Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has advised Nigerians in the diaspora to remain strong and optimistic about a better future for Nigeria.

He made the call during a virtual interactive session with some Nigerians in the diaspora on Saturday.

Atiku urged Nigerian citizens not to give up on the nation despite the current socio-economic challenges.

According to him, the state of the economy has led to untold hardship for millions of Nigerians, and the poverty index continues to rise.

He said Nigerians in the diaspora play a significant role in shaping the country’s future.

“I urge you not to give up just yet. Your strength and resilience are crucial to Nigeria’s future.

“As Nigerians living abroad, you have a unique perspective on what good governance and economic management look like.

“I encourage you to continue to pray for Nigeria’s deliverance.

“Your prayers and support can help bring about the transformation we need.

“I believe in the potential of our great nation, and I know that with collective effort, we can overcome the current challenges and build a prosperous Nigeria for all,” he said.

The former vice president also encouraged Nigerians to continue supporting their families and friends back home.

The 2023 PDP Presidential Candidate also urged the Federal Government to release detained protesters being charged with treason.

According to him, the right of any citizen to protest government policies is enshrined in the constitution and cannot be denied.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has spoken on plans to ‘light up’ the nation’s capital.

Wike spoke during the signing of Memoranda of Understanding with the Memoranda of Understanding, MOU, with the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC, and the China Geo-Engineering Corporation Overseas Construction, CGCOC, Group, for a project to light up the FCT, using solar power.

Wike described the project as very dear to his administration, noting that the capital city will be 50 years by next year.

He said it was his desire that Abuja becomes like other capital cities of the world.

The former Rivers State governor also appreciated the company’s efforts in making sure the commercial operation of the Abuja Metro line became possible during the first anniversary celebration of President Tinubu.

The minister urged the CGCOC to ensure quick delivery of the project.

In their separate responses, the President of CCECC, Mr Chen Sichang and the Chairman of CGCOC, Mr Lan Meizhong, both expressed appreciation for the confidence reposed in them to execute the projects.

They also assured the minister of quality and timely delivery of the projects.

Edo State Government has announced an indefinite postponement of the resumption of all schools in the state over the hike in fuel prices.

The government announced this in a memo by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Ojo Akin-Longe, in Benin, the state capital, on Saturday.

The permanent secretary said the resumption, earlier scheduled for September 9, was postponed until further notice.

“The Edo State Government hereby announces the postponement of the resumption of all public and private schools in Edo State, originally scheduled for Monday, September 9, 2024, until further notice.

“An official statement from the government has directed that schools remain closed due to the tension arising from the recent increase in fuel prices and the challenges faced by parents and guardians.

“The government urges parents, guardians, and caregivers to monitor the activities of their children and wards closely, given the current situation and the rising tension caused by the fuel price hike,” Akin-Longe said.

Kenyan police stepped up their investigations Saturday into a prime school dormitory blaze that has now cost the lives of 18 boys, as families faced an agonising wait for news of their missing loved ones.

“It is a catastrophe beyond our imagination,” government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said at a press briefing at the Hillside Endarasha Academy where the fire struck around midnight Thursday.

The flames engulfed a dormitory at the primary school where more than 150 boys aged between nine and 13 were sleeping.

Mwaura said 18 children had died in the blaze at the school in the central county of Nyeri, up from a previous toll of 17 given by President William Ruto on Friday.

“It is truly devastating for the nation to lose such a number of young and promising Kenyans. Our hearts are heavy,” Mwaura said.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua had said on Friday that 70 youngsters were still unaccounted for after the fire.

Mwaura said about 20 had now been accounted for as of Saturday, but declined to give any further details.

The cause of the inferno is not yet known but homicide investigators and forensic experts are at the school, where media access has been blocked.

The charred bodies of victims, which police had said were burnt beyond recognition, were still in the dormitory, now a blackened shell with its corrugated iron roof completely collapsed.

