World News

Nigerians shouldn’t wait for government to do everything- Remi Tinubu

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First Lady Remi Tinubu has charged Nigerians not to wait for the government to do everything for them.

“We cannot wait for the government to do everything,” Mrs Tinubu said in a statement after hosting the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) in her office at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday.

Her statement comes amid severe economic hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy after President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29.

Mrs Tinubu urged Nigerians to be compassionate to others as the effects of subsidy removal continue to bite harder.

“We must lend a helping hand to everyone around us,” she added, urging women to instil in youth good moral values.

“The youth must realise who they are, their true identity as Nigerians and not the borrowed foreign culture. I remember that growing up, when there is a birthday party, we all as children would eat from the same tray, and this enhanced our oneness then. At that time, the whole village raised a child,” she stated.

Meanwhile, analysts have adjudged Mr Tinubu’s subsidy removal policy as good for the economy.

But the delay in providing palliatives to cushion the ripple effects of the policy has left many criticising it as prices of food and other commodities continue to skyrocket.

World News

Senator Orji Kalu urges Nigerians to imbibe habit of obeying court orders

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Senator Orji Kalu (APC- Abia) has appealed to Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of obeying court orders.

Mr Kalu, who represents Abia North at the National Assembly, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja, adding that obeying court orders would help in entrenching a fair and egalitarian society.

He decried incessant flouting of court orders, saying that it was not in the best interest of the country’s democracy.

“I appeal to all Nigerians in the public and private sector, vocational sector and street sector to imbibe the habit of obeying court orders.

“Everyone or anyone no matter how high or low will directly or indirectly need the court someday,” Mr Kalu said.

The former governor of Abia said that the civility of a man began with obeying court orders whether it was favorable or unfavorable.

“For any democracy to thrive, respect for the law and human rights, as well as adherence to institutions established to shape the country are key.

“Flagrant disregard for any of these often weakens the rule of law and also threatens human rights,” Mr Kalu said.

Nigeria had in recent years recorded incessant disobedience of court orders by some government agencies.

World News

Nigerian Muslims cause stir in Mecca as Osun pilgrims protest over food

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Some pilgrims from Osun observing the 2023 hajj in Saudi Arabia have protested the poor quality of food the State Pilgrims Welfare Board served them.

In a viral video seen on Monday, the pilgrims were heard complaining about the quality of food served to them.The pilgrims were also throwing away food packages that had been delivered.

“We are rejecting food given to us. We are at the door of Osun Amirul Hajj,” one of the pilgrims said in the video.

“We are rejecting the food given to us. The food is poor. We can’t continue to eat such after paying a huge amount for this pilgrimage.”

In a statement by Bolaji Sanni, the board’s administrative secretary, admitted that the chapter lacked adequate native Yoruba delicacies in the service provider’s food menu. The board also assured the necessity for its inclusion in subsequent meals.

“At the meeting were the state government officials, some representatives of the pilgrims, as well as the head of the catering team for the service provider, Mr Sanni said in a statement released on Sunday.

The statement added,

“The meeting discussed the lack of adequate local Yoruba delicacies in the food menu of the service provider and the need for its inclusion in subsequent meals. The meeting also discussed the possibility of changing the caterers if no improvement is noticed.”

The board also noted that “this problem is not peculiar to Osun state, and one can not rule out the possibility of fifth columnists blowing the situation out of control for obvious political reasons.”

World News

95,000 Nigerians airlifted to Saudi to perform hajj

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The Companion, a group of Muslim men in various endeavours, has lauded the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NACHON) for completing the airlift of all pilgrims registered through the commission to perform the 1444 AH (2023) hajj before the closure of Saudi Arabia airspace.

In a statement signed Sunday evening by its national amir, Kamil Olalekan and the public affairs secretary, Muideen Adeleke, the group hailed NAHCON Zikrullah Hassan and his team for a job well done.

It said NAHCON’s airlift of 95,000 prospective Nigerian pilgrims was remarkable, despite challenges encountered during the operations.

