Monday, May 29, 2023 Edition

Mallam Muhammed Musa Bello,

Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Paullen Tallen with the Children as president hosts the

Day held at the State House Abuja.

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives on Sunday passed through Third Reading a bill seeking to extend the implementation of the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act of the Capital aspect from June 30, 2023, to December 31, 2023.

The bill which seeks to approve the sum of N819 billion for capital expenditure and related matters was considered at the Committee of Supply, thereby raising the budget deficit for 2022 to N8.17 trillion and deficit GDP ratio to 4.43 per cent.

The bill is expected to be transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent before the expiration of his tenure which ends at midnight.

Recall that the House had on the 28th March 2023 earlier approved the extension of the timeframe for the good governance of the nation and the benefit of Nigerians.

President Buhari had in a letter to the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, solicited for approval for the capital expenditure component of the 2022 budget to be financed through new domestic borrowings.

According to him, the additional became necessary due to the devastation caused by floods on farmlands and road infrastructure.

“The year 2022 has witnessed the worst flood incidents in recent history in the country which has caused massive destruction of farmlands at the point already close to the harvest season.

“This may compound the situation of food security and nutrition in this country.

“The flood also devastated the road infrastructure across the 36

2022 budget: Reps extend implementation of N819bn supplementary budget from June to December

states and the FCT and it affected several sections of major roads and bridges nationwide that are critical to movement of goods and services.

“The water sector was also affected by the flood and there is the need to complete some ongoing critical projects that have achieved about 85 per cent completion.

“The nine critical projects proposed in the water sector cuts across water supply, dam projects and irrigation projects nationwide.

“I have therefore approved the supplementary 2022 Appropriation of N819,000,536,937, all of which are capital expenditures.

“The supplementary would be financed through additional domestic borrowings and this would raise the budget deficit for 2022 to 8.17 trillion and deficit GDP ratio to 4.43 per cent,” President Buhari said in the letter

In the same vein, the House passed through Third Reading a Bill seeking to repeal the Produce (Enforcement of Export Standards) Act, 2004.

The bill also seeks to enact the Federal Produce Inspection Service (Enforcement of Export Standards) (Establishment) Bill, 2023 to provide for the Inspection and enforcement of Grades and Quality Standards of Produce and Commodities intended for Export from Nigeria at Ports of Shipment.

The bill was passed after the adoption of the recommendations at the Committee of the Whole,

chaired by the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

The House passed through Third Reading a Bill for an Act to amend the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 and for related matters at the Committee of the Whole.

Meanwhile, Chairman, House Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Sada Soli kicked against the rationale behind the

He said: “Mr Chairman, does it mean with this amendment that the CBN somehow advances to Government at 10% or is it a wakeup call that at the twilight of this government we are changing this from 5% to 15%?

“Can the Chairman, Banking and Currency kindly exchange this explanation not only to the National Assembly but to Nigerians.

“Does it mean the CBN granted this advances at 15% or what is going on?

“This is what we don’t know Chairman.

“I’m a member of the Committee on Banking and Currency. I didn’t know when this discussion took place.

“I can stand on privilege Order 6 to call for an explanation as a member of this Committee, how we reach at this amendment, please?”

In his response, Hon. Wase who presided over the Committee of the Whole said: “Hon. Sada the only explanation I may attempt to give if I listened to you very carefully is this, the Chair has the right to

commit after second reading any bill to the Committee of the Whole.

“It is there contained in our Standing Order. It depends on the importance and the exigency of the moment.

“And in light of this I want to beg our Colleagues to please consider this amendment and we pass it so that we have the right thing done,” he urged.

However, the House deferred the consideration of a bill seeking to repeal the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission Act, 2004 and enact the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission Bill to grant the Commission enforcement powers in the monitoring of accruals to and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account and to bring the Act in conformity with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The bill was transmitted to the Senate for concurrence and slated for consideration at the Committee of the Whole.

Meanwhile, a member of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Hon. Cook Olododo from Kwara State, formally announced his resolution to join All Progressives Congress (APC).

The notice was contained in a letter read by the Speaker on the floor of the House before adjourning plenary.

The House however adjourned plenary to Tuesday, 30th May, 2023.

Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya ( M) with his Deputy, Dr

before

Board approves 2022 promotion of senior officers

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Civil Defence Correctional Fire and Immigration Services, Board has approved the promotion of 8,365 Officers in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), 3,472 Ôfficers in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), 327 Officers in

the Federal Fire Service (FFS) and 5,167 Officers in the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Ja’afaru Ahmed, Secretary to the Board, who signed on behalf of the Chairman of the Board, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

It said the Chairman of

the board, disclosed this after the Board’s 03-23 mneeting which held on the Tuesday 23rd May, 2023 at the Board’s headquarters in Abuja.

“Aregbsola said that the approval was made taking cognizance of merit and performance of the Officers.

“The Chairman of the Board congratulated the newly

promoted Officers, adding that their promotion was a call for service to the Ministry of Interior, the Board, and their respective Services.

“He also urged them to work harder towards achieving mandates, visions of their respective Services and ensuring the internal security of the country,” the statement said.

Manassah Daniel Jatau ( 4th R)

Kaduna: Preparation in top gear for inauguration of Uba Sani

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Preparations for the successful take off of the incoming administration of Kaduna State Governor-Elect, Senator Uba Sani are in top gear as plans have reached top gear for the ceremony.

This is even as the governorelect himself is holding strategic meetings and consultations with professionals, technocrats, community and youth leaders to ensure that all sections of the state are carried along in the task of consolidating on his predecessor’s Mallam Nasir ElRufai achievements.

Uba Sani who received the transition committee report from Governor Nasir el-Rufai last week assured that he will study the reports and implement most of the recommendations.

He thanked Governor ElRufai for all his support and for pulling together all the people that can help his administration, promising to complete the projects that the governor stated.

Senator Uba Sani who commended members of the Transition Committee for doing a good job, also promised to deliver on all his campaign promises.

However the venue of the Inauguration the Popular Murtala Square is wearing a new face and works is going for last minute touch to make the venue conducive.

Security operatives in the state are also on top of their game to have a successful and peaceful inauguration.

The security team of the inauguration ceremony had an earlier advice trouble maker to stir clear of the venue.

However Kaduna residents who spoke to our correspondent are excited about the inauguration ceremony.

Mallam Isa Ahmed a resident of. Rgasa in Igabi LGA said would he is delighted to see Senator Uba Sani taking over from Mallam Nasir El-Rufai who has done tremendous works in the state especially in his urban renewal projects.

Similarly, Mrs Helean Audu of Kurmi Musa village in Jaba LGA said her prayer is for the incoming Governor is Godly wisdom and knowledge to continue where Mallam Nasir El-Rufai stopped especially securing the state.

Atiku on Children’s Day, bemoans scourge of out-of-school children

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has harped on the need to ensure a better future for the children.

Atiku specifically called on parents, guardians and all stakeholders in the project of ensuring a better future for the children to work in synergy and come up with specific

policy frameworks that will guarantee a fairer future for the children.

The former Vice President said in a press release by his media office on the occasion of the children day globally.

According to him, “the celebration of Children today is to give an opportunity for today’s leaders to build a brighter future for the society.”

Atiku remarked that while May 27 every year has been earmarked for the celebration of children, “our

world is still troubled with existential threats mitigating the possibility of a promising future for our children.”

The former Vice President, who congratulated children across the globe and in Nigeria especially over the celebration of Children Day this year, said, “our world is still troubled with existential threats mitigating the possibility of a promising future for our children.”

Continuing , he said, “in Nigeria, for instance, we continue to grapple with

the problem of out of school children and children being forced into child labour or, even, crime.

“Sadly, not much has gone into establishing a system of protection for children against these dangerous tendencies.

“Either at the governmental or civil society levels, our failures to build the wall that will shield our children from negative influences that can affect their future remains inexcusable,” the former Vice President noted.

Buhari hails Gov. Aminu Bello Masari on 73rd birthday

President Muhammadu Buhari has sent warm felicitations to Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State on his 73rd birthday, May 29, 2023, rejoicing with the astute political leader who takes a bow out of office, after historic two-terms of transformations.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu said President Buhari thanked the Governor for the support and loyalty enjoyed in the last eight years, stretching his network of political friends, within and outside the country, to provide a functional platform for the administration, and ensuring warm reception for the President and his team during visits to the state, especially in first quarter of 2023.

The President nnoted the remarkable achievements of Gov. Masari in the state in spite of the security challenges, completely changing the face of the city with roads and flyovers that have eased traffic, and upgrading many economic paths to tarred roads, while being mindful of the needs of the three senatorial zones, with priority on security, health and education, the statement said.

It added that President Buhari appreciated the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, whose legacy at the legislature remains indelible, exploring dialogue to deepen democracy and strengthen the unity of lawmakers, from 2003 to 2007 and using his vast experience in public service to encourage grassroots inclusion in shaping

policies, and sense ownership for development.

As the stalwart of All Progressives Congress (APC) and a former Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport hands over on Monday, the President believed his knowledge, wisdom and maturity will be an asset to the incoming administration and the new set

of political leaders, as he has provided visionary leadership at state and national levels, and understands peculiarities of the legislature and executive, according to the statement. President Buhari prayed for good health and strength for Governor Masari and his family, and more fruitful years of service to the nation, it noted.

Malnutrition: Group disseminates 2 books on complementary feeding

The Kaduna Emergency Nutrition Action Plan (KADENAP) on Thursday disseminated a recipe handbook in English and Hausa on complementary food to promote optimal feeding of children above six months of age.

The English version is entitled, “Production and Preparation of Complementary Food: A guide and Instructional Material for Healthcare Professionals, Caregivers, and the General Public in Kaduna state.

The Hausa version is titled, “Hanyoyin Sarafawa Da Hada Nau ‘o’ in Abinci Masu Kara Lafiya Don Baiwa Jarirai Daga Wata Shida Na Haihuwa.”

Chairperson of KADENAP, Hajiya Ummi El-Rufai, wife of Gov. Nasir El-Rufai, said at the presentation and dissemination event in Kaduna, that the books would go a long way in preventing child malnutrition.

Ummi, who was represented by the Mr Awwal Aziri, Project Manager, Impact Project, said that the handbook would serve as a guide especially to healthcare providers, caregivers, and mothers of malnourished children.

She added that the book was produced in English and Hausa with pictorial illustrations to reach wider audience with information on complementary food and how to prepare them for children from six month.

“As we know, Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) is a preventive approach which targets the nutrition of the child from conception to the child’s second birthday.

“This handbook is a complementary food guide and IYCF material that will help caregivers and mothers of malnourished children when feeding their children after completing the six month’s exclusive breastfeeding periods.

“I sincerely hope that this handbook will not be kept in our shelves, but will be used as an effective tool for sensitization, PHC food demonstration corners and the message will be spread to all nooks and crannies of Kaduna state and

beyond, until malnutrition becomes a thing of the past,” she said. She commended the LAFIYA Project that has supported the validation, production, and dissemination of the nutrition handbook.

She called on all stakeholders and development Partners, Civil Society groups, traditions, religious institutions, and the media to join hands to give the book the widest coverage it deserves.

Mr Umar Bambale, Project Manager, KADENAP, said that the books develop with the help of nutritionists from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Kaduna Polytechnic, was conceived by Ummi El-Rufai, in 2017.

L-R: The outgoing FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, Minister of State for FCT, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu and the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, during the official signing and presentation of Handover Notes, yesterday, in Abuja.

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

I’m leaving Nigeria better than I met it, Buhari declares

By Egena Sunday Ode

Outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari has declared that the Nigeria he would be leaving behind on Monday, after handing over the reins of government to Ahmed Bola Tinubu, is far better than what he met in 2015 when he assumed power. Buhari stated this in a farewell speech on Sunday to mark his exit from office after eight years as president.

“I am confident that I am leaving office with Nigeria better in 2023 than in 2015,” he said. Specifically, President Buhari said he was leaving behind a credible electoral process which guarantees that votes count, results are credible, elections are fair and transparent and the influence of money in politics reduced to the

barest minimum

“Fellow Nigerians, on the strength of your overwhelming support for me and my political party, I started this journey with a great deal of promise and expectation from you. I never intended to be just politically correct but to do the correct things that will make meaningful impact on the lives of the common Nigerian.

“This high expectation was not misplaced because, like the ordinary Nigerian, I had grown tired of watching the country progressively moving away from the path of correctness.

“To ensure that our democracy remains resilient and our elected representatives remain

accountable to the people, I am leaving behind an electoral process which guarantees that votes count, results are credible, elections are fair and transparent and the influence of money in politics reduced to the barest minimum. And Nigerians can elect leaders of their choice.

“We are already seeing the outcome of this process as it provided an even playing field where persons without any political God-Father or access to money defeated other well-resourced candidates.”

On the economic front, the outgoing President noted that the nation’s economy under his watch had become more resilient enabling the poor and the rural

dwellers to earn a leaving and supporting women and the youth to put their skill into productive use.

He said: “The Nigerian economy has become more resilient due to the various strategies put in place to ensure that our economy remained afloat during cases of global economic downturns.

“You would all recall the supply chain disruptions and economic downturn that the world witnessed between 2020 and 2022 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The deftness of our response to the pandemic still remains a global best practice.

“Furthermore, we increased the ability of the poor and rural Nigerians to earn a living, provided

more food for millions in our villages and gave our women opportunities to earn a living.

“Young men and women in urban centres were also supported to put their skills into productive use. Our administration also provided an enabling environment for the private sector to engage in businesses for which their return on investments is guaranteed.