“Today we want to begin the process of DNA testing,” Kenya’s chief homicide detective Martin Nyuguto told AFP.

Ruto has declared three days of national mourning from Monday after what he described as an “unfathomable tragedy”.

“I pledge that the difficult questions that have been asked such as how this tragedy occurred and why the response was not timely will be answered; fully, frankly, and without fear or favour,” Ruto said in a statement.

“All relevant persons and bodies will be held to account.”

Kenya’s National Gender and Equality Commission said initial reports indicated the dorm was “overcrowded, in violation of safety standards”.

The blaze has highlighted the issue of safety at schools in Kenya, after numerous similar disasters over the years.

In a statement from the Vatican on Saturday, Pope Francis said he was “deeply saddened” at the loss of young life and expressed his “spiritual closeness to all who are suffering the effects of this calamity, especially the injured and the families who grieve”.

On Friday, tensions were running high among families gathered at the school, anxious for news of their missing children.

Many broke down after officials took them to see the bodies in the destroyed dorm.

“Please look for my kid. He can’t be dead. I want my child,” one woman cried in distress.

The Kenya Red Cross said it was on the ground assisting a multi-agency response team and providing psychosocial support to traumatised pupils and families.

Muchai Kihara, 56, said he was lucky to find his 12-year-old son Stephen Gachingi alive after rushing to the school around 1 am on Friday.

“I cannot begin to imagine what he went through. I am happy he is alive but he had some injuries at the back of his head and the smoke had affected his eyes,” he told AFP.

Seven suspected hoodlums were on Thursday arrested in Ilorin by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, for unlawful and violent conduct during last Thursday’s protest by okada and tricycle riders over fuel price increase.

They allegedly attacked one lady, Olusegun Taiwo, who was on a motorcycle on her way to the office.

During the incident, the suspects allegedly forcefully took her bag, phones and other valuables.

According to the spokesman of the Command, Ayoola Michael Shola in a statement on Saturday, the incident occurred at Sango-Kulende area of Ilorin metropolis.

“On Thursday, September 5th 2024, one Olusegun Taiwo (F) of sango area, Ilorin reported a case of criminal conspiracy and theft at the station office of the NSCDC, Kwara State Command.

“She stated that while on her way to her office on a motorcycle, she was attacked by a group of youths, suspected to be hoodlums, who forcefully took her bag, phones, and other valuables.

“Upon receiving the report, operatives of the NSCDC, Kwara state command, arrested seven suspected miscreants involved in unlawful and violent conduct, as well as mischief, during a protest by commercial tricycle and motorcycle riders in Ilorin on the same day.

“After a thorough investigation, it was discovered that the suspects are part of the group of hoodlums responsible for terrorizing and causing public unrest in Ilorin, particularly Sango area.

“The protest was overtaken by hoodlums who exploited the situation, engaging in theft of personal belongings such as bags, phones, and other valuable items, which led to increased unrest in ilorin metropolis,” the statement added.

The NSCDC Commandant, Dr. Umar Mohammed, assured the people of the state that the Command remains firmly committed to upholding public order and will continue to take decisive measures against any individual or groups involved in criminal activities that threaten the safety and security of the state.

He noted that the suspects will be charged to court for prosecution in accordance with the law.

Police operatives from Ebrumede Division, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State have arrested six suspected kidnappers.

They also recovered from them a ransom of N2,344,000 (Two million, three hundred and forty-four thousand naira), with some stolen mobile phones.

Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda disclosed this while briefing journalists in Asaba.

CP Abaniwonda said, “Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of Ebrumede division while on patrol duty intercepted a tricycle conveying six-passengers.

“The suspects on sighting the Police attempted to escape but the operatives chased and arrested them.

“Upon search of the suspects, two million, three hundred and forty-four thousand naira was recovered.

“Some suspected stolen phones were also recovered. Further investigation revealed that the phone belonged to their kidnapped victims and the money was part of the ransom the victims paid for their freedom.”

