, before heading to Lagos to meet business representatives and stakeholders in the culture and Civil society sector.

It added that the German president would then proceed to Lagos to engage with business representatives, visit a start-up hub, and meet with members of Nigeria’s culture sector and civil society.

“The German president will further meet with Dr. Nike Okundaye, popularly known as Mama Nike, of the Nike Art Gallery, and the legendary author and Nobel Laureate for Literature, Prof. Wole Soyinka.

“There will also be an opportunity to be part of a tour of the city of Lagos to gain insights into the urban development of megacity Lagos, including environmental and social challenges,” the German embassy stated.

Mr Steinmeier will be accompanied by a business delegation of CEOs and high-ranking board members of some of Germany’s most successful companies in IT, high-tech and energy.

The scheduled visit followed both leaders’ meeting at the 18th G20 Summit in India, where Mr Steinmeier said to Mr Tinubu: “We acknowledge the business-friendly reforms you have put in place. I am happy to inform you of my desire to visit you in Nigeria in October, which will allow us to carry forward these initiatives.”

Stating that both countries “share striking commonalities, including being the strongest economy and the most populous country on their respective continents,” the German embassy said Mr Steinmeier’s visit would be the third exchange between both countries on the level of head of state or government since Mr Tinubu’s inauguration.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Nigeria in October 2023, and Mr Tinubu visited Germany in November 2023.

The authorities of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) have announced the appointment of Mr. John Olusola Dada as the new substantive bursar and Mrs. Henrietta Adebola Gbemisola Badejo as the new substantive registrar.

According to a statement issued by the Acting Registrar, Dr. E. J. A. Akinwale, on December 10, 2024, the appointments were approved by the institution’s Governing Council. Both officials are set to serve a five-year tenure starting January 2, 2025.

Mr. Dada, the incoming bursar, hails from Efon Alaaye in Ekiti State and is an alumnus of CAC Grammar School, Efon Alaaye, and The Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, among other institutions.

Olusola Dada, a Professional Accountant, Management and Financial expert, is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA); Associate Member, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (ACTI); Associate Member, Chartered Institute of Management Accountant of Nigeria (ACIMA)

With a combination of 30 years of working experience across the Polytechnic, University and the Private Sectors, Olusola Dada has received several commendations on the job, in professional and community services, inclusive of five different times from Yabatech Management ( 5 times) 2008, 2009, 2020, 2022, 2023 & 2024)

The Commendations received by the new YCT Bursar among others are on: Proper Accounting Records on TETFund Activities; Computerization and Digitalization of the Bursary Department;Proper Accounting Returns;

Member of team that won grants into Yabatech 2ce. (200,000 USD Ford Foundation Grant for the establishment of Art museum and production of Sexual Harassment Policy for the College in 2019. & 1,000,000 USD FCDO/UNICEF GESP grants for training of 5,750 Girls on TVET related skills.

An accomplished Chartered Accountant, Auditor and ICAN Fellow, Olusola Dada has also played several pivotal professional roles and leadership services for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria at the National, sub national and ICAN Districts Society levels. He is married with children.

A devastating fire erupted in the early hours of Wednesday at the Alaba Rago Market in Lagos State’s Ojo area, reducing goods worth millions of naira to ashes.

The blaze reportedly began around midnight, swiftly engulfing the market’s shanty shops.

Responding to distress calls from traders and residents, emergency teams, including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, promptly arrived at the scene.

Dr. Femi Oke-Osayintolu, Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, stated that the agency’s Dolphin Response Team and other units acted quickly to contain the fire, successfully preventing it from spreading to nearby properties.

“The emergency response plans were promptly initiated, and our team worked tirelessly alongside the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service to put the situation under control,” Oke-Osayintolu said.

Director of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, also confirmed that the fire had been curtailed, ensuring minimal collateral damage to nearby structures.

While no casualties was reported, the fire destroyed numerous shops, leaving traders counting heavy losses.

As of the time of reporting, the immediate or remote cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

The Alaba Rago Market is known for its vibrant trade in livestock, foodstuffs, and other commodities. Many traders affected by the fire expressed grief over the loss of their goods and livelihoods.

Efforts to ascertain the total value of the damage are ongoing as authorities continue investigations into the cause of the fire.

South Korean police tried to search President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office on Wednesday but have not been able to enter the main building, Yonhap news reported as an investigation into the U.S. ally’s decision to declare martial law widened.

The attempt to search the presidential office significantly escalates the investigation against Yoon and top police and military officers over the Dec. 3 martial law declaration that plunged the country with Asia’s fourth-largest economy into a constitutional crisis.

Yoon is now the subject of a criminal investigation into insurrection allegations and is banned from leaving the country, but he has not been arrested or questioned by authorities.

A presidential security service official said earlier on Wednesday that the police raid of Yoon’s office was under way, confirming media reports at the time. Yonhap later said investigators at the presidential compound had not yet entered the main building.

Yonhap said police had not managed to agree with the Secret Service on the method of the seizure and search. Police declined to comment.

“We are responding based on the law and past government cases,” a presidential office official said denied that the office was opposing the search.

Former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, a close confidant of Yoon, and two senior police officers including the national police chief have been arrested on charges of insurrection as part of the investigation.