“The private sector proved a strong partner in our drive to build a resilient and sustainable economy as evidenced by the growing number of turn-key projects in various sectors of the economy. “

Buhari also noted that his administration in the course of revamping the economy, made some difficult choices, most of which, according ro him, yielded the desired results.

He regretted, however, that some of the measures led to temporary pain and suffering for which he apologised, adding that the measures were taken for the over-all good of the country.

The outgoing President also stated that his adminstration had significantly addressed the precarious security situation in the country, saying that as he would be leaving office, banditry, terrorism and armed robbery among others had been dealt a devastating blow.

Chairman Lisa Suites, Arch. Barka Mshelia (L); Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (Rtd),(3rd L) and others during the grand opening and commissioning of Lisa Suites, at the Weekend in Abuja.

“Our battle to ensure that all Nigerians live in a safe and secure environment has achieved considerable results. As I complete my term in office, we have been able to reduce the incidences of banditry, terrorism, armed robbery and other criminal activities considerably,” he said.

On the fight against corruption, Buhari said: “you know how dear the desire in my heart is, to rid the country of corrupt practices that had consistently diminished our efforts to be a great country.

“I did pursue this commitment relentlessly, in spite of the expected push back. I am happy that considerable progress had been made in repatriating huge sums of money back to the country and also taken over properties illegally acquired from our common wealth.”

NDLEA intercepts explosives going to bandits

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

As the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, intensifies operations at drug joints and routes nationwide ahead of May 29 inauguration of new administrations across the country, its operatives have intercepted a consignment of 32 pieces of Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, being taken to bandits camp in Niger state.

NDLEA stated this in a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, adding that a Cameroonian was arrested in Nigerian military uniform:

Meanwhile, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has since ordered the immediate transfer of a suspect, Musa Muhammadu caught with the explosives on Monday 22nd May along Wawa road, Kainji, Niger state to the military.

“Barely a week after NDLEA operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the Murtala

Muhammed International Airport Ikeja Lagos intercepted a consignment of 30.10kg methamphetamine going to London, UK, another shipment containing 379grams of the same illicit substance concealed in false bottom of six black soap containers, packed in a carton containing local hand fans, heading to Cyprus in Europe, has been recovered at a courier company in Lagos by officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, in the Agency.

“In Adamawa state, operatives on stop and search patrol along MichikaBazza road on Friday 26th May arrested a Cameroonian, Ndawai Emma Ngalou with a pair of Nigerian Army camourflage uniform bearing Sunday U and two ATM cards belonging to Turaki Mohammed and Ekene Izuegunam.

“Two ladies: Bilkisu Yusuf, 33, and Kauna Katsina, 25, were on Monday 22nd

May arrested in Ningi town, Bauchi state with 11,080 pills of tramadol, while Uche Shadrach, 22, was arrested with 20,480 pills of the same pharmaceutical opioid on Wednesday 24th May along OkeneLokoja highway, Kogi state on his way from Onitsha, Anambra state to Minna, Niger state. “

In the same vein, the agency said two suspects: Surajo Adamu and Muhammad Ali were arrested on Friday 26th May with 379,200 tablets of Diazepam in Alimosho area of Lagos, while the MMIA Command of the Agency took custody of 22 cartons of Tramadol 225mg weighing 1,144.30 kg and 12 cartons of Tramadol 120mg with a total weight of 320kg, all containing 2, 317, 400 pills transferred to the Agency by the Airport Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, on Thursday 25th May.

“In Delta state, NDLEA operatives supported by men drawn from the Nigerian

Army, NSCDC and the Police on Wednesday 24th May raided the notorious Abbi town, Ndokwa West LGA where three suspects: Eunice Eneh, 52; Animan Ifeoma, 26, and Chuks Webema Dennis, 35, were arrested with a total of 343.9kg cannabis recovered from them.

“A similar mop up operation in Bayelsa has led to the arrest of a wanted suspect, Ozoemena Egbochue, 38, at the Swali market in Yenagoa on Monday 22nd May following the earlier arrest of his sales boy, Morgan Eredeowei with 11,748 pills of tramadol and diazepam.

“While commending the officers and men of the Agency across all Commands nationwide for their professionalism and synergy with other law enforcement agencies in the mop up operation, Marwa urged them to sustain the offensive action even after the Monday 29th May handover ceremonies.”

•Arrests Cameroonian in Nigerian military uniform

•Says he made difficult choices to revamp economy •pats self on the back over fight against corruption

Tinubu should tap from strength of Nigerian youth -AYCF

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The National President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum

(AYCF) Alhaji Yerima Shettima has called on President elect Ahmed Bola Tinubu to tap from the strength of the Northern youths in building a healthy and prosperous nation as he takes over the saddle of leadership of the country today.

He stated this while speaking to the media in Kaduna yesterday

Alhaji Yerima further advised the president Elect Tinubu, to be magnanimous in his administration by carrying everybody along and fulfilling his campaign promises, irrespective of religion, tribe, and political affiliation.

According to him Nigerian voters trusted him to lead them with the hope of a better Nigeria and appreciates his humility and maturity displayed before and after the Presidential Election.

“We urge him to keep to his promise to all sectors in the country; in terms of the spread of federal projects and to be prudent in assembling the team that will assist him in the task of seeing Nigeria through and out of its current limitations around security and the economy; and of leading our nation into a future in which we will live secure lives and pursue livelihoods in a united, strong, prosperous Nigeria whose resources will be protected by leaders,” he said.

“As a youth organisation in Northern Nigeria, we are calling on the President h, Bola Tinubu to consider appointing more youths into his Government starting from May 29th 2023.

“This should be so because the youths cannot continue to take the back seat after delivering before, during and after elections.

“It is no longer a news that youths of the country occupies a major part of the country’s population hence giving them a sense of belonging in the Government will make sense. We are really hoping for the best in this Government, “ he concluded.

Kano declares phone snatching as armed robbery

Kano state Security Council has declared phone snatching as an armed robbery and any individual or group caught in the act will be treated as such.

The outgoing commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Muhammad Garba disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen in Kano on Sunday.

He said the council, which was presided over by the

outgoing Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje during its valedictory session, noted that perpetration of the act in recent times had reached a worrisome proportion, calling for drastic measures to tackle it.

Garba also stated that the council had agreed to put in place a special squad within the security system to deal with the menace and other acts of criminality in the state.

The commissioner added that the council, while deliberating on the swearing in

of the new governor said that all necessary measures had been taken to ensure peaceful ceremonies.

He warned miscreants who might use the occasion to cause violence in the name of celebrations to refrain from such act.

“Destruction of properties belonging to the public, individual or the opposition will not be tolerated as adequate measures have been taken to deal with such act decisively,” the statement added.

He said during the meeting, Mr Ganduje reiterated the need for a smooth transition of power in the state, calling for peaceful ceremony.

“He thanked the security agencies in the state for all the cooperation extended to him throughout his tenure and urged them to maintain the tempo.

“The meeting was attended by virtually all the heads of the security agencies and other members of the council,” the statement concluded.

From Umar Dankano, Yola

The National Directorate of Employment,NDE, has commenced the disbursement of N2,480,000 loan facility to 74 beneficiaries in Adamawa state.

Director General of the Directorate, Mal. Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo charged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the monies with a view to developing their businesses and to reduce poverty in the societies.

Represented by the state Coordinator, Mal. Mohammad Jimada Ibrahim at the

ceremony in Yola Thursday, Fikpo said the orientation and loan disbursement was meant to support trainees of Start Your Business (SYOB) and Micro Enterprise Enhancement Scheme (MEES) schemes for development of their businesses.

Jimada urge the beneficiaries with the training gotten under the small scale enterprise department of the Directorate to ensure prudent financial management of the loan.

He explained that SYOB is a scheme under SSE to give beneficiaries the opportunity to identify business venture, business plan and how to run

it effectively while MEES is a scheme design for those (beneficiaries) with poor business background so as to improve their own ventures.

“The two schemes are designed to develop personal business enhancement for more development.

“ So, please use the loans judiciously with a view to grow your businesses for employment creation and reducing of poverty in the societies.

“Once more again, know that the money is a loan facility not a grant and is repayable at the stipulated duration”.Jimada added.

In their sperate addresses at the occasion,Head of departments for Small Scale Enterprise and Vocational Skills Development,Mrs Na’amar Jonah and Nuhu Bello charged the beneficiaries to apply the knowledge they acquired through various trainings from the Directorate positively. Our Correspondent reported that the 3 beneficiaries under SYOB category will process N500,000 loan facility while the 71 beneficiaries under MEES category will access N20,000 each with moratorium period of six (6) months repayable in 3 years respectively.

Ahmad Muhammad, Bauchi

Arewa Youths for the Sustenance of Democracy and Good Governance (AYSDGG) has explained that the senator-elect representing Imo West, Senator Osita Bonaventure Izunaso is the best to lead the 10th National

Assembly as Senate President. The group advised and pleaded with the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President elect Senator Kashim Shettima and the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdullahi Adamu to look for technocrat who has no any case or allegations of corruption, a true democract who

can unify the National Assembly National President of the group Alhaji Alhaji Salihu Magaji stated this when he addressed reporters at Hazibal Conference room recently in Bauchi.

He said “We have very great respect for the president-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his vice Senator Kashim Shettima, and we know as

people of integrity, they need a Senate and National Assembly leadership that will assist them to give optimum performance to the nation in order to leave a lasting legacy in nation building. Magaji said after examining the credentials of all the senatorselect eying the presidency and concluded that Izunaso ranked the best”

L-R: The Board Chairman, National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) Amb. Nimota Akanbi, the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy Prof.Isa lbrahim Pantami, the Ag Executive Secretary NSSEC. Alh lbrahim AbdulKareem during a courtesy visit to Communication and Digital Economy Ministry, recently in Abuja. Photo: NSSEC

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

From

NDE commences N2.4m loan disbursement to 74 beneficiaries in Adamawa

10 NASS: Arewa group says Izunaso is the best senate President for Nigeria

Jigawa children’s parliament calls for implementation of child protection law

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

The Jigawa state children’s parliament has called on the new incoming governor in the state to support full implementation of Jigawa child protection law.

The call was made by the speaker of the house Zulaihat Muhammad Waziri while briefing newsmen on the occasion of the 2023 Nigerian children’s day held at new Secretariat Dutse.

Honourable Zulaihat who announced this year’s theme as “proper parenting for value reorientation and national conciousness” said implementation of child protection law will help parents to properly guide their children and become responsible leaders in the future.

She said, most of the issues of immorality today has to do with a child’s upbringing and prevailing issues

of modern society today ranging from drug abuse, child rape, child abuse, and many more.

The speaker also called on all parents to train children on values of empathy, honesty, self-reliance, self-control, kindness, cooperation and motivation.

While speaking on government responsibilities on children, honourable Zulaihat said, government should put in place policies, programs activities, adequate resources and effective monitoring that will address multidimensional poverty, poor learning outcomes, incident of out of school children, low transition rates, low immunisation and birth registration coverage among others.

The parliament then called on new governor Alhaji Umar Namadi to build a smarter Jigawa that will work for present and future generation in the state.

Niger Governor-elect to surpass expectations

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Niger State Governor elect Umar Mohammed Bago, pledge to surpass the expectations of the people by raising the bar in governance.

Bago stated this at his inauguration lecture titled; Addressing the challenges of socio economic development at sub national level in Nigeria, held yesterday in Minna.

He stated that the lecture was apt and has provided inputs as well as a

NATIONAL TEACHERS’ INSTITUTE, KADUNA

KM 5 Kaduna-Zaria Road, Rigachukun, P.M.B. 2191, Kaduna State of Nigeria

INVITATION TO TENDER AND EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR YEAR 2023 CAPITAL / CONSTITUENCY AND SUSTANABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs) PROJECTS

1. INTRODUCTION

The National Teachers’ Institute, Kaduna is in the process of implementing the 2022 capital and Constituency projects as well as Teacher Training Programmes for Teachers in Primary and Junior Secondary School in 36 states and FCT with funds provided by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Support Intervention Project and Zonal Intervention Projects, Consequent upon the forgoing, interested competent and reputable companies with expertise in the relevant fields are hereby invited to submit tender for its Invitation to Tender Notice (ITN) in the following;

2. SCOPE: 2023 CAPITAL PROJECTS

CATEGORY A: WORKS

LOT 1 (ZIP) CONSTRUCTION/FURNISHING OF LECTURE HALL IN NTI OFFICE, KANO STATE Lot 1 Purchase and Delivery of Vehicles

Lot 2 Purchase of Laboratory Equipment

CATEGORY B: GOODS

LOT 2 CONSTRUCTION OF SOLAR STREETLIGHTS IN MONGUNO/MARTE/NGANZAI, BORNO STATE

Lot 3 Construction of 5 units of 3 Bedrooms Flat for Staff

CATEGORY C: CONSULTANCY SERVICES (EXPRESSION OF INTEREST)

LOT 3: Training of Teachers Event Managers;

LOT 3A RETRAINING WORKSHOP OF PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS TEACHERS ON INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING: EVENT MANAGERS NORTH CENTRAL ZONE

LOT 3B RETRAINING WORKSHOP OF PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS TEACHERS ON INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING; EVENT MANAGERS NORTH WEST ZONE

LOT 3C RETRAINING WORKSHOP OF PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS TEACHERS ON INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING; EVENT MANAGERS NORTH EAST ZONE

foundation for a ‘Renew Niger’ and hope for the state, hence called for advice, counselling for a successful administration.

The Niger state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello called for transparency of accountability to gain the confidence of the people and getting a formidable team for good governance. He lamented over lack of capacity on the part of MDAs who are to implement his policy and programmes to succeed as required.