Justice Juan M. Merchan on Friday delayed the sentencing of former United States President Donald Trump, in his hush money trial until after the November election.

This was after the judge granted Trump a hard-won reprieve as he navigated the aftermath of his criminal conviction and the pressure of his presidential campaign.

Merchan, who is also weighing a defence request to overturn the verdict on immunity grounds, delayed Trump’s sentencing until Nov. 26, three weeks after the final votes are cast in the presidential election.

The sentencing was initially scheduled for September 18, about seven weeks before election day.

The new date is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, according to the Associated Press.

The delay, the latest bit of good legal fortune for Trump, means the presidential election will be decided without voters knowing if the Republican nominee is going to jail.

In a four-page decision, Merchan explained that he was postponing the sentencing “to avoid any appearance — however unwarranted—that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching presidential election in which the defendant is a candidate.

“The Court is a fair, impartial, and apolitical institution,” the judge said, adding that writing his decision “should dispel any suggestion” otherwise.

Trump’s lawyers pushed for the delay on multiple fronts, petitioning the judge and asking a federal court to intervene. They argued that punishing the former president in the thick of his campaign to retake the White House would amount to election interference.

Trump’s lawyers argued that delaying his sentencing until after the election would also allow him time to weigh the next steps after Merchan rules on the defence’s request to reverse his conviction and dismiss the case because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s July presidential immunity ruling.

In his order Friday, Merchan delayed a decision on that until Nov. 12.

In addition to pushing back the sentencing until November 26, Merchan wrote that he would decide on Trump’s motion to vacate the verdict because of the Supreme Court’s immunity decision on November 12, which is also after the election.

Merchan wrote in his letter that the Supreme Court “rendered a historic and intervening decision” with its immunity ruling.

The Ukrainian parliament approved the appointment of nine new cabinet members, local media have reported.

Andrii Sybiha was named the country’s new Foreign Minister, while Vitaliy Koval was appointed agrarian policy and food minister.

The former deputy head of the president’s office, Oleksii Kuleba, garnered the positions of deputy prime minister for the restoration of Ukraine and the minister for the development of communities and territories.

The parliament also approved Olha Stefanishyna to become deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration and justice minister.

Mykola Tochytskyi was confirmed as minister of culture and strategic communications, Matvii Bidnyi as minister of youth and sports, and Herman Smetanin as strategic industries minister.

Others are Natalia Kalmykova as minister for veterans affairs and Svitlana Hrynchuk as environment protection and natural resources minister.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the cabinet reshuffle was aimed at “strengthening Ukraine at different stages.”

Burkina Faso has introduced a new biometric passport without the logo of the Economic Community of West African States, further solidifying its breakaway from the regional bloc.

The move comes after Burkina Faso, along with Niger and Mali, cut ties with ECOWAS following military coups in the three countries.

The decision to issue passports without the ECOWAS insignia was announced by Burkina Faso’s security minister, Mahamadou Sana, on Tuesday.

Sana stated, “On this passport, there’s no ECOWAS logo, and no mention of ECOWAS either. Since January, Burkina Faso has decided to withdraw from this body, and this is just a realisation of the action already taken by Burkina Faso.”

The three nations severed relations with the 15-member bloc after ECOWAS imposed sanctions on them in the wake of military takeovers.

Although the organisation only issued a suspension, it has demanded that the countries return to constitutional order before sanctions are lifted.

However, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have all denounced any plans to reintegrate, accusing ECOWAS of betraying the pan-African ideals for which it was founded.

Despite its departure, Burkina Faso’s passport remains relatively strong, ranked 78th globally and providing visa-free access to 60 destinations, including current ECOWAS member countries, according to the Henley Passport Index.

ECOWAS has raised concerns that the withdrawal of these nations could undermine the free movement of people and goods within its borders, impacting the bloc’s 400 million citizens.