The Muslim group commended the NAHCON boss for his proactive instincts and commitment towards beating the Sunday deadline to complete the airlift of outbound pilgrims ahead of the closure of the Saudi Arabia air space.

It said Mr Hassan had taken the hajj administration in Nigeria to a desirable level, stressing that this was due to adequate preparation and a sacrifice from the headship of the commission down to the board, the staff and other stakeholders.

The group added that the association was proud of the NAHCON chairman, an illustrious member of the group, as the reforms he brought to bear on hajj management were yielding dividends, thereby making Nigeria a role model in the industry.

“As members of the Companion, we are proud of the feat recorded by one of our exemplary members with the successful completion of outbound flights despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges that threatened the exercise along the line,” stated the Companion.

The group urged Nigerian pilgrims to be good ambassadors throughout their stay in the holy land and intensify prayers for the commission and the country as they join their counterparts from across the world in moving to Mina, the suburb of Makkah, for the major hajj rites.

Politics

June 12 is historic but Nigeria’s electoral system is fraudulent- Peter Obi

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June 12 is a historic day and deserves to be celebrated, says ex-Governor Peter Obi.

He, however, condemned the lack of credibility of Nigeria’s electoral system.

According to Mr Obi, Nigeria’s democracy is undermined by impunity and violent bloodshed.

Commemorating Nigeria’s Democracy Day in a statement shared on his Twitter page, Mr Obi said;

“June 12 is a historic day that deserves to be celebrated” as it “underpins our long collective journey to nationhood as a true democracy.”

The Labour Party presidential candidate added, “Regrettably, we are now in an era where these foundational pillars of democracy are undermined by prevalent impunity and pervasive violence and bloodletting.”

The Anambra ex-governor lamented the “trust deficit between the leaders and Nigerians” and “search for a credible electoral system that would command the trust, confidence and belief of all Nigerians just like June 12 did.”

Lifestyle

Nigeria is losing bright youths to other Countries – Gbajabiamila tells new lawmakers

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Outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila had urged lawmakers to act quickly as youths in the country have lost faith in Nigeria and are securing their futures in other countries of the world.

He spoke on Wednesday, June 7 at a valedictory session organized for the 9th National Assembly in Abuja.

Gbajabiamila, who would start work next week as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, said the executive and legislative arms of the government must act fast or there will be continuous exodus of bright youths to Europe.

Addressing his colleagues, Gbajabiamila said;

“Honourable colleagues, despite the considerable investments we have made to improve our public infrastructure and the numerous reforms we have enacted to change how we administer the government, our country faces many significant challenges.

“These challenges have caused many of our fellow citizens to wonder if the promise of democracy will ever become real in their lives. Too many of our young people have lost faith entirely and are choosing in droves to seek their fortunes and their futures in other lands.

“We are losing some of our best and brightest, and if we don’t act now, the consequences of this loss will shortly become painfully evident.

“How do we ensure a healthy, vigorous, growing economy that provides opportunities for all who work hard to succeed through their labour and ingenuity?

“How do we protect our people from the marauders and insurgents, the petty criminals and assorted villains who wish to harm them, whether for profit or in service of other agendas?

“How do we restore faith in our young people so that so many of them no longer feel like the only way to achieve their best aspirations is to chase their fortunes in far away, often hostile lands?

“These are the critical questions all of us in government must answer or risk the unforgiving judgment of history. With each new day, we have an opportunity to make the hard choices and take the necessary actions to guarantee our nation’s future. With each new day, we have less time to act and a more outstanding obligation to act quickly.”

Lifestyle

NCDC urges Nigeria to prepare well for next pandemic

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says a peacetime health system is needed to better prepare for the next pandemic.

NCDC director-general Ifedayo Adetifa said this on Monday in Abuja at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) and the International Research Centre of Excellence (IRCE) Scientific Seminar.

Mr Adetifa said there was a need to develop libraries for rapid diagnostic, therapeutic and vaccine development in anticipation of disease ‘X’.

He said Nigeria also needed to intensify its health promotion, disease prevention and emergency response approaches.