African libration week: Group calls for removal of border obstacles in Africa

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

Aplatform of patriots popularly known as ‘Save Nigeria Now’ called for the removal of border obstacles for healthy business environment in Africa.

The call was made by the coordinator of Save Nigeria Now Comrade Maryam

Ibrahim, while briefing newsmen during a one day workshop to celebrate African libration week in Jigawa state.

She explained that, the 2023 African Liberation week campaign is on borderless Africa, organized by Save Nigeria now in collaboration with Jigawa State ministry of Commerce with supported from Africans Rising.

Niger Gov. says MDAs lack capacity to implement policies, programmes

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Niger state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has lamented that the state MDAs lack the capacity to implement government policy and programmes as required.

Governor Bello made the revelation at the inauguration lecture titled; ‘Addressing the challenges of socio economic development at sub national level of Nigeria’ held in Minna.

He charged on the need for the

incoming government to ensure the building the capacity of the civil servants and political appointees to be on same page.

Bello challenged the incoming Governor on transparency of accountability to gain the confidence of the people and getting a formidable team for good governance.

The governor also implored Bago to select people with good character for his team as Commissioners and other appointees to form a formidable team.

LOT 3D RETRAINING WORKSHOP OF PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS TEACHERS ON INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING; EVENT MANAGERS SOUTH WEST ZONE

LOT 3E RETRAINING WORKSHOP OF PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS TEACHERS ON INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING; EVENT MANAGERS SOUTH SOUTH ZONE

LOT 3F RETRAINING WORKSHOP OF PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS TEACHERS ON INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING; EVENT MANAGERS SOUTH EAST ZONE

LOT 3G EVENT MANAGEMENT: FOR TRAINING AND RE-TRAINING OF PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN THE 6 GEO-POLITICAL ZONES.

LOT 4 TRAINING OF YOUTH AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN SOUTH WEST GEOPOLITICAL ZONE

LOT 5 TRAINING ON ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTATION FOR TEACHERS AND YOUTH IN 3 LGA OF BORNO NORTH, BORNO STATE.

LOT 6 (ZIP) TRAINING ON ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTATION FOR TEACHERS AND YOUTH IN 2 LGA OF BORNO NORTH, BORNO STATE.

3. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Interested firms should submit their EOIs/bids along with the documents mentioned hereinafter in a sealed envelope to the address indicated below. Failure to submit any of the under listed documents shall lead to the disqualification of the EOI/bid:

a. Evidence of Certificate of Incorporation issued by Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) including Form CAC1.1 or CAC2 and CAC7. Business Name is also acceptable in case of Services;

b. Evidence of Company’s Income Tax Clearance Certificate (or Personal Income Tax Clearance Certificates of all the Partners in case of Business Name) for the last three (3) years valid till 31stDecember, 2023;

c. Evidence of Pension Clearance Certificate valid till 31st December, 2023 (this requirement is only applicable to bidders whose number of staff is 15 and above);

d. Evidence of Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Compliance Certificate valid till 31st December, 2023 (this requirement is only applicable to bidders whose number of staff is 5 and above or the bidder’s annual turnover is N50m and above);

e. Evidence of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Clearance Certificate valid till 31st December, 2023;

f. Evidence of Registration on the National Database of Federal Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers by submission of Interim Registration Report (IRR) expiring on 31st December, 2023 or valid Certificate issued by BPP.

g. Sworn Affidavit: - disclosing whether or not any officer of the relevant committees of the National Teachers’ Institute, Kaduna or the Bureau of Public Procurement is a former or present Director, shareholder or has any pecuniary interest in the bidder and to confirm that all information presented in its bid are true and correct in all particulars;

- that no Director has been convicted in any Country for any criminal offence relating to fraud or financial impropriety or criminal misrepresentation or falsification

of facts relating to any matter;

- that the Company is not in receivership, the subject of any form of insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings or the subject of any form of winding up petition or proceedings;

- That the company does not have existing loan or financial liability with a bank, other financial institution or third party that is classified as doubtful, non-performance, bad or whose repayment portion has been outstanding for the last four (4) months;

h. Company’s Audited Accounts for the last three (3) years –2020, 2021 & 2022;

i. Reference Letter from a reputable Commercial Bank in Nigeria, indicating willingness to provide credit facility for the execution of the project when needed;

j. Company’s Profile with the Curriculum Vitae of Key Staff to be deployed for the project, including copies of their Academic/Professional qualifications such as COREN, QSRBN, ARCON, CORBON, CMD etc.;

k. Verifiable documentary evidence of at least three (3) similar jobs executed in the last five (5) years including Letters of Awards, Valuation Certificates, Job Completion Certificates and Photographs of the projects;

l. Category A: List of Plants/Equipment with proof of Ownership/Lease Agreement;

m. Lots 3 to 6: Evidence of past experience in implementing development workshops at State or National level

n. Services: Evidence of Firm’s current registration with relevant regulatory professional body(ies) such as accreditation by Centre for Management Development (CMD) for Training;

o. Electricity Jobs: Evidence of current Licence issued by Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA); p. All documents for submission must be transmitted with a Covering/Forwarding letter under the Company/Firm’s Letter Head Paper bearing amongst others, the Registration Number (RC) as issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Contact Address, Telephone Number (preferably GSM No. (WhatsApp)), and e-mail address. The Letterhead Paper must bear the Names and Nationalities of the Directors of the Company at the bottom of the page, duly signed by the authorised officer of the firm.

4. COLLECTION OF BID DOCUMENT (CATEGORY A – B)

Interested and eligible bidders may obtain further information and collect bidding documents from the procurement unit between 9:00am to 4:00pm (Mondays to Fridays) upon submission of evidence of payment of a non-refundable tender fee of N10,000.00 only for each LOT to the National Teachers’ Institute, NTI Treasury Single Account (TSA) using Remita platform to any bank and present the REMITA Retrieval Reference RRR and Bank teller receipts to Office No: DR 10, Directorate Department, National Teachers’ Institute, (NTI) Headquarters KM 5 KadunaZaria Road, Kaduna. Consultants interested in Category C are not expected to pay at this stage until after EOI short-listing.

5. SUBMISSION OF TENDER DOCUMENTS (CATEGORY A – B)

Completed Technical and financial bids shall be submitted in two separate envelopes, clearly tape sealed and clearly marked “Technical Bids for Lot Number and Financial Bid for Lot Number Inserted in a bigger 3” envelope. The Project titles, Lot number and contractor’s name must be clearly written on top of each envelope. Bids shall be addressed to the Director-General and Chief Executive, National Teachers’ Institute, (NTI) KM 5 KadunaZaria Road, Rigachikun, P.M.B. 2191, Kaduna. Between the hours of 10:00am and 4:00pm, Mondays to Fridays. The bids should be dropped in the Tender Box at the Procurement Unit, Office No: DR 10, Directorate Department, National Teachers’ Institute, (NTI) Headquarters KM 5 Kaduna-Zaria Road, Kaduna, not later than 12:00 noon on Wednesday, 21st June, 2023. Bidders are to ensure that they also sign the Submission Register in the Procurement Unit.

6. SUBMISSION OF EOI DOCUMENTS (CATEGORY C)

Interested firms are to submit two (2) bound of Expression of Interest (EoI) documents separated by dividers and arranged as indicated above. The documents should be submitted in a sealed envelope and addressed to Director-General and Chief Executive, National Teachers’ Institute, (NTI) KM 5 Kaduna-Zaria Road, Rigachikun, P.M.B. 2191, Kaduna; between the hours of 10:00am and 4:00pm, Mondays to Fridays. The EOIs should be dropped in the Tender Box at the Procurement Unit, Office No: DR 10, Directorate Department, National Teachers’ Institute, (NTI) Headquarters KM 5 Kaduna-Zaria Road, Kaduna, not later than 12:00 noon on Tuesday, 13th June, 2023. Bidders are to ensure that they also sign the Submission Register in the Procurement Unit.

7. OPENING OF EOIs & TECHNICAL BIDS

The EOIs and Technical Bids will be opened immediately after the deadlines for submission at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, 13th June, 2023. and 12:00 noon on Wednesday, 21st June, 2023, respectively, in the SMASE Complex Building, of National Teachers’ Institute, (NTI) headquarters Kaduna; in the presence of bidders and their representatives.

8. IMPORTANT INFORMATION

i. Bidders should not bid for more than Two (2) Lots;

ii. Email and WhatsApp GSM no will be used as a means of communication.

iii. Category A-B: Only pre-qualified bidders at technical evaluation will be invited at a later date for financial bids opening, while the financial bids of un-successful bidders will be returned un-opened;

iv. Category C: Only shortlisted firms will be invited at a later date for collection of Request for Proposals;

v. Late submission will be returned un-opened

vi. Failure to comply with the instruction(s) and non-provision of any required documents shall automatically result in disqualification.

vii. This advertisement shall not be construed to be a commitment on the part of NTI nor shall it entitle the bidding companies to any claim whatsoever and/ or seek indemnity from NTI by virtue of such company having responded to the advertisement;

viii. The NTI, Kaduna is not bound to pre-qualify/shortlist any bidder and reserves the right to annul the Procurement process at any time without incurring any liabilities in accordance with Section 28 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

Signed: Management

Tinubu will stimulate investment opportunities for youths —COPIN, SESGP

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Two Civil Society Organisations, Coalition for Peace in Nigeria (COPIN) and South East Support Group (SESGP), said they are convinced that Tinubu will stimulate manufacturing, necessitating investment opportunities for productivity and growth.

The CSOs stated this on Thursday in Abuja.

Ohaegbulam Chibuike Barnabas Coordinator, SESGP, said Tinubu’s emergence as president elect was greeted by agitations in some quarters for the establishment of an illegal contraption called “interim government”.

He said the promoters of this provocative idea had tried to instigate violent protests in major parts of the country, to achieve their objectives.

“As expected, our military, security and intelligence community rose to the occasion, by detecting and containing all possible threats to successful inauguration.”

Also speaking, Akwuobi Emeka, National Coordinator, said the South East Support Group, and the Coalition for Peace In Nigeria, has declared total and unequivocal support for the President-elect, Senator Tinubu.

“Our position is informed by his trajectory as a former Senator, NADECO leader, Governor of Lagos State, and statesman.

“We have no doubt that the much-anticipated Bola Tinubu Presidency will usher in ‘renewed hope’, build a Nigeria, especially for youths, where sufficient jobs with decent wages, will be created.”

On his part, Leny Nduka, State Cordinator, COPIN, called on all aggrieved parties to toe the path of peace, bearing in mind the fact that Nigeria, as a constitutional democracy, is greater than individual ambitions.

“To achieve whatever goals, therefore, we must, first, ensure a safe and conducive environment, where rule of law and due process, not Hobbesian state, guarantees collective existence.

“Finally, we make bold to say that the May 29 inauguration of our amiable President-elect is, to

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN and Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo attend the 2023 Inauguration InterDenominational Church Service at the National Christian Centre, yesterday in Abuja Abuja.

Nigeria’ll take her rightful place under Tinubu — CSOs

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Acoalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) has expressed confidence in the capacity of the incoming Administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to redirect the country on the path of unity, progress and development.

The nation is set to witness a successful transition of power to His Excellency, Tinubu, after the expiration of the two-term constitutionally-allowed tenures of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Operating under the auspices of Coalition for Peace In Nigeria (COPIN), and The Iconoclast Platform, the coalition wished the incoming President a successful execution of his Renewed Hope

Agenda, which is expected to find expression in national unity, peace, good governance and general order.

Amidst the agitations arising from the February 25 Presidential election, the coalition has called on the general public to support and cooperate with the incoming administration, insisting that the task ahead is onerous.

In a joint statement signed on Sunday by Pharm. Emeka Akwuobi (National Coordinator, COPIN), Hajiya Fatih Yakub (National Secretary, COPIN), as well as Dr. Mayago Mayago, National Secretary of Iconoclast –the Groups expressed confidence in the capacity of Tinubu to usher in ‘renewed hope’, build a Nigeria, especially for youths, where

sufficient jobs with decent wages, will be created.

To fast-track this, however, the coalition made a strong case for a whole-of-society approach, even as they charged the incoming President to initiate a genuine healing and reconciliation process,

“We join millions of Nigerians and the global community to congratulate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as he assumes power tomorrow as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“As a patriotic, nonpartisan coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs), we have absolute confidence that the incoming President’s Renewed Hope Agenda will restore Nigeria’s rightful place in the comity of

nation’s.

“Under Tinubu, we see a new Nigeria of possibilities, growth stimulation, industrial revolution, youth employment, poverty alleviation, justice and equity, among others.

“It is time to bury the hatchet, in the interest of national unity, progress and development.

“On this note, we plead with all aggrieved parties sheath their swords, and join hands with Tinubu, in the quest to make Nigeria great again”, the statement read in part.

While noting that politicians have a right to ventilate their grievances, the coalition, however, argued that the interest of the nation must supercede individual ambitions at all times.

African Day: Group launches Social Enterprise on Africa story telling

By Maryam Abeeb

In celebrating 2023 Africa day, a group known as Africa Thru My Eyes, ATME has launched a social enterprise to tell the African story to the World.

The Founder and President of ATME, Dr. Naomi Osemedua while presenting the documentary at the launching which was held in Abuja, explained that ATME is a social enterprise that is aimed to unite Africa through the power of her unique stories.

She noted that sharing stories from different parts of Africa is sure to foster greater understanding and a stronger sense of pride of identity, empathy and appreciation for the continent’s rich cultural diversity.

She added that ATME is committed to the promotion of the many positive narrative of Africa

and dispelling the stereotypes that often dominate mainstream media globally.