President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, who currently chairs ECOWAS, has been actively trying to persuade the three countries to reconsider their exit, emphasising that the organization remains open to maintaining friendly relations.

A bill to boost electricity supply in Imo State has passed its second reading in the State House of Assembly.

Presenting the bill for the second reading at the floor of the house, the majority leader, representing Owerri West State Constituency, Hon. Kanayo Onyemaechi stated that the bill if passed into law will go a long way to improve the general well being of the citizens.

The bill titled, ‘Light Up Imo Project’, according to the majority leader, emanated from the recently enacted electricity reform law number 2 of 2024, which was aimed at ensuring that the 27 LGAs in the State are provided with sustainable and reliable electricity supply.

He said that the State Government is already in partnership with Orashi Electricity Company which has signed Memorandum of Understanding, (MoU), maintaining that the bill if passed will give teeth to the partnership by providing a legal framework for its sustainability.

“The main objective of the bill is to facilitate the rehabilitation, expansion and maintenance of the State electricity infrastructures, ensuring stable power generation, transmission and distribution throughout the LGAs in the State for enhancement of socio-economic activities,” he said.

The Owerri West lawmaker further said that the bill if passed will make it difficult for both the State Government and Orashi Electricity Company to back out from the agreement, noting that any defaulter will pay back every damage and loss incurred on the process.

He enjoined the members to give the bill an accelerated passage considering its human importance.

The bill, which gained general support from the members, was passed for the second time and referred to the House Committee on power for further necessary legislative action.

Kano State House of Assembly has passed a supplementary budget of N99 billion to enable the state government to implement the new minimum wage and other services.

The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Jibril Falgor said that the budget would enable the state government to implement the new minimum wage and other services, as the fund would be extended on recurrent, personnel and overhead cost.

He appreciated his colleagues for their contributions toward the speedy passage of the bill.

NAN reports that Governor Abba Kabir-Yusuf had on Aug. 20, submitted the N99 billion supplementary budget to the state assembly.

In his remarks, the majority leader said the passage of the supplementary budget had raised the 2024 budget of the state to N536 billion.

Kano State House of Assembly has passed a supplementary budget of N99 billion to enable the state government to implement the new minimum wage and other services.

The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Jibril Falgor said that the budget would enable the state government to implement the new minimum wage and other services, as the fund would be extended on recurrent, personnel and overhead cost.

He appreciated his colleagues for their contributions toward the speedy passage of the bill.

NAN reports that Governor Abba Kabir-Yusuf had on Aug. 20, submitted the N99 billion supplementary budget to the state assembly.

In his remarks, the majority leader said the passage of the supplementary budget had raised the 2024 budget of the state to N536 billion.

The Nigerian Army has confirmed the arrest of one Adeleye Ayomide, as the suspect responsible for the death of a 300-level student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Idowu Christiana.

The deceased was abducted by suspected kidnappers along the Ikorodu-Yaba Road, Lagos State, on Monday, August 19, 2024.

A family source who spoke with PUNCH Metro on condition of anonymity earlier disclosed that the abductors initially demanded a ransom of N3 million before they could release the student.

However, after several pleas, the abductors accepted N350,000 which was sent to their account but they refused to free the kidnapped student.

When contacted on Thursday, the spokesperson, 81 Division Nigerian Army, Lt-Col. Olabisi Ayeni confirmed Ayomide’s arrest via a telephone interview with our correspondent.

Ayeni said the suspect was arrested by men of the 174 Battalion, saying, “Yes. I am aware about the issue. We arrested him and the 9 Brigade Nigerian Army will be handing him over to the Lagos State Police Command today, so you can liaise with them for further information.”

Also, on Thursday, the Student Union Government president of FUNAAB, Ibrahim Adeyemi, confirmed Christiana’s death to one of our correspondents in a telephone conversation, saying, “The union can confirm that she was reportedly killed by her abductor. We will be addressing the matter soon.”