The NCDC chief added that a strengthened laboratory diagnosis capacity and coordinated surveillance could not be overwhelmed.

According to him, data, data and more data, freely shared, will allow for better decision-making across the country.

Mr Adetifa, however, mentioned that the country’s key lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic was the role of political will and specific strategies.

He said that reliable data was critical for informed decision-making, while Strategic collaboration and partnership were essential.

The director-general of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Babatunde Salako, also stressed the need for adequate funding for research in the country.

Mr Salako explained that funding must be provided to research the area of disease surveillance, prevention, detection and treatment in the country.While commending IHVN for its continuous efforts towards research in the country, he said that NIMR would continue to support its efforts in Nigeria.

Alash’le Abimiku, the executive director of the International Research Center of Excellence, IHVN, said IRCE possessed a clear vision and mission which align with IHVN’s.

According to Ms Abimiku, IRCW provides leadership in research in Nigeria and West Africa through globally standardized expertise, transparency and accountability, positively shifting the culture of research in Africa.

She said that IRCE has the following main objectives — to fulfil its goal of creating an enabling environment for creative thinking and innovation in science to address Nigeria’s and global health priorities.

“Fosters collaborations and synergism between Nigeria’s finest researchers and their counterparts at international research institutions and universities,” Ms Abimiku stressed.

“Provides a safety net that protects IHVN and its collaborators from liability by proactively ensuring that research conducted at IHVN is under the highest scientific and ethical standards.”

Politics

Federal Government confers Nigerian citizenship on 385 foreigners

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The federal government has conferred Nigerian citizenship on 385 foreign nationals from different continents across the world.

The minister of interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made this known at the 1st 2023 Conferment ceremony of Nigeria citizenship by naturalisation and registration on Saturday in Abuja.

The minister said one of the objectives of the present administration was to lay a solid socio-economic and political foundation that would elevate Nigeria into one of the 20 great economies of the world.

He said to achieve this vision, the federal government was determined to encourage and attract foreigners, investors, resourceful individuals and people with rare talents and unbounded energy into the country.

“Today’s conferment ceremony will be granted to 385 foreigners who have gone through diligent checks by the relevant agencies of state as stipulated by the constitution and have fulfilled all statutory and administrative requirements.

“I need to state that the acquisition of Nigerian citizenship is a great privilege and not everyone that applies becomes successful.

“However, that we have a high number of foreigners willing to become Nigerians is an indication that the ongoing efforts to make Nigeria a destination for investment and peaceful coexistence is beginning to yield good fruits.

“As we continue to welcome foreigners to do business here who, after interacting with us, are now desirous of becoming one of us.”

The minister said that it was under the present administration that the largest number of foreigners had been naturalised.

“Between 2011 and 2013, a total of 266 foreigners became Nigerians. In 2017, 335 people took up Nigerian citizenship.

“But last year, 286 foreigners and today at this ceremony, 385, making a total of 671 have acquired Nigerian citizenship.

“I am still not pleased with this figure. In Europe and America, thousands of foreigners are inducted into citizenship every year.

“They do this to attract youths and people in their prime who would like to contribute to the development of their countries.

“The bane of the smooth pathway to Nigerian citizenship however is the constitutional requirement of continuous residency in Nigeria for 15 years.”

This, he said, was a huge disincentive, considering that in the U.S. and most European countries, it is five years.

Mr Aregbesola added that some of these countries have made a habit of snatching young and resourceful brains, who after four years of schooling and working for just one year, through easy pathways, to obtain migration to their countries.

He, therefore, urged the relevant institutions of state to reconsider this in the next effort at amendment to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We ought to have easier pathways to citizenship for foreigners than currently obtains.

“Also, while the foreign wives of Nigerian men can automatically become citizens through registration, this same privilege is not available to foreign husbands of Nigerian women.

“This discrimination has robbed us of the gains we could have gotten from this category of foreigners, if there is a pathway for them through registration, as obtains for their opposite sex.”

According to him, the Interior Ministry has sought and got the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to execute new pathways to permanent residency for eligible foreign nationals.

