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Mexico’s foreign minister slammed for sharing selfie of him and his wife at Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral

September 20, 2022 No Comments

Mexico’s foreign minister is facing backlash in his home country after he shared a selfie of himself and his wife prior to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.

Marcelo Ebrard posed alongside his wife, Rosalinda Bueso, as the couple smiled before he uploaded the picture to his Twitter account Monday evening, September 19.

‘At the State Funeral of HM (Her Majesty) Queen Elizabeth II,’ wrote Ebrard before he joined other world leaders at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, England.

His tweet was labeled as tasteless and a lack of respect towards the Queen, who died September 8 after 70 years as the head of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms.

‘I find it disrespectful to take selfies at a funeral,’ one person tweeted. Another user on the platform lashed out at Ebrard for not showing decency.

One follower said he displayed behavior that some vacationers tend to display when visiting The Tower of London.

‘Marcelo is the typical tourist who goes to bother the Beefeaters and the royal guards to see if they move,’ the user wrote.

‘He is the typical tourist who goes and wants to touch the Mona Lisa.

He is the typical tourist who puts the name of Mexico in the sewer. Thank you, I am honored by your visit.’

Lifestyle

No plans for compensation over bad fuel, it’s not first time, Minister tells vehicle owners

February 10, 2022 No Comments

The Nigerian government has initiated a thorough investigation into the circumstances behind the distribution of adulterated petrol in the country.

Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, made the announcement following the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday while receiving questions from State House media.

The minister also said matters over damaged vehicles as a result of the “unusual” incident would also be taken into consideration in dealing with the situation but there were no conclusive plans yet on compensation.

When asked about those responsible for the importation of the adulterated fuel, the minister said: “The issue did not come up in council, but of course, you will recall I was here yesterday (Tuesday) to brief Mr President on the issue. I’m not in a position to disclose the identities of the companies, but there are some issues and we are actively tackling them.

Nobody has, before now, checked for methanol in our fuel, it’s not very usual and this is the first time this is happening and NNPC is very much up to the task. I will also convey your question to NNPC and maybe the Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority, but we’re actively handling it and I want to assure you that the problem will be a thing of the past very soon.”

On compensation for Nigerians Sylva said: “I didn’t expect you to rush to any conclusions, there will be a major investigation to unravel everything and then let’s really get to the bottom of it before we can come back and tell you what is going to happen to the culprits.

“We know that some people’s vehicles must have also been damaged, that is also going to be taken into consideration in dealing with the situation,” he added.

Politics

You are lucky to have me as minister – Ngige tells doctors after suspension of strike

October 7, 2021 No Comments

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige has told former striking doctors that they are lucky to have him as the minister overseeing their affairs.

Ngige made the statement on Wednesday, as an assurance to the doctors that their demands were being met, NAN reports.

Speaking during a meeting with members of the Nigerian Medical Association and executive members of the National Association of Resident Doctors, on Wednesday, in Abuja, the minister said; “You are lucky to have me, a medical doctor and health system manager here as the Minister of Labour and Employment. So, when the matter came, the issues are clear to me.”

The former Anambra governor, however faulted the previous NARD administration for not properly keeping the members of the association informed, stating that it was the reason the strike lasted this long.

He said; “The previous NARD leadership hoarded information from your members. Instead, things wouldn’t have degenerated. There is no need being pugilistic. We know that we have opposition to our government. It doesn’t mean that if we are doing something right, we should not be praised.

“If the former NARD leadership were not playing politics, they should have reported well to their members, especially after the intervention of the Elders Forum of which the President and Secretary-General of NARD were members.”

Politics

Many Nigerian Graduates Can’t Read, Write—Minister Of Education

December 12, 2020 No Comments

Adamu disclosed this in Yola, the Adamawa State capital during the official commissioning of completed projects in the college.

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, has decried the continuous fall in the standard of education in the country.

According to The Nation, Adamu disclosed this in Yola, the Adamawa State capital during the official commissioning of completed projects in the college.

The Minister, who was represented by the Director of Tertiary Education in the Federal Ministry of Education, Hajia Rakiya Iliyasu, lamented a situation in which graduates can neither read nor write in a fair manner.

He said the situation was a cause for concern, adding that students and teachers needed to sit up and face their tasks squarely if the case was to be reversed.

“Some graduates of tertiary institutions across the country cannot read or write applications,” the minister noted.

The minister elaborated that students and even graduates were unable to write one full sentence without some correction to be made.

The minister urged all stakeholders in the education sector to sit up to ensure that the decline in the value of education is bridged within the shortest time possible.

Six completed projects, which included a computer Information and Communication Technology Centre, sports centre, a centre for early childhood education, an undergraduate studies complex, among others, were commissioned during the ceremony at the FCE main campus in Yola.

Politics

Senate rejects budget proposal as agency sites 20 projects in minister’s LGA

October 29, 2020 No Comments

The budget defence of the Senate Committee on Power and Rural Electrification Agency (REA) deadlocked on Wednesday, as the Committee uncovered that the Minister of Power, Alhaji Mamman Saleh has cited 20 projects in Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State, where he hails from.

The projects, which were in the range of N52 million each in the proposed 2021 budget, were uncovered while being scrutinized by the Committee members.

Expressing their dissatisfaction with the budget proposals of the Rural Electrification Agency, the Committee insisted that the REA budget proposal would not be approved, particularly on notice that the entire South-South geopolitical zone has only one power project to be constructed in 2021.

The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Ahmad Salijo after explaining the 2020 budget performance, sought Senate’s approval of 2021 budget proposals.

Meanwhile, Senator Yusuf Yusuf drew attention of his colleagues to the lopsidedness in the distribution of projects, insisting that the proposal shouldn’t be approved.

Yusuf, who represents Taraba Central Senatorial district, maintained that the lopsidedness showed that all the mini-grid projects were lumped in the local government of the Minister in Taraba State.

“It is not just the N52m, but if you look at from number 85, N30m, N20m, N40m and they are all concentrated in one Local Government Area.

“That is the minister’s LGA. Twenty projects are in the Lau Local Government Area. I am not challenging him, but I am sure,” he said.

A member of the Committee, Senator Bala Ibn’Nallah accused the Minister of Power of violating his oath of office.

He added that the minister was making Buhari look like he is a president of one geopolitical zone.

He said: “Those who elected us to these offices expected us to ensure that the constitution which they have made for themselves and given to us will be executed to the letter.

“The President wants to be the president of every citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Therefore, he would want loyalty and cooperation from every citizen of the country. If we sit down here and agree that a budget that pleases a minister, can come, the Minister is not doing himself good because he has sworn to do justice to all manner of the people and not to allow his personal interest to affect his official conduct and decision.

“He has by this clearly shown that he has allowed his personal interest to affect his official conduct and decision, and that is a very serious matter.

“Governance is a very serious issue. I think you (MD) must take this observation seriously and convey it to the minister. Tell him that the committee is not in agreement with him.”

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Gabriel Suswam, after his remark, adjourned till Monday next week.