Christiana’s death has continued to attract reactions from concerned Nigerians, especially users of the social media platform, X (formerly Twitter).

Checks on X by our correspondent revealed that some users had pointed accusing fingers at Ayomide for Christiana’s death.

The hashtag #JusticeForChristiana is one of the top trends on Nigeria’s X domain, with over 90,000 posts as of the time of filing this report.

An X user, Tommy, tweeting as #Tommyjr277, in early Thursday, stated, “Our friend, Christiana is dead, a Funaabite; was abducted by this Ayomide, a student of Philosophy in OOU, Ogun State. We want justice for our friend. The suspect is reportedly at 174 Battalion in Ikorodu. We demand justice. He must face the wrath of the law.”

One tweep, Man of Letters, with the username #Letter_to_Jack, tweeted on Wednesday night, affirming that the suspect was held at the 174 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Ikorodu, Lagos State.

He also noted that Ayomide confessed to the deceased’s father and the military operatives to have killed and buried the victim, according to “detailed reports from trusted sources.”

His tweets, among others, read, “Armed by this information, operatives began investigation into the suspect whom they observed to have a mutual relationship with Christiana Idowu, especially judging by Instagram posts as they both commented on each other’s pages. With all these information at hand, the operatives began to track down his cell phone activities and text messages.

“The cell phone tracking led them to his parent’s house, somewhere in Ikorodu. Operatives then got confirmation of his presence in the building through active tracking of his mobile device. Immediately, gallant personnel of the Nigerian Army 174bn swooped in on the suspect to conduct an arrest. After the arrest, damning evidence were seen with the suspect and this includes the victim blue ITEL A56 with IMEI:35230**.”

Ugandan Olympic marathon runner, Rebecca Cheptegei has succumbed to injuries sustained after she was doused in petrol and set alight by her ex-boyfriend.

Cheptegei, 33, suffered burns to 80 percent of her body in Sunday’s brutal attack that was carried out by her ex-boyfriend, according to medical officials.

She was rushed to the intensive care unit at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. However, the facility’s acting director, Dr Owen Menach confirmed this morning that Cheptegei d!ed on Tuesday night, September 3.

‘Unfortunately, we lost her after all her organs failed last night,’ Menach said, as reported by Kenyan newspaper The Star.

The horrific incident occured just weeks after Cheptegei had taken part in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, where she placed 44th.

Kenyan police confirmed the runner was attacked at her house in western Trans Nzoia County, close to the Ugandan border, where she had recently relocated to be closer to superior Kenyan training facilities.

Trans Nzoia County Police Commander, Jeremiah Ole Kosiom said her former partner, Dickson Ndiema, had bought a can of petrol, poured it on her, and set her ablaze during a disagreement on Sunday.

Her father Joseph Cheptegei claimed that the two were fighting over her land at Endebes in Trans Nzoia shortly before the alleged attack occurred.

‘They were just friends and I wonder why he wanted to take away things belonging to my daughter,’ Cheptegei Snr told The Star, revealing also that his daughter’s two children are fathered by a different man living in Uganda.

He went on to claim that Cheptegei and Ndiema, who he claims have been separated for a long time are involved in a case being investigated by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Kenya.

According to Cheptegei Snr and Police Commander Kosiom, the ex-boyfriend sneaked into his daughter’s home to stage the attack.

‘The boyfriend is believed to have sneaked into the compound at around 2pm on Sunday while the woman and the children were in Church,’ Kosiom said, as per the Kenyan newspaper The Standard.

‘Upon returning, Dickson, who had procured petrol, began pouring it on Rebecca before he set her ablaze.

‘The couple were heard quarrelling outside their house. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her.

‘The suspect was also caught by the fire and sustained serious burns.’

According to Menach, the alleged ex-boyfriend attacker was also admitted to the same hospital with 30 per cent burns.