According to her, the story telling is also aimed at talking about the food, the culture, the fashion, the music , the nightlife and everything else that Africa represents.

“Africa is beautiful, and we need the world to know. And so today, it is a dream come true that we are officially launching the social enterprise Africa through my eyes and you might wonder why my eyes because I believe we all see differently. If I had to place an object here, and I asked multiple people to share what they see it will amaze you how we’re all looking at one object but yet there’s so much diversity in how we see the object and that is what we plan to do with Africa through my eyes.

“We want to see Africa not just through our eyes as an organization, but through your eyes. And even as a diplomat here in Nigeria, we want to know what Africa looks like through your eyes. Because at the end of the day, it’s the stories we all tell. Someone once said, it’s really not just about sitting back and doing nothing. Because if you do not tell your story yourself, you put the power in the hands of the person who is telling the story on your behalf.

“And so what we’re doing through this social enterprise is taking that power to say, we are here. We’re Africans, and those of course, who also love Africa. And we’re taking back ownership and we want to tell our stories. So whether you’re a visitor, thank you. So whether you’re here only visiting, or you’re here permanently for me here, Nigeria,

the continent of Africa is my home. I live here, and I’m happy to be here. And I am proudly Nigerian. I am proudly African,” she stated.

Further speaking, she disclosed that the first phase of initiative of the team is to launch the ATME story telling academy with 1000 young Africans.

Dr Osemedua added that 20 story tellers will be selected from each country in Africa.

She assured that in the next 5 years, there will be an army of story tellers across the continent.

The Special Assistant to the High Commissioner, Sierra Leone, Henry Liege in an interview with pressmen at the event, commended the initiative of telling the Africa stories in a unique way.

He said that there is need to let the World know and understand the value of unity and diversity of Africa.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Action Alliance urges Tinubu to be fair administration approaches

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

As Bola Ahmed Tinubu takes over the saddle of leadership in the country, Action Alliance (AA) party has appealed to him to be fair in his administration approaches.

The National Chairman of the party, Dr Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje, in a statement made available to the media in Kaduna yesterday stated that the party has confidence and trust in Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s competence as regards resolving issues confronting the nation currently, saying that the party suggests aspects of the nationhood that require his immediate technocratic intervention.

Dr. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje advised him to look into reorganizing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in such a way that only lawyers shall be appointed as its chairman.

According to the party chairman, the measure would reduce incidences of disregard to rules and judgements of

courts with impunity as being witnessed in the regime of the current chairman.

The party admonished the new President to think of policies that would re-strengthen the unity fabric of Nigeria, noting that the country Nigeria has never been this resenting across fault lines as is currently presenting.

The party Chairman reenacted that the diversity of Nigeria should be for strength, working for its development and not for enmity.

He assured the new President of the party’s support and cooperation and urged Tinubu to be open and all inclusive minded in his bid to build his cabinet for superlative result.

The party further stressed that there was nothing better than choosing professionals to head ministries and parastatals according to their areas of discipline by competence.

He prayed for the new President divine wisdom, the chairman preached forgiveness as a very strong tool for speedy recovery of the nationhood brotherliness.

Crime control: AIG lauds Kaduna Police Command

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 14, Ahmad Abdurrahaman has commended the Kaduna State Police Command for recent feats achieved in crime control in the state.

He asserted this when he paid a familiarisation and working visit to the Kaduna State Police Command, yesterday.

AIG Abdurrahaman however, charged the CP to intensify intelligence gathering ahead of the May 29 handing over ceremony in the state

CP M.Y. Garba told his visitor that the command is appreciative of the support being received from the AIG Zone 14.

The CP used the opportunity to warn trouble makers that the command is ready to deal decisively with anyone who attempt to disrupt the relative peace currently enjoyed by the state.

FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, AZARE

KM3. Azare-Potiskum Road, P.M.B. 45, Azare Bauchi State.

29th May, 2023

INVITATION TO TENDER/EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR YEAR 2023 CAPITAL PROJECT

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare in compliance with the requirements of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and other extant government regulations, intends to undertake the procurement of Goods, works and Services for the implementation of YEAR 2023 CAPITAL PROJECTS. Competent and experienced Contractors, Suppliers and Services Providers with track record of prompt delivery of similar projects are hereby invited to submit their bids and Expression of Interest for the following projects below:

2.0 SCOPE OF PROJECTS: CATEGORY A: GOODS

Ownership/Lease Agreement;

m. Lot 1: Only Companies included in the National Automotive Design and Development Council’s approved list of local manufacturers of vehicles or their authorised representatives should bid for the Vehicles;

n. Lot 2: Letter of Authorisation from the Original Equipment Manufacturers listed in the Approved Policy for Procurement of Health and Medical Equipment for Tertiary Hospitals in Nigeria;

o. Lot 4: Evidence of Firm’s current registration with the relevant regulatory professional body(ies) such as COREN, QSRBN, ARCON, CORBON etc.;

p. For Joint Venture/Partnership, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) should be provided (CAC, Tax Clearance Certificate, Pension Clearance Certificate, ITF Compliance Certificate, NSITF Clearance Certificate, IRR & Sworn Affidavit are compulsory for each JV partner)

CATEGORY B: WORKS

q. All documents for submission must be transmitted with a Covering/Forwarding letter under the Company/ Firm’s Letter Head Paper bearing amongst others, the Registration Number (RC) as issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Contact Address, Telephone Number (preferably GSM No.), and e-mail address. The Letterhead Paper must bear the Names and Nationalities of the Directors of the Company at the bottom of the page, duly signed by the authorised officer of the firm.

4.0 COLLECTION OF TENDER DOCUMENTS (GOODS AND WORKS)

CATEGORY C: CONSULTANCY

It informed that during the visit, he was warmly received by the Commissioner of Police Kaduna State Command, CP M.Y. Garba, accompanied by other senior police officers in the command.

“During the visit, the AIG commended the Kaduna State Police Command for recent feats achieved in crime control in the state.

“He charged the CP to intensify intelligence gathering ahead of the May 29 handing over ceremony in the state,” the statement said.

According to the statement, in his welcome address, CP M.Y. Garba told his visitor that the command is appreciative of the support being received from the AIG Zone 14.

The CP used the opportunity to warn trouble makers that the command is ready to deal decisively with anyone who attempt to disrupt the relative peace currently enjoyed by the state.

Chinese Govt in talks with Niger state to avert litigation

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

The Chinese Government is in talks with Niger State Government to avert possible litigation over activities of illegal mining perpetrated by some of its expatriates companies across the state, and especially at Zuma Rock.

At the end of the meeting, the Governor-elect, Umar Mohammed Bago, who spoke on behalf of the state government, disclosed that the Chinese delegation, led by the country’s Ambassador to Nigeria, is in the state to discuss ways to ‘settle out of Court’.

He said activities of the Chinese illegal mining companies have caused inestimable damage to Nigeria’s National monument at Zuma Rock and directly affecting the host communities

in the area.

The Governor-elect noted that, although the Chinese government has been a mutually beneficial partners, the state government could not fold its arms and watch helplessly as it’s resources are being depleted albeit illegally and environmentally degraded perpetually.

Earlier, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. CUI Jianchun said he was in the state to jointly discuss with the state government on how to curb and resolve the issue of illegal mining by some Chinese companies and strengthen their bilateral relationship.

The Chinese Ambassador disclosed that the two sides have agreed to broaden economic ties hoping that, after inauguration of the new administration, it would open more frontiers for business and development partnership.

3.0 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

a. Evidence of Certificate of Incorporation issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) including Form CAC1.1 or CAC2 and CAC7. Business Name with Form BN1 is also acceptable for Services

b. Evidence of Company’s Income Tax Clearance Certificate (or Personal Income Tax Clearance Certificates of all the Partners in case of Business Name) for the last three (3) years valid till 31st December, 2023;

c. Evidence of Pension Clearance Certificate valid till 31st December, 2023 (this requirement is only applicable to bidders whose number of staff is 15 and above);

d. Evidence of Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Compliance Certificate valid till 31st December, 2023 (this requirement is only applicable to bidders whose number of staff is 5 and above or the bidder’s annual turnover is N50m and above);

e. Evidence of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Clearance Certificate valid till 31st December, 2023;

f. Evidence of Registration on the National Database of Federal Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers by submission of Interim Registration Report (IRR) expiring on 31/12/2023 or valid Certificate issued by BPP.

g. Sworn Affidavit:

- disclosing whether or not any officer of the relevant committees of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare or the Bureau of Public Procurement is a former or present Director, shareholder or has any pecuniary interest in the bidder and to confirm that all information presented in its bid are true and correct in all particulars;

- that no Director has been convicted in any Country for any criminal offence relating to fraud or financial impropriety or criminal misrepresentation or falsification of facts relating to any matter;

- that the Company is not in receivership, the subject of any form of insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings or the subject of any form of winding up petition or proceedings;

h. Company’s Audited Accounts for the last three (3) years - 2020, 2021 & 2022;

i. Reference Letter from a reputable Commercial Bank in Nigeria, indicating willingness to provide credit facility for the execution of the project when needed;

j. Company’s Profile with the Curriculum Vitae of Key Staff to be deployed for the project, including copies of their Academic/Professional qualifications such as COREN, QSRBN, ARCON, CORBON etc.;

k. Verifiable documentary evidence of at least three (3) similar jobs (in size, nature & complexity) executed in the last five (5) years including Letters of Awards, Valuation Certificates, Job Completion Certificates and Photographs of the projects;

l. Lot 3: List of Plants/Equipment with proof of

Tender documents are to be obtained from office of the Head of Procurement Unit, Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, Bauchi State. Completed tenders are to be returned along with evidence of payment of a non-refundable Tender fee of Ten Thousand (N10,000.00) Naira only payable to Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare through the CBN e-payment platform (REMITA) in any reputable Commercial Bank in Nigeria.

5.0 SUBMISSION OF TENDER DOCUMENTS (GOODS AND WORKS)

Prospective bidders are to Submit both Technical and Financial Bid documents (1 original and a photocopy) to be submitted in separate sealed envelope and clearly marked as “Technical Bid” or “Financial Bid” respectively Thereafter, the two sealed envelopes should be inserted together in a bigger sealed envelope and addressed to the Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, Bauchi State and clearly marked with the name of the project and lot number.

Furthermore, the reverse side of each sealed envelope should have the name and address of the bidder. The sealed tampered envelope should be dropped in the designated Tender Box located at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare Conference Room not later than 12:00 noon on Tuesday, 27th June, 2023. Bidders are to sign the bid submission register in the office of the Head of Procurement FUHSA, as the university will not be held liable for wrongly submitted bids.

6.0 SUBMISSION OF EXPRESSION OF INTEREST(EOI)

Interested firms are to submit two (2) bound of Expression of Interest (EoI) documents separated by dividers and well arranged. The documents should be submitted in a sealed envelopes and addressed to the Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, Bauchi State and clearly marked with the name of the project and lot number. Similarly, the other side of the envelope should have the name and address of the bidder and the submission should be not later than 12:00 Noon, Tuesday, 13th June, 2023 at Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare Board Room

7.0 OPENING OF EOI AND TECHNICAL BIDS

The EOI and the Technical Bids will be publicly opened immediately after the deadlines for submission at 12:00 Noon, Tuesday, 13th June, 2023 and 12:00 noon on Tuesday, 27th June, 2023, respectively, at the Conference Room, Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, Bauchi State. Bidders, Civil Society Organizations and interested members of the general public are hereby invited.

8.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

a. Bids must be in English Language and signed by an official authorised by the bidder;

b. Bids submitted after the deadline for submission would be returned un-opened

c. Bidders should not bid for more than (2) Lots. Contravention is automatic dis-qualification

d. Goods & Works: Only the Pre-qualified bidders at technical evaluation will be invited at a later date for financial bid opening, while the financial bids of unsuccessful bidders will be returned un-opened.

e. Services: Only shortlisted Consultants will be invited at a later date for collection of Request for Proposals;

f. All costs will be borne by the Bidders.

g. The Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, is not bound to pre-qualify/shortlist any bidder and reserves the right to annul the Procurement process at any time without incurring any liabilities in accordance with section 28 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007. Signed:

Performances: Ministers of transportation leave office in high spirits

By Albert Akota

The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo and the Minister of State, Prince Ademola Adegoroye at the weekend in Abuja bid farewell to the ministry after spending 10 months in office with good performances.

Speaking at the valedictory session held in their honor, Sambo said that the Ministry has been a wonderful place to work also difficult because the ministry has many agencies under it.

He noted time spent was impactful, productive, commitment and exemplary leadership that enable him meet his target for the betterment of the nation.

Sambo revealed that an aspect of the Ministry he is very passionate about was the Inland Waterways that Nigeria need to engage.

“I am so passionate about Inland Waterways and I know what it means to have effective Inland Waterways Transportation, it is the cheapest way of moving large goods. God did not bless Nigeria with 850 kilometers of coastline and about 10,000 kilometers of navigable waterways for nothing.

“God also blessed us with fertile land, large deposits of minerals including crude oil. We have one of the largest deposits of gold in the world. This country has something it is not tapping”, he said.

Speaking earlier, Minister of State, Adegoroye, pointed out that their tenure was a bit short, but thanked God for the opportunity to have served.

“It has been a wonderful 10 months and if I leave today it is with mixed feelings but, I’m happy that our assignment has been completed”, he said.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mrs. Magdalene Ajani said that the Ministers were outstanding because they came into office and hit the ground running with accelerated speed in achieving the low hanging fruit.

She lauded them for their efforts in pushing the ministry forward, adding that they have shown leadership in diversity.