Kim attempted suicide using a shirt and underwear late on Tuesday night at a detention centre where he is being held, a Justice Ministry official told parliament.

He was now under observation and his life was not in danger, the official added.

Kim has resigned and apologised for his part in the short-lived imposition of emergency rule, saying he alone was responsible.

Soon after Yoon’s late-night declaration of martial law, lawmakers including some members of his own party voted to demand the president immediately rescind the order, which he did hours later.

A HIgh Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama has ordered the remand of the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello in Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja pending his bail application.

By the court’s ruling, Bello may remain in prison till January 29 when the court adjourned further proceedings in the criminal case involving him.

Bello is standing trial, along with two others, in an alleged N110bn money laundering charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In an earlier ruling on Tuesday, Justice Maryanne Anenih faulted the competence of Bello’s bail application and held that it was filed prematurely.

Justice Anenih held that the application, having been filed when Bello was neither in custody nor before the court, his application was incompetent.

She said: “Consequently, the instant application, having been filed prematurely is hereby refused.”

Bello’s bail application was filed on November 22 before he was arrested on November 26 and arraigned on November 27.

In two other rulings, Justice Anenih granted bail to each of the two Bello’s co-defendants – Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu at N300m with two sureties in like sum.

The judge said the sureties must have property worth the said amount within the court’s jurisdiction.

She then adjourned further proceedings till January 29 next year.

It was learnt that Bello’s lawyers could file a fresh bail application and apply to the court for an early hearing date.

If the request for an early date is granted by the court and the fresh bail application granted, Bello could escape spending the yuletide period in Kuje correctional centre.

The Joint Consultative Forum (JCF) of Tertiary Institutions owned by the Katsina state government has declared a 14-day ultimatum beginning from December 9, demanding full implementation of all salary structures as submitted and approved by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.

Chairman of the forum, Comrade Muhammad Nasir Gidado, made this declaration while addressing the press at the end of the joint consultative meeting held at Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic.

The forum reminded the state government that Katsina state has been advocating for the implementation of new salary structures.

The JCF chairman reiterated that the executive committee reaffirmed its position to the Katsina state government on the new national minimum wage.

He added that the forum has received the proposed and approved salary tables from the NLC and expressed “grave reservations” after careful study.

Gidado highlighted key concerns, including the omission of salary tables for both academic and non-academic staff of UMYU from earlier submissions made by the forum, as well as unfavourable adjustments made to the consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary (CONTISS11).

He said: “We want to draw the attention of the state government to note that the JCF has resolved to issue a 14-day ultimatum, and it is done in the collective interests of all staff of Katsina state-owned tertiary institutions’’

“It is hoped that the state will act accordingly in due course to aid continuous industrial harmony’’

Institutions that were listed under the JCF include UMYU, HUkP, Isah Kaita College, Yusuf Bala Usman College of Education, KSITM, Colleges of Health Sciences, and Nursing among others.

Ondo state governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has proposed to spend the sum of N655,230,100.00 for the 2025 fiscal year.

The 2025 budget proposal is N193bn higher than the 2024 budget of N492.045,000.

The capital expenditure proposed for the 2024 budget was N246.73bn while the proposed recurrent expenditure was N245.3bn.

Speaking at the presentation of the 2025 budget before the Ondo State House of Assembly, Governor Aiyedatiwa said the 2024 recurrent expenditure posted a performance of N156.7bn while capital expenditure posted a performance of N49.96bn.

Governor Aiyedatiwa said the poor capital expenditure for 2024 was caused by what he termed ‘very prohibitive inflationary pressure.’

Christened Budget of Recovery, Governor Aiyedatiwa said the 2025 estimate was prepared after a very deep analysis of the world economic outlook as well as the implications for the national economy and the state.

Governor Aiyedatiwa said 62% of the 2025 budget estimate representing N406.3bn was allocated to capital expenditure while 38% representing N248.9bn was allocated for recurrent expenditure.

Aiyedatiwa said N7bn was proposed for upgrading health facilities across the state while N370m was proposed for the free school shuttle bus services.

According to him, “The above allocation is an eloquent testimony of our avowed commitment to transforming the socio-economic landscape of the State. Agriculture would be approached in an integrated manner in order to ensure food security in the State.

“Smallholder farmers would be assisted with inputs, particularly improved seedlings, to ensure that yield per hectare is substantially increased.

“Our intention on infrastructure revolution is clear. Most of the roads constructed during the times of Chief Adefarati and Dr. Olusegun Agagu (both of blessed memory) are already in deplorable condition. Therefore, an urgent revolution, tagged “Road Restore” will commence in the 2025 fiscal year. Furthermore, we will continue to install solar street lights on our roads such that in a few years, we will completely “Light up” Ondo State.

“Moreover, producing secondary school pupils without life skills is a recipe for disaster. We want to be producing entrepreneurs, innovators, tech-merchants, and job creators from our secondary schools. At least, three of such model secondary schools will be constructed in 2025.

“All these lofty ideas will not detract us from completing the plethora of ongoing projects across the State as adequate funds have been allocated to all of them. There shall be no abandoned projects in the State.”