Mr Aregbesola added that the ministry had been invested with the power to grant permanent residence to foreign nationals who had demonstrated exceptional talents, knowledge and skills in rare fields of Science, Technology and Medicine, among others.

He expressed optimism that such privilege would no doubt attract more people of talent and resources to the nation and give them the confidence and assurance to stay permanently in Nigeria.

The minister, however, congratulated the new Nigerians who have scaled the hurdle to proudly become Nigerians, adding that Nigerians are among the greatest people on the earth and well-revered across the globe.

He assured them that they would not regret the decision they have made to become Nigerians, reminding them, however, that every privilege goes with responsibility.

“You will be required to make the best contribution ever to Nigeria’s development in every area, including the defence of its territorial integrity if need be and promotion of the welfare of the people.”

He, however, welcomed them all to Nigerian citizenship.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, while conferring citizenship on them, urged them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria.

Politics

Nigerians should look at our investment profiles, not debt- President Buhari

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With less than 48 hours to his regime expiration, President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians to look at the investments done by his regime and not focus on the debt accumulated.

“In eight years, I am proud to say that we have doubled Nigeria’s stock of infrastructure to GDP from about 20% to over 40%, and that is no small undertaking,” Mr Buhari said in a series of tweets on Saturday.

“So, as we look at Nigeria’s debt profile, I urge us to also look at the assets and investment profiles, some of which was paid for by debt and some by investment income.”

Nigeria’s total debt profile stood at N12,118, 849.45 with the official exchange rate of $1 to N196, according to Debt Management Office (DMO).

With reckless borrowings of the Buhari regime in eight years, Nigeria’s debt profile hit N46 trillion and is estimated to hit N77 trillion, according to DMO.

Speaking on Mr Buhari’s borrowing spree, former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, whose administration got Nigeria’s debt cleared, wondered what the Buhari-led regime is borrowing for.

Mr Obasanjo condemned the continuous borrowing by the Mr Buhari regime, saying accumulating debt for future generations is “foolish” and “criminal.”

Lifestyle

Nigerians are united abroad but turn to something else at home – Obasanjo

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has shared one of his observations about Nigerians living in the country and abroad.

Obasanjo who spoke at a reception in the United States of America, stated that Nigerians in Diaspora are always united but turn to something else in their home country.

Speaking on behalf of a delegation of eminent traditional leaders and academics that included the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Oba (Prof.) Saka Adelola Matemilola, at an Evening Reception, held at New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, the former President said he was impressed by the unity exhibited among Nigerians in the North American country.

In the statement released by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi on Thursday, May 25, Obasanjo urged Nigerians to continue being good citizens of wherever they are domiciled.

He said;

“Nigerian nationals are often very united when they are abroad but something else when they return to the country, therefore, I want to urge all to be good citizens, not only where you are, but when also you come home to Nigeria.”

Politics

We borrowed for projects to create wealth – President Buhari

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President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his administration embarked on a borrowing spree for projects and to create wealth.

Reiterating that his focus on infrastructure was a deliberate action to create wealth and stem poverty, the Nigerian leader said the loans they sourced for were largely used to fund capital projects for the people’s benefit.

Buhari who spoke during the virtual inauguration of some landmark projects of his outgoing government insisted that his government was transparent, especially in the application of public funds.

“As we look at the debt profile, I urge us to also look at the assets and investment profiles, some of which were paid for by debt and some by investment income.

“In eight years, I am proud to say that we have doubled Nigeria’s stock of infrastructure to GDP (Gross Domestic Product) from about 20 per cent to over 40 per cent and that is no small undertaking.

“The projects that we hand over today (yesterday), apart from others, such as rail, sea and airports, a gas pipeline that had been previously completed, symbolise our country’s sharp focus on delivering prosperity.”

He jokingly added;

“If anybody with force moves, I have a good relationship with my neighbours. Niger Republic people will defend me.

Politics

I’m leaving Nigeria in competent hands – President Buhari

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President Buhari has said that he is happy that he will be leaving Nigeria in the competent hands of his successor, President-elect Bola Tinubu.