She lauded them for their efforts in pushing the ministry forward, adding thn diversity.

World Menstrual Hygiene Day: Firm launches game to destigmatize menstruation

By Maryam Abeeb

Afirm known as of Bambini games, a subsidiary of Bambini Africa, has launched an innovation board game, “GO FLOW” to create awareness and foster positive conversations about menstruation.

The game was launched ahead of the commemoration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2023.

The founder of Bambini Africa, Raquel Daniel in a chat with pressmen in Abuja, explained that the groundbreaking board game is set to revolutionize the way

girls perceive and approach menstruation.

According to her, the game known as “ GO FLOW” a Girl’s Guide to Menstruation” is also aim in challenging misconceptions and dispelling misinformation surrounding menstruation.

“GO FLOW is a fun and interactive game that provides girls with essential knowledge about menstruation, hygiene, and mental health. By introducing this game, Raquel Daniel is breaking the taboo around menstruation and empowering girls with the confidence and understanding they need

during this important stage of their lives.

“GO FLOW is not just a game; it is a powerful tool to educate and empower young girls. It tackles the misconceptions and shame associated with menstruation, promoting open dialogue and fostering a positive attitude towards this natural process,” said Raquel Kasham Daniel, the passionate founder behind this innovative board game.

“By launching GO FLOW on World Menstrual Hygiene Day, Bambini Games and Raquel Daniel are actively contributing to the global efforts to improve menstrual hygiene practices

and ensure that every girl has access to accurate information and support. This initiative marks a significant step forward in creating a world where menstruation is normalized and celebrated,” she stated.

She assured that the Bambini Africa will continue to pave way in promoting children’s education and development through innovative and impactful products.

She noted that the game stands as a beacon of hope, while encouraging young girls to embrace their bodies, feel confident, and navigate the journey of menstruation with grace and pride.

R-L: Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero; wife of Cross River State governor, Dr Linda Ayade; Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade; CEO of COSCHARIS Group, Cosmos Maduka, and others during the commissioning of the ObuduGerman Specialists Hospital in Obudu local government area of the state at the weekend

NCC warns consumers of dire consequences of losing phones

By Joy Baba-Yesufu

Authorities of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned that individuals are prone to losing their life savings if their phones are stolen or misplaced.

The authorities said a lot of people are highly ignorant that fraudsters, after stealing phones can gain access to their bank accounts, steal their identities, names, address, bank information, defraud people and in some extreme cases, apply for loans with same information.

Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the commission, Professor Umar Danbatta, gave the warning during a telecom consumer sensitization programme with the theme

“Shine Your Eyes, No Fall Mugu” held in Keffi, Nassarwa state.

The EVC, who was represented by Head, consumer protection and advocacy, Mr. Clement Omife said attackers are now targeting telecoms networks with the intent to disrupt service delivery and infiltrate their data bank, SIM swaps and Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, (USSD)

He further said USSD e-payment frauds are currently some of the serious cyber threats in the telecom industry adding that fraudsters conduct SIM swaps of individuals and then, conduct USSD-based transactions which cost victims huge losses.

He said “a lot of people are

highly ignorant to how losing their phones to fraudsters can lead to a complete clean-up of their bank accounts. These fraudsters do this by stealing victims’ identities; name, address, bank information of other people which they use in gaining access to their bank accounts: They also use the stolen identity to defraud other people and even apply for loans, leaving the victim with debts.

“It is in view of this and in line with the Commissions Consumer Centric posture that the Commission, in collaboration with relevant advocacy groups embarked on the sensitization programme tagged “Shine Your Eyes - No Fall Mugu” in locations across the country.

“This programme is a

deliberate and intentional advocacy initiative on consumer protection through sensitization and awareness on how to avoid falling prey to fraudsters. Furthermore, the Commission also collaborates with critical stakeholders such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Police Force, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and other relevant agencies in the fight against e-banking fraudsters”.

He urged consumers to be careful about opening unfamiliar emails or responding to unfamiliar inquiries and report suspicious E-fraud to their banks and telecom service provider.

The making of a President

Nigeria will have a new President this morning. He is Asiwaju

Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former state governor. He is taking over from outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari whose constitutional two-term tenure has run out. Like the latter, Tinubu is of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Tinubu won the Feb. 25 presidential election with a hefty 8+ million votes, leaving other contestants trailing far behind. His tally was two million more than the 6 million received by Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of Labour Party. The two are in court, asking that the victory of Tinubu be overturned in their favour. The legal contest, however, will not stop Tinubu’s swearing-in today. The electoral act gives 180 days for the legal challenge to be concluded.

In a farewell broadcast to the nation Sunday, President Buhari, referring to his successor by name, said: “I congratulate you on the realisation of your dream, which was propelled by a burning passion to put Nigeria amongst the leading nations of the world. You have indeed worked for this day and God has crowned your efforts. I have no doubt that your passion for excellence, reliance on competence, fairness in relationships, commitment to equity, loyalty to the country and desire for Nigeria to be globally relevant would come through for you, under God’s guidance, as you lead our country to levels higher than I am leaving. You are the best candidate among all the contestants and Nigerians have chosen well.”

There has been a torrent of support from world leaders for the Nigerian President-elect to the discomfort of those who ran against him and lost. President Joe Biden of the United States, for one, has sent a high powered delegation to Nigeria for Tinubu’s installation. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited last week, pledging his full support for the incoming Tinubu presidency.

The immediate past president of

Between “Reviving” the hope of the people and “Recovering”the nation

By Abdu Labaran Malumfashi

Kenya, Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, attended Saturday’s presidential inauguration in Abuja. He told Tinubu, “The contest is now over and the hard work of building a prosperous and unified Nigeria now begins. Upon assuming the office of President, you would be wise to transcend from the tactical politics of an election and assume your role as Nigeria’s vision bearer.

“This will demand a complete overhaul of the adversarial mindset that we as politicians are conditioned to embrace during the electoral process. As President, you must learn very quickly to lead those who do not love you and those who love you with equal passion and commitment because you are now the father of all.”

Tinubu, in his address given by Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima, promised to deliver “prosperity and jobs”to Nigerians. He said he would promote “democratic institutions” to “advance substantial economic change that would lead to widespread prosperity, new job opportunities, and the realisation of the country’s latent potential.” He described democracy as the cornerstone for national progress and prosperity, stressing that “democracy was vital in advancing the nation’s interests.”

Tinubu’s formal inauguration makes him the sixth democratically elected president in a row since 1999. This is a spectacular achievement for a country whose citizens had seen in their lives more military dictators than democratic rulers. Another milestone was the first peaceful transition of government from one political party to another in 2015. It was the year this governing APC displaced the PDP at the centre. Tinubu will be the second popularly elected APC president at a stretch, after the outgoing Buhari. This means there is not likely to be any major policy shift under the incoming government. But there certainly will be a marked difference in style. Best of luck to the new government.

It has been some month when I was last in Abuja. But what assailed my eyes when I visited the Federal Capital last Monday was the pictures of the presidential candidates of the two leading parties and their running mates.

With the pictures are the slogans: “Reviving the people’s hope” (by the All Progressives Congress APC) or the ruling party in the country) and “Recovering the nation” (by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, or the main opposition party in the country).

I do not know about you, but I do know who gave us hope, and also who made it almost impossible to realise that hope into reality.

I also know who had said that “they would make the country ungovernable” if they didn’t win the 2015 Presidential election. They did not win the presidency, and the rest, as the saying goes, is ‘history’.

The wilful ungodly conduct of some people nearly killed the nation, which is why they want to bring it back to life.

The question begging for answer is: who is to trust between the one who wants to add to my hope and the one who wants to bring back the nation from the near-death they had left it.

Perhaps, they want to recover the nation so that they could kill it COMPLETELY?

Because, by the time they are thorough with their vengeance on some people and the rampage on the economy of the nation, not much will be left of the country.

Again, I do not know about you, but I do know that the one to choose between them.

BECAUSE, while the former attempts only to revive a hope that was, in the first place, not raised by him, the later will ONLY kill the country completely if they get the chance again.

Don’t tell me that he was not incharge of the country at the time I referred to, because he was, more or less.

His former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo has alleged that his number two, and current PDP cadidate, Alhaji (although he once warned against calling him ‘Alhaji’) Atiku Abubakar, it was who persistently begged him to hand over ‘Bakassi Island’ to Cameroon.

Obasanjo also challenged his

former number two (2) to dispute him, and he will come out with the evidence that Atiku did and succeeded in pressurising him to hand over Bakassi Island to Cameroon, a thing no country worth its name would ever contemplate doing.

The two Presidential Candidates are also stupendously rich, so said the London Economist, Magazine about three (3) years ago.

Listing the 10 richest Nigerian Politicians, the magazine named both of them on the list as being Dollar Billionaires, who made their money under different circumstances (explanation is my own).

While the APC’s Bola Ahmed Tinubu or the Jagaban Borgu, is from a wealthy family, and a one-time Governor of Lagos State, at which time he made the state to be self-sustaining, without waiting for the monthly hand out from Abuja. He made Lagos State into the success story that it is today.

The same thing can not be said about Atiku (not his fault for not coming from a wealthy family). This writer is also from a very poor family, in terms of money, though.

Atiku had started public service in the Customs Service, where he retired as a very rich man, before he became Governor of his Adamawa State, before he even take over the rain of affairs in his state.

Of importance to us is his leaving Nigeria almost on its knees, but him as a Dollar Billionaire after Eight (8) years as a Vice President.

Another question begging for an answer is: where did all their money come from?

While we have earlier explained part of the source of Tinubu’s wealth, what we have not said was his claim of having invested in the American Apple Company, makers of the iPhone, among other products, while he was in that country.

This act in itself is enough to make one stupendously rich even without the benefit of inheritance.

As I was writing this piece, a friend of my Daily Trust days, who is unaware of my health challenge, called to ask for “any kind of assistance” from me.

I told him about the tragedy that befell me long before I was struck down by a stroke, although the complete story of my sojourn in the Katsina Government House is for another day.

Malumfashi is DG Media in the Katsina Government House Katsina.

“To be a reputable, profitable, innovative and technologically reliant media company offering world class services and products”

OUR VISION OUR PEOPLE OUR MISSION

“To be the market place of ideas and the leading player in the industry by putting the people first, upholding the truth, maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards while delivering value to our stakeholders”

Chief Operating Officer /Editor, Hameed M. Bello, PhD

Manager, administration

Hassan Hammanyaji

ADVERT Patrick UGAMA

This will demand a complete overhaul of the adversarial mindset that we as politicians are conditioned to embrace during the electoral process. As President, you must learn very quickly to lead those who do not love you and those who love you with equal passion and commitment because you are now the father of all

The “Dreams of Africa” gala shows wonderful African culture

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

Despite all kinds of challenges, African men and women in the diaspora showed their collective strength and unity to have the longawaited cultural festival featuring solidarity and friendship to their Russian audience, friends and hosts. The musicians admirably amplified their voices presenting the continental cultural unity considered as a component of the Africa’s century.

Africa is getting renewed attention from all corners of the world. Africans celebrate their continental day on May 25th. Some believe it is the best time to observe it with cultural performances. The concept of panAfricanism has offered the grounds to show Africa’s diverse culture, food and artworks to the world.

With the 60th anniversary of Africa Day, there are good reasons to mark the event in solidarity with brothers and sisters irrespective of the political differences. In short, the necessity to sustain the already established unity in cultural diversity by all Africans in the continent and the Diaspora across the world.

In the Russian Federation, the KizzAfro Art Week of African Culture was held in Moscow. The KizzAfro Art Week of African Culture is held with the aim of developing African culture in modern Russian society, establishing important social and cultural ties between creative people from Russia and African countries.

The main objectives of the event are: creating a favorable atmosphere for cultural and business cooperation between the peoples of Africa and Russia, familiarizing a wide audience with the customs and traditions of African countries, developing friendly ties between the peoples of the world through African culture and art.

According to Nadezhda Kuzmina, General Producer of KizzAfro Art Week of African Culture, participants of the festival event will have a one-week immersion in the wonderful world of African culture. About a thousand dancers, musicians, designers from various African countries and Russia actively participated in the project. The culmination was the “Dreams of Africa” gala show.

At the show it was simple possible to hear musicians from African countries such as Cape Verde, Nigeria, Zambia and Guinea accompanied by a symphony orchestra from Angola “Kaposoka”. There were traditional dances and modern choreography from professional dancers, their voices captivating rhythms of Afrobeat music, from Angola, Rwanda, Russia and other countries.

“We gathered here this evening to watch African culture. These African cultural performances, of course, aim at showcasing the enormous cultural potentials in the continent and importantly its happening in a unique place here. We are today in space, in Kosmos hotel, navigating and promoting our diverse culture (best artistic voices and sounds), which is part of the celebrations to distinctively mark the Africa Day,” said Professor Zenebe Tadesse Kinfu from Moscow’s International University and President of the Union of African Diaspora in the Russian Federation.

He further underlined the fact that “May 25th, the day serves as an opportunity to acknowledge the remarkable progress Africa has made while reflecting on the challenges it continues to face. Africa is a continent of diverse landscapes and rich cultural heritage. These musical groups performing together simply shows our unique adherence of pan-Africanism concept and the continental unity by the African Union. Therefore, it beholds on us and to remember

that the Africa Day is a celebration of both the diversity of African countries and cultures, as well as our continued efforts to encourage greater unity among African people and the African Diaspora.”