Meanwhile, Kenyan media reported that one of Cheptegei’s daughters witnessed the assault at her mother’s home.

‘He kicked me while I tried to run to the rescue of my mother,’ Kenya’s The Standard reported her as saying.

‘I immediately cried out for help, attracting a neighbour who tried to extinguish the flames with water, but it was not possible,’ said the girl, who has not been named.

The US vice-president and Democratic nominee for the forthcoming presidential election, Kamala Harris has described the gun violence at the Apalachee High School in Georgia State as a senseless tragedy.

It was earlier reported that a 14-year-old suspected shooter on Wednesday opened fire on students and teachers in the school, killing at least four persons.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, nine other persons, including a teacher and eight students, were hospitalized after the incident.

Reacting, the VP in a statement on her official X handle, condemned the incident, saying “we must end the epidemic of gun violence in our country once and for all”.

She wrote, “Today, Doug and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short by gun violence at Apalachee High School in Georgia.

“Our hearts are with the students, teachers, and families impacted by this shooting, and we are grateful to the first responders and law enforcement on the scene.

“This is a senseless tragedy — and it does not have to be this way”.

No fewer than four persons, including two teachers and two teenage students have been killed in Georgia, part of the southern United States, after a 14-year-old shooter opened fire on the grounds of Apalachee High School in the city of Winder, northeast of Atlanta.

About nine others, including a teacher and eight students were seriously injured in the unfortunate incident that occurred on Wednesday.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation uncovered the identities of the victims at a press briefing on Wednesday night.

The slain teachers include one Christina Irimie, 53 and Richard Aspinwall, 39.

Christian Angulo, 14 and Mason Schermerhorn also 14 are the students killed during the incident.

According to GBI, the 14-year-old suspect, Colt Gray, a student at Apalachee High School was apprehended by officers within minutes and currently in custody.

He will be charged with murder and he will be tried as an adult, the GBI said. Gray was set to be booked on Wednesday night, according to an official.

Staff members of the Nigerian Press Council have decried the non-payment of their salaries and overhead of the establishment from January till date.

Some of the workers who spoke during an interview in Abuja described their living conditions as pathetic.

They urged the Federal Government to rescind its decision to stop funding the council’s activities, including salaries and operations.

A management staff member of the council, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the stoppage of funding of the organisation by the government.

The officer said the Budget Office of the Federation in June 2023, sent a memo to the council, which stated that from January 2024, the Federal Government would no longer fund the organisation.

One of the workers, Kolo Ibrahim said, following the circular from the Budget Office, they have not received salaries since January.

Narrating his ordeal, Mr Kolo said he has been begging friends and relatives to feed his immediate family members and pay his children’s school fees.

“I have become an object of ridicule and stigmatisation, people have stopped borrowing me money, because there is no hope of paying back. I appeal to President Bola Tinubu to hear our cry and rescind his decision on this, so that we can deliver our mandate,” he said.

Another worker of the council, Dan Gomna, said his children had dropped out of school because he could no longer pay their school fees

“Feeding my family is a heavy burden. I have to beg to feed my wife and four children. I owe my landlord, and he has given me up to December 31 to pay my rent or pack out of his property. I am sure that all workers in NPC are facing difficulties. I beg President Tinubu in the name of God to help us. We are suffering due to lack of salaries for eight months and still counting,” Mr Gomna said.

Established under the Nigerian Press Council Act No 85 of 1992, the parastatal under the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, is statutorily empowered to ensure ethical press standards and maintain high professional standards for the Nigerian press.

Reacting to the development, a lawyer, Yemi Oyebamiji, faulted the decision of the government to halt funding of an institution without amending its establishment Act.

He said, “I know this administration has promised to implement the Stephen Oronsaye-led Committee Report on federal civil service reform on learner government. However, the exercise should be done with the due process of the law. I am not aware of any amendment to the statute establishing the council to the effect that the government will no longer fund it. Assuming without conceding that it has been amended, implementing it should be with a human face.