While speaking at a function in Lagos state on Monday, May 22, President Buhari said he is confident that Tinubu will “strengthen the framework of Nigeria’s public-private partnership policies to accelerate the pace of her economic growth and development.”

‘‘I am happy to leave our economy in very competent hands. I am confident that my successor, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will sustain the improvement in our economic and business environment,” Buhari said

Lifestyle, Politics

Peter Obi says Nigeria is gradually descending into anarchy

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Amid recent wanton killings in various states, including his home state Anambra, Peter Obi, a candidate in the last presidential poll, has warned about Nigeria’s “frightening gradual descent into anarchy.”

The opposition politician and former Anambra governor condemned the recent killings in Mangu LGA in Plateau, noting that “different reports of violent and criminal acts across the country have remained a source of serious worry to Nigerians.”

“The reports of violent attacks by gunmen in the Mangu council area of Plateau State, where many lives, including women and children, have been lost, come with grave concern,” he added.

While urging security agencies to tackle “incessant acts of killing, kidnapping, maiming and other acts of terrorism,” Mr Obi said, “I most sincerely urge the security agencies and the government to rise to the occasion of arresting this frightening gradual descent into anarchy.”

Peoples Gazette reported how gunmen on Tuesday laid an ambush on the diplomatic convoy conveying staff of the U.S. Embassy to Anambra on a humanitarian mission.

The Anambra police command revealed Thursday the gunmen killed nine people in the convoy.

In Plateau, a violent clash between Fungzai and Kubat in the newly created district of Bwai in the Mangu council left at least 60 people, including women and children, dead.

Lifestyle

Nigerians complain so much about public hospitals- Federal Government

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The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) has called for a desirable and quality health system in Nigeria, noting that citizens lodge an “avalanche” of complaints against public hospitals.

PCC made the call on Tuesday at a town hall meeting held at Ikeja.

In his address, the PCC chief commissioner, Abimbola Ayo-Yusuf, said;

“Nigeria government has been making tremendous attempts and consistently introduced various formative efforts over time to attain universal health coverage for all.”

Mr Ayo-Yusuf said the PCC received complaints about poor services every day.

“Due to the avalanche of unabated complaints being received on a daily basis, the Nigeria ombudsman is, therefore, critical and really concerned about the inherent fallout, particularly as it affects the end users of these basic health outlets and facilities,” stated the PCC chief.

He added,

“This is in a bid to ultimately instil corporate discipline in the operation of all sectors within the socio-economic and political landscape.”

Mr Ayo-Yusuf explained that the ombudsman decided to organise this event to collectively, clinically diagnose and access the performance index of NHIA given the reported complaints against many health service care provider sectors.

“The motive of the forum is to arrive at a holistic framework that shall guarantee everyone an improved quality health service delivery system that will be cost-effective and beneficial to all parties,” he noted.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2022, signed into law to repeal the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Act of 1999 and established the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

“The law makes it mandatory for all Nigerians and persons resident in Nigeria to be beneficiaries,” Mr Ayo-Yusuf added.

World News

160 women claiming to be Nigerians in Sudan without passports to fly back – Federal Government

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The Federal Government says 160 women claiming to be Nigerians in Sudan who are without passports, are to fly back to the country.

The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed disclosed this during a chat with newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, May 14, on the evacuation of Nigerians from war-torn Sudan.

Channels TV reports that Ahmed said the women claimed to be Nigerians but do not possess Nigerian passports to verify their claims. He said the agency is being careful not to evacuate persons who are not Nigerians.

It will be recalled that before the commencement of the evacuation exercise, the Nigerian Diaspora Commission had said there were about three million Nigerians in Sudan and a total of 5,000 students.

However, the NEMA boss said apart from the 2,518 Nigerians that have so far been evacuated and 15 flights operated so far, the citizenship of many of those claiming to be Nigerians cannot be verified.

He said some of them claimed their great-grandparents up to the fifth generation were Nigerians while they were born in Sudan but that remains unverified.

Ahmed disclosed how some desperate Sudanese tried to enter the vehicles that were meant to move Nigerians from Sudan to Egypt border.