The project was implemented with the support of the African International Congress. Here is what Konstantin Klimenko, Co-Chairman of the African International Congress from the Russian side, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Week of African Culture, Rector of the Eurasian International University, said: “The creators of the largest African dance festival are now starting with a new large-scale project of the African Culture Week KizzAfro Art. A large-scale forum of public diplomacy and culture has already emerged from a successful dance project.”

As part of the gala show, an informal RussiaAfrica dialogue was held with the participation of ambassadors of African states, representatives of federal and regional authorities of Russia, cultural figures, representatives of the business community, including members of the African International Club. For the most part, this action will also contribute to successful preparations for the second Russia-Africa summit with the participation of African heads of state and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Despite all kinds of challenges, African men and women in the diaspora showed their collective strength and unity to have the long-awaited cultural festival featuring solidarity and friendship to their Russian audience, friends and hosts. The musicians admirably amplified their voices presenting the continental cultural unity considered as a component of the Africa’s century.

Hypocrisy of UK student visa restriction

By Efe Agabi

The question that is now vociferously asked is on why the UK is not equally extending the policy to stolen funds invested in the UK and monies deposited in various banks in the UK by corrupt Nigerian politicians. if the UK is so determined to deepen democracy in Nigeria, and improve governance within the spectrum of bilateral relations…

Migration is a critical issue in multilateral relations; as a developing country, we can only hope that the policy is reviewed to allow the “japa’ movement to thrive. The growing recognition of professional emigrant by the Nigerian government could be linked to why a policy was proposed to force doctors to practice in Nigeria for five year before they are given license.

Nigerians spoke in unison to fault the draconian policy given the dingy working environment and poor remuneration for Nigerian doctor. Data show that over 1000 nurses left Nigeria in 2022. Other professionals, skilled and unskilled consider leaving the country as a New Year resolution. The old, young, poor and rich are leaving. it is so serious that the rich do not feel safe in Nigeria again. The gale of kidnapping, banditry and arm robbery has made Nigeria one of the most dangerous countries in the world. When people say they want to japa, it is not entirely because they are poor, in search for job or business, some are just trying to avoid the drudgery of every day traffic congestion and the back and forth policies of the Nigerian political

elites. Some are just poised to protecting their mental health from the news of animals swallowing money. But why is the UK worried about the exodus of Nigerians to the UK for solace. A country of over 200 million with the annual population growth of 2.87% according to Dr, Osirike of the University of Benin would have a high rate of emigrants, but why is the Uk singling out Nigeria in the policy to checkmate migration?

It is easy to connect the dots to ask if the Nigerian government is orchestrating a policy in the UK to cripple the japa movement, or force students to return home given the recent policies to keep Nigerian doctors in the dingy hospitals avoided by the political elites when they are ill.

The Uk provided four major reasons why the migration policy is expedient, two of the four reasons are specifically drawn from the exodus of Nigeria to the Uk, one is that Nigeria has the highest number of foreigners in the country after China and India, and the highest in Africa, two, that Nigerians should be stopped from dominating the UK economy. The other reason that does not specifically mention Nigeria is that the UK tends to improve their economy, thus the need for the policy.

The UK cannot be interested in sustaining our ailing and crippled democracy that is not working for the Nigerian people, feign oblivion when electioneering processes are manipulated, and human rights violated and stop Nigerians intending to leave the country with their families from leaving. It is the height of hypocrisy a joke

taken too far. The desperation to leave the country to find solace in the UK is fallout of the decades of inept governance with attendant high rate of unemployment, over ten million out of school children, rising insecurity, malnutrition, epileptic power and a difficult business environment and the list is endless.

The question that is now vociferously asked is on why the UK is not equally extending the policy to stolen funds invested in the UK and monies deposited in various banks in the UK by corrupt Nigerian politicians. if the UK is so determined to deepen democracy in Nigeria, and improve governance within the spectrum of bilateral relations, why are they not raising policies for immediate investigation and forfeiture of stolen funds invested in the UK to the Nigerian government for the purposes of infrastructural development and job creation to keep Nigerians at home, why is the policy not extended to the frequent visit of corrupt politicians to the UK for medical care when healthcare facilities in Nigeria are deplorable. It can be hypothesized that the UK is aware of the harsh economic conditions in Nigeria and imminent exodus of Nigerians to the Uk, thus hurriedly trying to nip it in the bud. While Nigerians are still in suspense on how the Nigerian government would respond to the migration policies, it is expedient for the UN and related international organisations, and individuals with the clout to interrogate the policy and its implication for globalization

Efe Agabi is a Public Affairs Analyst.

Kestér Kenn Klomegâh is a Public Policy Analyst.

As Buhari conducts Tinubu round the villa…

By Festus Adedayo

Going by logic and antecedents, it will be difficult for Tinubu to properly situate the scale of justice in Nigeria. His IOUs will predictably tilt towards those same principalities and powers for whom injustice is a core condiment in their broth. I pray however that he pleasantly shocks cynics like me. If he does, hope will begin to build in the Nigerian people, as Maya Angelou wrote in her poem, Still I Rise, “With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high.”

Forget their pretensions and volte-faces, when outgoing Nigerian public officials wake up tomorrow, May 29, they will wake up into emptiness. That void cannot be filled by the wealth they acquired in office. Nor can it be impeached by Muhammadu Buhari’s reported haste to flee Aso Villa tomorrow. At the launch of a book on his administration at the Presidential Villa on Friday, the outgoing president had said: “I assure you, I have been counting the days; I am looking forward to Monday very desperately. I will use the weekend to sign some of the papers so that from Eagles Square, I will fly to Kaduna and eventually go to Daura.”

Buhari’s wife, Aisha, was to later rubbish his de-masculinity of Aso Rock. In its stead, she replaced it with a desire for the continuation of the flow of the free money and power of government. At the launch of a book entitled The Journey of a Military Wife on Friday, she asked for First Ladies whose roles the constitution does not recognize to be given parity of office privileges with their spouses. Under Nigerian law, presidents and allied officials are given their salaries for life, their medical treatments and that of their family members paid for by the state, with yearly procurement of vehicles and other benefits, among many others.

“They should consider us as former First Ladies. They should incorporate the First Ladies, give us some privileges that we deserve as First Ladies,” she demanded. Aisha also further gave the issue a feminist re-reading, against the grain of the African masculinist cultural background which has ensured centuries of uneven devolution of powers. The system should not give these privileges “just to the former presidents,” she advised.

Of all life’s existential acquisitions – wealth, fame, women, money, power and the lot – the most transient, most fleeting and ephemeral of all is power. Power is the most un-enduring. Former presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, put it in its crudest, street lingo form when he said, eight years ago, that his phone stopped ringing immediately he stepped out of power. Power is the fair-weather friend that will not be there for you in your time of loneliness. It perhaps was what the holy writ had in mind when it ascribed to life the fleetingness of vapour.

While all their acquisitions in office in the last four or eight years may still be there – cars, houses, money and the lubricants of power, (forgive my sexism) – by now, power must be carrying away its last portmanteau from the apartment of the yesterday public office holder. Yoruba put this existential emptiness starkly when they refer to ex-power wielders as eni ana – yesterday’s men. It was from Late Governor Abiola Ajimobi – God rests his soul – that I first encountered the Yoruba proverbial capture of the evanescence nature of life. Yoruba capture it in their wise-saying when they say that no one rushes to make way for he who once rode a horse – a kii yago f’elesin ana.

One of the reasons for the emptiness that these public officials will

begin to encounter from tomorrow stems from the monarchical nature of Nigeria’s presidential democracy. Officials of western democracies where our system of government was inherited would find it easier to confront this emptiness of power and office. This is because, with them, office carries less indiscriminate wielding of power. Here in Nigeria, we are driven by the Kabiyesi syndrome perception of power. The public official is the unquestionable titular, second-in-command only to the gods. This is why, for these Nigerian office holders, the transition tomorrow from power to the streets is capable of making one miserable. It can be likened to the deposition of a king, a man who was once the Kabiyesi – the unquestionable.

Tomorrow, the baton of power will change. History has been unusually kind to Buhari. Like Olusegun Obasanjo, he has had the opportunity of being the Nigerian Head of State twice, both as military and civilian leader. He could have been killed in 1983 the same way his fellow coup plotter, Ibrahim Ahmed Bako, had life snuffed out of him in the process of staging the coup. In their bid to dispossess Shehu Shagari of presidential power, Bako had been detailed to Shagari’s presidential residence. Wearing a civilian attire, Bako had come to Shagari’s residence in company of an armed detachment. As fire raged between his troops and the Brigade of Guards soldiers commanded by Captain Augustine Anyogo, Bako got shot dead as he sat in the passenger side of a Unimob Utility truck. Buhari survived to rule Nigeria.

Again, through what many called the uncanny but misplaced generosity of Providence, Buhari administered Nigeria for yet another eight years. Though he had recently engaged in a last-minute attempt to re-write his own history, the general impression is that he was a failure. The BBC said Buhari, “the last of a generation of British-trained military men who went on to govern the country” would be “leaving Nigerians less secure, poorer and more in debt than when he came to office in 2015.”

That same last Friday, Buhari took the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, round the Presidential palace on familiarization tour. This is the place that will be Tinubu’s abode of power in the next four years, all things being equal. His wife, Remi also went her own round, cosseted by Aisha. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had earlier conducted Kashim Shettima round the VP wing of the State House.

Thereafter, Tinubu made many promises to Nigerians, praying to God for good health to be able to deliver. He also promised to fight corruption. However, I think that the greatest task we must put on Tinubu’s shoulders is the task of restoring Nigeria to a country where the guilty get their deserved comeuppance, no matter how highly placed, while the just get their deserved dividends. He must return Nigeria to that critical stanza of the Nigerian national anthem which says that Nigeria’s goal is “to build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.” Those two variables – peace and justice – are not mutually exclusive. They are co-joined like a Siamese. To seek peace where there is no justice is inequity. Both go simultaneously. Jamaican reggae icon, Peter Tosh, put it succinctly when he sang, in his Jamaican patois, that “everyone is crying now for peace, none is crying now for justice; I don’t want no peace, I need equal rights and justice.” Once Nigeria arrives at that critical juncture where there is equal rights and justice, all other social indices will begin to fall in place. Nigeria fell on the social ladder because injustice grows lusciously daily in the land

like ferns in a plantation.

Before now, the system gave the right measurement to both the high and the lowly. Judicial scale of judgment did not discriminate between the high, mighty and the peasant, the lowly. I will cite four instances in history, two pre-colonial and two post-colonial, which indicated that Nigeria was once a country where justice reigned.

Two depositions of highly rated Yoruba Obas during the precolonial era come first. They are followed by the execution of a Yoruba Oba and the fourth, a top-rate elite in the Nigerian society who was hanged for murder. Obas constituted the highest echelon of the Yoruba society of the time. These depositions, rarely talked about in history, were that of Ijebu Obas, AkarigboOyebajo (1891-1915) and AwujaleAdenuga (1925-1929). Oyebajo had become Oba in his mid20s in 1891. Akarigbo Oyebajo apparently basked in his belief in the permanence of his position as an Oba and the power of his cordial relationship with Governor Gilbert Thomas Carter and his successor, McCallum, Sir Henry Edward.

This apparently led to the Akarigbo being appointed in February 1902 as a member of the Central Native Council. Oyebajo was thus prompted to become high-handed, especially in his relationship with his chiefs. The result was a widespread dissention from them. He began to monopolize the accruing stipends that came to him from the colonial government and refused to share them with these chiefs who custom required him to so do. The chiefs, in 1911, then got him tried in court for extortion and larceny. His situation was worsened by the fact that the District Commissioner, H. F. Duncombe, could not stand him and in spite of Horatio Jackson, editor and publisher of the tabloid Lagos Weekly Record’splea on his behalf to the colonial office, the Akarigbo was subsequently deported to Calabar and died on July 11, 1932.

Adenuga, 33 years old when he was appointed Awujale, from the word go,showed immense immaturity in superintending over the enormous judicial, executive and legislative powers he wielded as Oba. He began to abuse them from day one of his kingship. A few months into his being in office, the colonial government reprimanded him for extorting forestry fees from his subjects and in 1928, he got two other reprimands for grafts, one of which was collecting bribe in February of the year to favour ascension to the Onipe of Ibu stool. In March of same 1928, he was implicated for attempting to cover up a case of homicide. In the October of the same year, he was alleged to have attempted to rid the town of Joseph Igu, also widely known as Frugality, an anti-corruption crusader who was a pain in the neck of maladministration.

Inundated with complaints of the Akarigbo’s excesses, the colonial government instituted a judicial commission of enquiry with a charge to assess the Ijebu Native Administration, vis a vis the Akarigbo’s style of governance. In the report submitted on January 18, 1929, Adenuga was found guilty of corruption and deposed to Ilorin. In 1934, he was tried alongside a Yesufu Idimota and ten others, for attempted assassination of his successor Akarigbo. Adenuga was then imprisoned in Abeokuta and went through the indignity of being manacled in public and publicly carrying latrine buckets from his cell corridor to the main latrine. He was however acquitted by the West African Court of Appeal on May 27, 1935 and at the age of 58, he died miserably. Festus Adedayo is a Public Policy Analyst.

37 million girls in Nigeria in period poverty

By Margaret Aladeselu

In addition to these policy changes, I want to break down stigmas around menstruation in Nigeria. I am tired of hearing periods spoken about with disgust and discrimination. I want our policymakers to be held accountable until they provide free access to menstrual products for school girls.

We hardly ever talk about the fact that — according to the Minister of Women Affairs Pauline Tallen — more than 37 million girls and women in Nigeria cannot afford menstrual hygiene products. That means every month, more than 37 million girls and women are unable to safely manage their periods, limiting their ability to study, work and live their lives. While this is an unfortunate situation that has become normalized in Nigeria, it still doesn’t make the situation less alarming.