“Where do you expect an organisation like the Nigerian Press Council, that has been bedevilled with many challenges, to source funding for workers’ salaries and its operations from?”

Mr Oyebanji appealed to the federal government to reconsider its decision for the sake of the council’s workers.

Alternatively, he said if the government found no usefulness in the council, it should be scrapped legally and its workers redeployed or paid off.

The Chinese government on Wednesday promised to sustain its high-level cooperation with Africa to strengthen the relationship between them.

Its government officials disclosed this while briefing journalists as part of activities at the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation which started from September 4.

The summit holding in Beijing, China is expected to end on September 6.

The officials included Deputy Director-General, Department of Commerce, Hunan Province, Weiping Deng and the Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Office of Hunan Province, China, Dai Zhiguang.

They reiterated Hunan’s cooperation with Africa, saying that strategic steps had been taken by the Chinese government to strengthen the bilateral ties between China and Africa.

The officials said, “Since 2019, Hunan provincial leaders have visited African countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. This has been so far possible through high-level meetings with African nations who organise economic and trade cooperation forums and the signing of the sister-city agreements. Hunan has engaged in comprehensive, multi-layered exchanges and cooperation, thus strengthening traditional friendships, enhancing political thrust and collaborative development.”

They recalled that the province had earlier hosted eight African countries which included Uganda, Malawi, Burundi and Morocco to advance the friendly cooperative relationship between Hunan and Africa.

They also said that the third China-Africa Economic Trade Expo held from June 29 to July 2, 2023 in Changsha, Hunan Province, helped to boost efforts by the province toward deepening its cooperation with Africa.

They commended Hunan’s trade volume with Africa which reached 55.67 billion Yuan and approximately $7.83 billion in 2023, adding that more would be done to improve on such feats.

A senator representing Zamfara West on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, Abdul’aziz Yari, has donated 200 trucks of maize to vulnerable and less-privileged families across the state.

This is contained in a statement issued in Gusau on Wednesday by the Chairman, Publicity Committee of Yari’s political organisation, Ibrahim Birnin-Magaji.

Mr Birnin-Magaji said Yari, a former governor of the state, directed that all the 200 trucks of maize be directly distributed to the vulnerable and less-privileged households across the state.

He quoted the Chairman of the state distribution committee and leader of Yari’s political organisation, Lawal Liman as saying this while meeting with the state and local government distribution committees.

He stated that a total of 230,400 vulnerable persons were targeted for the gesture.

He said, “Gusau, Gummi and Talata Mafara LGAs will receive 20 trucks of maize each, while the 11 other LGAs would receive 12 trucks each of the commodity. A total of 1000 beneficiaries are expected to receive the gesture in each of the political wards across the 14 LGAs. 1500 in each political ward in Gusau, Gummi and Talata Mafara LGAs would benefit from the gesture.’’

He said the gesture was aimed at cushioning the hardship among people of the state due to the prevailing economic hardship and soaring food prices.

Mr Liman charged the members of the committees at all levels to ensure the judicious distribution of the commodity.

Team Nigeria on Wednesday won its second medal in powerlifting events at the ongoing Paralympic Games in Paris.

Esther Nworgu won silver medal in the women 41kg category.

Eniola Bolaji had earlier won a bronze medal in badminton events.

Nworgu was narrowly beaten by China’s Zhe Cui, who lifted 119kg to set a new Paralympic Games record, taking the gold.

Nworgu lifted an impressive 118kg to secure the silver medal.

The Chinese had won a silver medal at the previous Olympics.

Nworgu started the competition with an impressive lift of 106kg, placing her second behind Cui, who started with 108kg in her second lift.

Nworgu lifted 112kg, while Cui extended her lead with a 113kg lift.

In the final round, Nworgu achieved her best lift of 118kg, securing her second place finish.

Brazil’s Lara de Lima lifted 109kg to take the bronze.