Asked how much was expended to evacuate Nigerians from Sudan, Ahmed did not give the exact amount but he disclosed that Nigeria paid a total of $22,662 as exit fees at the point of moving the evacuees from Sudan and $62,950 dollars for entry visa into Egypt.

Meanwhile, NEMA said the door of opportunities is opened to any Nigerian with verified documents who is interested in returning to the country.

Among the 2,518 Nigerian returnees is a pregnant woman who was said to have given birth while waiting to be evacuated. Her child was the only infant among the evacuees.

The eight-day infant is currently being treated for jaundice at the University Of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada.

No Nigerian life was lost to the war in Sudan, according to NEMA.

However, a total of 23 sick evacuees were received, out of which 10 were treated on arrival by medics while 13 were referred to the 108 Nigerian Airforce Hospital, Abuja.

World News

Nigerian evacuees get N100,000 each, N25,000 recharge cards and 1.5 GB data

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The first batch of Nigerians fleeing the crisis in Sudan arrived in Nigeria on Wednesday, May 3, from Eygpt.

They arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at about 11.40 pm on Wednesday, May 3, with an estimate of 376 evacuees.

About 282 persons were conveyed by the Air Peace aircraft while the Nigeria Air Force evacuated 94 back to the country.

Upon their return, they received the sum of N100,000 each upon their return to the country. They were also given N25,000 worth of recharge cards and 1.5 Gigabytes of data.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Farouq, disclosed these at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Thursday morning, May 4.

She said,

“Today, we are very happy to receive them. They have gone through a very traumatic period but we give thanks to Almighty Allah that all of them are back safely. No life was lost which is the most important thing. All the efforts put in place were not in vain. I thank every member of the Committee that has put all efforts to ensure that these people are brought back safely and with dignity. We thank the transport companies for their support.

“There is N100,000 that would transport them back to their families which is supported by the Dangote Foundation by giving them the transportation fare as well as the dignity kits and also 25,000 recharge cards from MTN and 1.5 GB data courtesy of MTN. All efforts have been put in place and everyone has contributed to ensuring that at least these Nigerians have some comfort when they return home.”

The returnees were handed the N100,000 cash and the dignity kits at the airport after putting down their information.

Lifestyle

‘Naija Isn’t Safe’-Rapper Vic Odu After Being Robbed

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Rapper Victor Odu, popularly known as Vic O, has decried the insecurity in the country after he was robbed.

In a post on his Instagram page early Saturday, Vic O revealed that he was robbed and almost all his belongings were taken from him.

He wrote, “Damn. I just got robbed. They took almost everything from me. This Naija isn’t safe o.”

The rapper, however, did not give information on the location of the robbery attack.

World News

Nigeria records 55 million malaria cases annually – Federal Government

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The Federal Government has disclosed that an estimated 55 million cases of malaria and nearly 90,000 malaria deaths occur each year in Nigeria.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire disclosed this at a press briefing to commemorate the World Malaria Day, themed ‘Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement,’ with the slogan ‘Act now.’

Dr. Ehanire, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mamman Mamuda, said despite efforts by the government and its partners to combat the effects of malaria in the country, the country still accounts for 27 percent of global malaria cases and 32 percent of global malaria deaths.

“It is estimated that approximately 55 million cases of malaria and nearly 90,000 malaria deaths occur each year in our country.

“Malaria also has an adverse effect on the economy of our nation as it is the major cause of absenteeism in schools, offices, businesses, markets and thereby reducing the income of families, including the hardship of out-of-pocket expenses borne by Nigerians yearly for diagnosis and treatment.

The out-of-pocket expenditure for malaria is estimated to be 70 per cent and Nigerians pay as much as N2,280 on each malaria.

“The economic burden of malaria in Nigeria was estimated at $1.6b (N687bn) in 2022 and may increase to about $2.8bn (N2tn) in 2030.

Consequently, we must continue to fight to achieve zero malaria by 2030, in line with the World Health Organisation’s global technical strategy,” he said.

The government, however, calls for investment to defeat malaria and step up innovative strategies and impactful interventions.