Over the last ten years, sanitary pads — which are the preferred period product in Nigeria — have been subjected to ridiculously inflated prices, especially imported sanitary pads. I remember when I got my period for the first time in 2013, I purchased my first pad for N250. Now in 2022, I buy the same pad for N700. In a country where 40% of Nigeria’s population lives on less than $1 per day, menstrual pads (which typically cost up to $1) are more than many can afford. Some girls and women are forced to engage in sexual activities with men just to be able to afford menstrual products

When girls can’t afford to pay for menstrual hygiene products, they must resort to cheaper but unhygienic options, such as rags, toilet paper and old newspapers. Research shows that poor menstrual hygiene has harmful effects on a woman’s

sexual reproductive health — including increasing their risk for reproductive and urinary tract infections, which can result in future infertility and birth complications. Using unhygienic options not only endangers Nigerian girls physically but also threatens their mental health as they might experience heightened anxiety as they approach their cycle.

One of our fundamental rights as human beings is the right to health — but when it comes to menstrual health, this right is often overlooked. Even though period poverty is the reason why 24% of Nigerian girls miss classes during their menstruation because of their inability to afford hygienic menstrual products, it still remains a gender issue that is hardly spoken about due to patriarchal and religious stereotypes. Society teaches Nigerian girls to see menstruation as a topic of shame that should never be spoken about in public.

I’ve seen firsthand the way period poverty affects Nigerian girls’ lives. My cousin was due to take the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exam, an entrance exam for Nigerian universities. She was scheduled to take the exam in Oyo state even though she lived in Ogun state. By the time she arrived at her JAMB center, she had already exhausted the little cash her mother gave her due to the high cost of transportation. So when she got her period, instead of taking the exam, she was forced to walk the lonely streets of Wakajaye, Ibadan looking for an adult that could spare her N600 (less than $1) to buy a pack of sanitary pads. She wanted to become a lawyer and for the longest time, her JAMB exam was all she spoke about. It broke my heart to know that something as natural as menstruation was what stopped her

from gaining admission into any university that year.

Menstrual hygiene should not be a luxury. That’s why I started a Change.org petition calling on the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to remove taxes on all menstrual products, especially imported ones. The Nigerian government must put policies in place to ensure that all period products are tax-free and more accessible to the entire menstruating population. This petition is directly targeted at Pauline Tallen, the Minister of Women Affairs. But in order for this petition to produce effective results, I need as many signatures as I can get so please add your name to my call.

In addition to these policy changes, I want to break down stigmas around menstruation in Nigeria. I am tired of hearing periods spoken about with disgust and discrimination. I want our policymakers to be held accountable until they provide free access to menstrual products for school girls. I want girls and women in rural areas to not only be able to afford menstrual products but to also have unlimited access to clean water to ensure safe menstrual health management.

No girl should have to wonder how many days of school she’ll miss each month because of her period. No girl should have to miss an exam because she can’t afford a pad.

Join me in calling on the Nigerian government to remove taxes on all menstrual products and help every girl and woman safely manage her period.

Margaret Aladeselu is a Change Leader from Nigeria under the We Create Change program; a leadership program delivered by Nguvu Collective and Change.org.

2023 Children’s Day: KCCN thrills special needs kids with fun-packed events

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Korean Cultural Center in Nigeria (KCCN) yesterday marked the 2023 children’s day with fun-packed events in which pupils from School for Special Needs Kuje, School for the Blind Kuje and School for the Deaf Jabi, in Abuja, were thrilled with entertainment.

Addressing the pupils in his address of welcome, the Director of Korean Cultural Center in Nigeria (KCCN), Kim Changki, said the event is designed to give a sense of

•As Children beg for music instruments

belonging to the pupils and to give them a memorable 2023 children’s day.

He said the event is specially to recognise the children’s right and to underscore the fact that children with special needs are gifts which should be appreciated and treated as important to the society.

Changki said also that the Center decided to include a touch of Korean and Nigerian cultures in the events, including dressing, song presentation, games and

excursion to make it worthwhile and memorable.

Speaking also at the event, one of the kids from School for Special Needs Kuje, Muhammed Muhammad, who commended the KCCN for giving them the opportunity to learn and expand their knowledge of Korean Culture, also said the pupils are in need of music instruments in their studio.

He therefore urged the KCCN to assist them with music instruments in their studio, adding that the

pupils will not forget in haste the kind gesture which the Center has offered them in the 2023 Children’s day celebration.

Also speaking, Zainab Ibrahim, who also thanked the center for the opportunity, also urged that the recognition accorded them be sustained in subsequent Children’s Day celebration.

She also urged the center to assist the school with other learning materials so as to make their academic programme easy.

Garba Shehu, Laolu Akande, Bayo Omoboriowo, other presidential aides bag special national awards

By Egena Sunday Ode

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the conferment of Special National Honours Award on 339 Nigerians, including Garba Shehu, his Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity.

Shehu and Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity (Office of the Vice President) were conferred with the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).

The Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar also received the National Honour of OON.

The President’s Personal Photographers for the eight years of his administration, Bayo Omoboriowo and Sunday Aghaeze bagged Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) and Member of the Order of the Niger (MON), respectively.

Also listed for the National Honours Award for their diligent services to the nation are Tolu Ogunlesi, the Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, MON; Tolani Alli, Personal Photographer to the Vice

NSCC sets to link older persons to job opportunities

By Albert Akota

The National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), has launched its Continuing Engagement Bureau (CEB) Program to enable it link older persons both skills and unskilled to job opportunities

President, MFR; Adamu Sambo, NTA Correspondent and Emmanuel

Anrihi, NTA Cameraman, MFR. Director of information, State

House, Abiodun Oladunjoye, said in a statement that an official publication by the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental

Affairs advised the award recipients to come to the office of the Ministry to collect their certificates and medals on Thursday, June 1, 2023.

The Director General, NSCC, Dr. Emem Omokaro who disclosed this during launch of the CEB Program and Stakeholders Sensitization and Capacity Enhancement, said the Program will focus on senior citizens who are retired professionals, experts and practitioners in diverse fields.

She added that the NSCC through the CEB Program is working to maximize the latent potentials of the older persons and also to reinvent themselves by reinventing roles and finding new opportunities.

“The Continuing Engagement Program also has provisions for older farmers and artisans both in the rural and urban centres who would be encouraged to register on the portal as Cooperatives and to be connected with opportunities for productive activities and for markets”, said Omokaro.

“We are looking at the fundamental human rights of older persons. Right to work, maximize their potentials, and right to access the labour market in whichever form they wish to”.

Aregbesola and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior,

Kano Reps member-elect moves to settle NECO registration fee for constituents

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Muhammad Bello Shehu, House of Representatives member-elect of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), representing Fagge federal constituency, Kano state has begun moves to settle the registration fees for candidates of National Examinations Council (NECO) in the constituency.

Peoples Daily reports that the move came as a result of mass failure in qualify examination.

Qualify examination is organized by Kano state government for SS2 students as a requirement to pay for their NECO registration, but only for those that

pass the examination.

Speaking on Thursday at the launch of series of meeting with parents of the students that failed in the qualify examination at his constituency, Shehu said the mass failure in the examination is a source of concern that needs to be addressed squarely.

Starting with the parents of the affected students at Aisha Shehu Girls Secondary School at the school’s premises, the memberelect said he decided to meet with the parents in order to chart ways on how to settle the NECO registration fee.

According to him, his intervention is sequel to the importance he attached to

education as the main priority to him.

He explained that he had resolved to pay N13,000 for each affected student while their respective parents would pay the balance of N10,000, making it N23,000 for each of the affected students in all the secondary schools in the Fagge constituency.

“We sat with the parents of the affected students in this school, Aisha Shehu Girls Secondary School. We resolved that each father should pay N10,000 then o will pay the remaining N13,000 for all the students.

“In this school, Aisha Shehu and Mamman Vice Adamu, i am going to pay over N6.9 million.

This is what I will be doing to the whole secondary schools in this constituency.

“We are doing this because we believe that these children are our children and they have to study. They have to write NECO to proceed. This is the best thing we should to them in order to achieve their life dreams.

“Therefore, this meeting will continue with parents of the affected students in other secondary schools across Fagge.

“We will also make sure we come up with motions and bills that will support the education of children, not only in Fagge, Kano or North, but in the whole country,” he said.

‘The Centre is exploring the opportunities, one of which is to keep the senior citizens active and facilitate opportunities for them to continue to utilize their skills and passions in whatever way, “She said,

People Daily Newspaper recalled that NSCC in March 2023 held a Service Level Collaboration and Review of the Dummy Portal and other Support Instruments for the Establishment of NSCC Continuing Engagement Bureau (CEB) Program.‘The Centre is exploring the opportunities, one of which is to keep the senior citizens active and facilitate opportunities for them to continue to utilize their skills and passions in whatever way, “She said, People Daily Newspaper recalled thament Bureau (CEB) Program.

L-R: Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Nigerian newly confered citizen recipient,, Prof. David Jowitt; Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Imo State, has called on the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to, upon assumption of office, discontinue the silence of the Federal Government over Senator Hope Uzodinma’s alleged use of state apparatus to oppress Imo people and crush political dissent.

PDP urged Tinubu to respect the decision of the Imo people and neither hatch nor partake in any scheme to allow unpopular and widely-rejected regimes to stay in power a day longer than January 15, 2024.

The opposition party stated this in a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Collins Opurozor, made available to journàlists in Owerri, Imo State capital.

PDP further said it is

Stop Uzodinma’s use of state apparatus to oppress Imo people – PDP urges Tinubu

troubling to note that the size of Imo territory, which has now been overrun and occupied by killers, arsonists, kidnappers, and bandits, is larger than the territories of Malta and the Vatican City put together.

The party explained that the largest senatorial district in the State, which is Orlu, has been abandoned, economic activities crippled, and over a million residents displaced. Okigwe Zone has also become a war front.

The statement reads,”Parts of Owerri Zone are fast becoming engulfed in this fire of insecurity.

If we do not act now, every Imo person may soon become a refugee in other parts of the country.

“Traditional rulers are now brutally murdered. In some instances, they are beheaded and their bodies dumped in the streets. Judges are dragged out from their courtrooms and slaughtered like rams. In the last seven days, two Catholic priests have been abducted, and their whereabouts are still unknown. Things have fallen apart, and Imo has become a wasteland!

“As a political party, we

are dismayed by the alarming incompetence, lack of focus, and total failure of the outgoing government of Senator Hope Uzodinma to tame this rampaging monster of insecurity for more than two years.

“The truth is not so much that the security strategies of this government have failed than that the government has no strategies to tackle the security challenges.”

The party further said more than 300 Imo residents had been victims of forced disappearances, while over five hundred thousand young men have fled the State for fear of being profiled and killed

and political opponents have been targeted for elimination.

The opposition party said the brutal attacks on Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima and Barr. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, in which family members and political supporters were gruesomely murdered, remains a pointer to the pitiable situation in Imo.

“This failed APC administration in the State must now give way for a focused, result-oriented, responsible, and humane government of PDP to step in and begin the process of genuine healing in the State,” the party averred.

Lawan seeks better collaboration between Senate, Korea parliaments

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan on Sunday received in audience a special envoy of the President of Republic of Korea and discussed ways to enhance the relationship between Nigerian and Korean Parliaments.

Lawan told the Korean delegation, led by Mr Kab Yoon Jeong, that Nigerian and Korean Parliaments should work together and exchange visits with a view to creating a better relationship.

“The next Assembly which will be inaugurated on the 13th of June will look into working for a Nigeria’s National AssemblyKorean Parliament relationship so that we have a joint committee that will be involved in exchange of visits between the parliaments and that will create better relationship not only with the countries as it is, which is largely at the moment, concentrated on the executive side of government but also to have the parliaments of Korea and Nigeria exchange visits and working together to enhance the relationship between our two countries,” Lawan said.

The delegation arrived in Abuja ahead of the Monday inauguration of a new President of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Senate President explained to his guests why the Presidential inauguration event scheduled for Monday is a big deal to Nigeria.

“For us, it is a big deal

because this is the first time that democracy in Nigeria will witness this long period of sustainability and we are very optimistic that democracy is taking a very strong root in Nigeria and we don’t expect anything that will stop this development of our democracy to a higher and broader level,” Lawan said.

The Senate President said the trade between Nigeria and Korea were growing in “leaps and bounds.”

“Many Nigerian business men visit Korea for businesses

even though the balance of trade at the moment is skewed but I believe that Nigeria will also make much more impacts in the Korean businesses because we have so many things that the Koreans will also like to buy from Nigeria.

“We take Korea as one of our major trading partner and I believe that it is because our business men and women find it very encouraging. That is why they can go to Korea and do a lot of businesses.

“Ours is not only about businesses in Korea. We also

have over 300 students in Korea. Some of the students are on your scholarship.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the Korean Government for extending such support to our students. Even those who are not on scholarship found the environment convenient to undertake their various studies.”

Lawan assured the delegation that Nigeria would take a leading role in the AfricaKorea summit being planned for next year.

“Nigeria is the largest

economy in Africa and therefore when there will be Africa-Korea Summit, Nigeria will lead the other African countries and I want to assure you that we are going to participate fully in that Africa-Korea summit,” he said. Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mr Jeong made a case for closer cooperation between Nigeria and Korea and also invited the leadership of the Nigerian Parliament to the 2024 Africa-Korea Summit being planned by President Yoon Suk Yeol administration of Republic of Korea.