Lifestyle

FG sends luxurious buses to evacuate stranded Nigerians in crisis-ridden Sudan

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The Federal government has sent out luxurious buses to carry Nigerian students stranded in Sudan to nearby borders in Egypt where they are expected to be flown back home.

There have been concerns about their safety since the Sudanese conflict broke out.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa who is the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission NIDCOM shared photos of the students on Twitter and stated that they were undergoing registrations and will be evacuated in no distant time.

‘’As our students in Sudan queued up orderly to board their buses to Egypt enroute to Nigeria, supervised by Nigerian mission officials in Sudan. Let’s remember them in our prayers as they journey home. War is a terrible thing !!” she said

World News

NLC tasks Buhari on safety of Nigerians in Sudan

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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the federal government to guarantee the safety of lives of Nigerians in the ongoing war in Sudan.

Joe Ajaero, NLC President, said this on Saturday in Abuja in a statement titled, “Nigerians in Sudan Should Not Die’’.

According to Mr Ajaero, “we have watched with increasing alarm and despair the unfolding tragedy in Sudan as a result of the ongoing war in that country.

“That is between two major factions of the Military; the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, and the Sudanese Army, commanded by Gen. Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, which has led to untold human carnage and destruction of properties of citizens of that nation.

“At this point, we are not specially concerned about the history and immediate causes of the war but are worried because many Nigerians have become unwitting victims of the war and are stranded in that country and unable to get out.

“They have cried out for help to escape the horrors which the war has continued to mete out to persons still trapped in Sudan,’’ he said.

He said that the NLC was worried that since the war broke out towards the end of last week, reports have said that the number of human casualties was horrendous and frightening.

He added this leaves every patriot anxious about the safety of our nationals in that country, especially that of our students.

According to Mr Ajaero, “we believe that it remains the responsibility of any government to ensure the safety of their nationals.”

He said this includes making sure that in the event of a war in foreign countries, their citizens are protected in whatever way possible.

He noted that this was one of the central reasons of governance: the safety of lives and properties.

Mr Ajaero added, “we are at a loss as to why the federal government of Nigeria finds it difficult to guarantee the safety of the lives of our citizens in that country.”

He said that this was beyond the tokenism effort at protection through an advisory to all Nigerians in that country to either seek refuge in Nigeria’s embassy in Khartoum or stay indoors which they believed was safer.

The NLC president also said the excuse that attempting to evacuate Nigerians through the Airport was risky begs the question and is unacceptable.

“We do not understand whether other possible options at evacuating our citizens have been explored before relapsing to this seeming helplessness and apparent abandonment of our citizens who are obviously in great distress and are afraid for their lives on a daily basis.

“It is trite diplomacy that in such a situation, serious governments will reach an understanding with the warring parties for the removal of their nationals from the theatre of war which drastically reduces the risk of loss of lives and that of the equipment used in such operations.

“If the airports are not safe as suggested by the government, can we not work out a safe-corridor to neighbouring countries to allow our citizens safe passage and evacuated through the various land borders,’’ he asked.

He also suggested that the government should work out an arrangement with the international community to create a safe haven for all foreign nationals in that country.

“Our concern is that while our government resorts to the usual lethargy and excuses, the lives of our nationals in Sudan already exposed to serious danger may begin to experience losses or injuries.

“We urge the federal government through the concerned agencies and ministries to take urgent steps to avoid death and injuries to our citizens in that country.

“Nigerians must not be allowed to die in Sudan because of negligence. No effort should be spared in ensuring their safety and ultimately evacuation to Nigeria if the war persists and escalates into a full-blown war.

“It remains the duty of the government and we urge the federal government to make this happen.

“As we await a quick and positive action towards evacuating our citizens, we would want measures to be put in place to make their lives comfortable on arrival, especially for those who own businesses in Sudan and have suffered loss of businesses as a result,’’ he said.

Mr Ajaero, however, commiserated with the people of Sudan, while calling for an immediate ceasefire to allow for a peaceful resolution of the issues in dispute that led to the war.

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