Senate congratulates Tinubu, urges focus on the tasks ahead today’s inauguration

By Musa Baba Adamu

The 9th Senate has congratulated the President - elect, Ahmed Bola Tinubu and his vice, Kashim Shetima for scaling the hurdles of the general elections and now destined to be sworn as the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Nigerian Senate also congratulated all Nigerians who participated in the electioneering process, whether as voters, policy makers, umpires, politicians, commentators, or legislators.

In a statement by its spokesman, Ajibola Basiru, the Senate said that while it rejoiced with Tinubu and Shettima, it is not oblivious of the arduous tasks of the State before the incoming administration.

“We are rejoicing with your Excellency and we pray it will be your Excellency that God will use to move this nation to where it should be among the comity of nations and take the nation to greater heights in all spheres.

“Nigerians will hold your Excellency responsible to your promises of food security, power generation and supply, massive job creation and youth employment, among the myriads of needs confronting our nation.

“Nigerians will not be bothered about ethnicity, religiosity, or any other sentimental colouration, of any kind, if they see genuine hope of transformation.

“Nigerians are hungry and crying, as never before for hope, and we pray, they may see hope in your slogan : Renewed hope.”

The statement continued “while commending you to the hands of the Almighty God, we also say you should take heed in your appointments so that you can put in place those who will key into your set out agenda and work for Nigerians”.

Appointments: The senators counselled must be based on justice, merit, competence, and balancing by all means.

The Senate who also congratulated all elected representatives of the people at all levels be it as Governors, Senators, Representatives at national or at State levels, encouraged them to cooperate with the President -elect, and play their parts well.

The Senate particularly congratulates the incoming Vice President, Senator Kashim

Shettima, and wife of the incoming President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who are both active contributors to the success of the 9th Senate.

Nigerians will not now quickly forget the predictable budget circle, the Deep off-shore and inland basin production sharing contracts, the Companies and Allied Matters Act, the Police Act, Petroleum Industry Act, Electoral Act and 16 ammendments to the Nigerian Constitution assented to by the President among 104 other bills passed into law that emerged from the 9th Senate.

The Senate therefore urged Senators in the 10th Assembly to work hand in hand with the incoming president to make Nigerians enjoy the dividends of democracy.

Anambra: Women leader allegedly sacked for supporting LP in 2023 election

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) women’s leader of the Ebenebe community in Awka South Local Government Area, Favour Nworah, has been reportedly sacked for supporting the Labour Party in the last election.

Nworah was sacked as the Women President-General of Ebenebe Town Union, Women Wing (ETU WW), last month, on the allegation that she appeared severally at Labour Party rallies and also wore their vest.

The sack has sparked protest in the community as women have taken to the streets, calling for her reinstatement.

In a protest staged in the community at the weekend, Florence Nnatu, who led the protesters, accused some community leaders of having a hand in the crisis that has caused division among the women.

“We are calling on our community leaders, our husbands, who have hand in this crisis that is dividing their wives to remove their hands from it,”

Nnatu said.

The sacked Nworah, while speaking with journalists, admitted to having supported a candidate of the Labour Party for House of Assembly position.

She said: “I supported LP and the House of Assembly candidate, Onwuje, because he is my husband and always by my side. APGA candidate never

Betara felicitates Tinubu,

By Christiana Ekpa

The frontline Aspirant for the position of the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, Hon. Muktar Betara Aliyu has congratulated the incoming President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima as they take over the baton of leadership of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Hon. Betara in his goodwill message through his media campaign also felicitated with the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima.

The handing over ceremony from a democratic administration is scheduled for 29th May, 2023 at the Eagles Square, Abuja.

Hon. Betara expressed delight over the antecedence of Senator Tinubu as Governor of Lagos State and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as well as the Vice president Kassim Shettima , a former senator in Nigeria’s parliament.

He said: “on behalf of the good people of Biu/Bayo/Shani and Kwaya Kusar Federal Constituency of Borno State, congratulate His Excellency, President Asiwaju Bola

called me even once, talk more of coming to me as his woman PG, even though I am from the same ward as him.

“I remain an APGA member, and I worked for APGA and Soludo during the 2021 governorship elections. I couldn’t sleep because I know what I did for APGA and Soludo. I used my money, my products,

my strength and time for my party APGA to make sure soludo won. I visited all the wards in Awka north to make sure women votes count.”

A new women’s leader, Josephine Okafor, has been appointed in place of Nworah by the Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Ify Obinabo. Obinabo, however, could not

speak to our correspondent on whether Nworah was indeed removed for supporting the Labour Party. She declined to comment on the matter when reached on the phone.

Nworah was said to have been elected in 2019 for a four-year term, and was yet to complete her term before she was removed from office.

L-R: , Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde; his wife, Tamunominini; deputy governor, Bayo Lawal; his wife, Ajibola and former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, during the end of first term tenure thanksgiving of Governor Makinde, held at Christ Life Church, Olaogun, Ibadan.

Shettima, as they take over baton of leadership from Buhari

Ahmed Tinubu on his inauguration as the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria as well as Vice president Kassim Shettima.

“Your emergence as the Flag-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the Party Primaries and subsequent victory during the 2023 Presidential election on the 25th February 2023 are convincing testament to the fact that you are a man of destiny.

“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu that we know, is a true Democrat and Philanthropist who criss-cross the entire country and the world at large.

“As a detribalised Politicians, I have no doubt that President Tinubu’s reign will bring about the desired changes in all ramifications of our socio-economic and political life as a country and put smiles on the faces of all Nigerians irrespective of religion, tribe, ethnic, race or colour.

“We can’t forget the positive and remarkable trajectory in Lagos State and how much he continued to the return of democracy in Nigeria especially during the military junta.

“The People’s quest to get a man who

knows his onion in governance, fuelled their passion to pitch tent with you, the result is the overwhelming victory at the ballot and your towering credentials in human, economic and social development as exemplified in your leadership as the Governor of Lagos State and the Leader of our great party, the All Progressives Congress.

“We salute his courage and resolve to contribute his quota to the development of our Fatherland which we cherish so much.

“Since our paths crossed several decades ago, I’ve seen in him a man of noble character, trustworthy, passionate and great influence on the Society.

“What endeared him to someone like me is the depth of his resourcefulness and passion for this great Country.

“I have no fear that working together with the Jagaban as popularly called as well Vice President Kassim Shettima in the parliament, Nigeria will bring about the desired transformation future generations will be proud to call our own.

“I wish my President, our own Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu who I can best describe as ‘Father of modern Democracy’ the best as

he takes over the leadership of this country and do wish him more wisdom and peace althrough the next four years in office and beyond,” Hon. Betara said.

Hon. Betara also congratulated the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima on this giant stride and pray Almighty Allah to grant him the wisdom to join hands in moving the country forward.

“His Excellency, Vice President, Distinguished Senator Kashim Shettima is my Brother and we have been working together for several years and I have no iota of doubt in his competence to work harmoniously with Mr. President in steering the affairs of our great country.

“I am sure this country will experience a new dawn under their leadership and we at the 10th National Assembly will spare no effort to ensure a smooth working relationship with Mr. President and Vice President from day one.

“We cannot ask for more as National Assembly. This is the first time in history that we are having two seasoned Parliamentarians taking over the steering of leadership in the Executive Arm of Government,” he said.

Ogunewe not our Imo governorship candidate – Action Alliance

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Action Alliance (AA) has declared that Major-General Lincoln Jack Ogunewe (retd) is not its candidate for the governorship elections in Imo State. Ogunewe was in the news last week after he was announced as the flagbearer of the platform, a report the leadership refuted.

In a statement on Sunday, AA Chairman, Comrade Ifeanyi Okponwa Eze, said Ogunewe’s emergence was not

endorsed by the party, advising citizens to ignore the “rumour”.

Eze recalled that on November 11, 2022, a Court of Appeal in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, affirmed Hon. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje as the authentic National Chairman against one Kenneth Udeze.

He said in line with stipulated guidelines, AA conducted its governorship primary in Imo on April 17, 2023, the last day set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“It’s worrisome and embarrassing that the said Kenneth Udeze, who was expelled from the party, has continued to parade himself as the National Chairman.

“He has gone as far as trying to deceive members of the public by ridiculously presenting Gen. Lincoln Ogunewe (retd) as the governorship candidate.

“This is a clear disregard to the subsisting Court of Appeal judgement which affirmed Hon. Dr. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje as the authentic National Chairman.”

Eze said INEC’s retention of Udeze as

the AA National Chairman on its website is an indication that the umpire “has decided to operate in contempt to the judgement”.

The party warned that it would not hesitate to press contempt of court charges against both Kenneth Udeze and Prof. Mahmood Yakubu “if they do not retrace their steps”.

The statement reaffirmed Chief Ukadike Chinedu Humphrey as AA’s standard bearer for the November 11 governorship poll and urged the people of Imo to “disregard impostors”.

By Christiana Ekpa

Barring any last minute alterations in today’s inauguration of Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as both President and Vice President by Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, the national chairman of Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure has assured Nigerians that justice shall prevail soon.

In a statement he issued yesterday to journàlists, Abure said All Progressive Congress (APC) Tinubu emerged through a disputed presidential electoral outcome on February 25th, adding that “The reality and tragedy of this Presidential Election, has already been well highlighted, to national and global attention.”

He recalled that on that fateful day, Nigerians from across ethnic, political and social divides, fired by the promises of President Muhammadu Buhari and Professor Mahmud Yakubu, INEC Chairman, reinvigorated hope for a new political and administrative order, hence they endured untold difficulties and rigors, in obtaining their PVC’s, and trooped out in their millions to cast their votes.

Abure said “In various States, State Governors and public officials, particularly of the APC, directly influenced the voting and threatened, abducted and tortured electoral officials.

“However, despite varying serious reports of violence, malfunctioning electoral devices and other hindrances, the voters accreditation and casting process was fairly satisfactorily conducted.

“But after counting of votes, a dark cloud engulfed the Nation. It became clear that the correct password, to transmit the Presidential Election results, electronically and instantly, from the BVAS to the INEC IREV, had been criminally withheld, contrary to specifications of the law and contrary to repeated emphasis, directives and promises to the Nation and its citizens, by Professor Mahmood Yakubu and INEC officials.

“This deliberate act of criminal conspiracy, was the

POLITICS

Tinubu’s inauguration: Justice shall prevail soon - Labour Party Chairman, Abure

beginning of the most bizarre and crazy rigging of elections in our National history.

“As voting concluded, Party Officials, especially from the ruling APC, invaded collation centres nationwide, disrupting the process, inducing and intimidating officials. Manually alteration and mutilation of result sheets.

“All over the country, the pattern of this electoral criminality was consistentvotes lawfully casted for the Labour Party candidate, were

changed and reduced, and added to increase votes casted for the Presidential Candidate of the APC.

“This not only formed the basis for the flagrant declarations of results at various levels in many parts of the country, totally at variance with the freely expressed wishes of the people, but also the basis for the proposed inauguration of the Candidate of the APC, as the President of Nigeria.

“As a law abiding and

responsible Political Party, and conscious of the overwhelming support we enjoy across the country, we have taken the matter before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, in trust and hope for justice, and we will not comment further.

“However, we wish to say strongly, to all Nigerians, and all friends of Nigeria, worldwide: Nigeria has long and ardously suffered, from bad leadership, which has continued to revolve around the same characters, same political parties and same

political class.

“The massive mobilisation, rejuvenation and affirmation of the people, as expressed in the election of February 25th 2023, was not to hand over the reins of government, to the same people, with historical very bad record of conduct, performance and irresponsibility but for a new order, where the people will have a greater stake in government, and more direct influence in the implementation and supervision of development.

Gov Bello hands over transition document to Gov-elect, Bego for easy take off

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The outgoing Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello has handed over the transition document to the incoming Governorelect, Umar Mohammed Bago to ensure the easy take-off of the administration in the state.

Bello handed over the document during a handingover ceremony at the government house in Minna.

The document includes the Sovereign Investment for Niger States and local government councils, shares certificate worth 6.7m dollars and 5m dollars for state and local governments among others.

He stated ”the Governorelect and I have a synergy and my administration has put in place all that are needed for the quick and easy takeoff of the next government. I assure that I will always be available

and supportive to the next administration”.

Bago in his response noted that one of the essence of democracy is a peaceful transition pointing out that he is excited because he is taking over from his “older brother”.

The governor-elect also commended Governor Bello for his non-interference which gave him the opportunity to contest and emerged as the elected gubernatorial

candidate for the All Progressives Congress, APC and subsequently won at the general elections.

The Senator representing Niger East, Senator Sani Musa speaking shortly described the handing over as historic particularly as it is within the party, adding that he will continue to provide advice to the next administration for the growth and development of the state.

Buhari signs NASS Service Pensions Board Act,

By Musa Baba Adamu

President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR has assented to the National Assembly Service Pensions Board (Establishment) Bill, which is in furtherance of the provisions of Section 58 of the Constitution and the Acts Authentication Act Cap. A2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

A statement signed and issued yesterday by his Senior Special Adviser on Parliament (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare, said the National Assembly Service Pensions Board (Establishment) Act establishes the National Assembly Service Pensions Board to administer the pension scheme for personnel of the Service and exempts the personnel of the National Assembly Service from the

Contributory Pension Scheme.

The President also assented to the Federal Road Safety Commission Training Institutions (Establishment) Bill, for capacity building and training in road traffic administration and safety management, and to provide training for members of Federal Road Safety Corp.

The National Commission for Almajiri

others

and Out of School Children Education Bill, earlier passed by the National Assembly was also assented to by the President. The Act seeks to provide multimodal system of education to tackle the menace of illiteracy, develop skill acquisition and entrepreneurship programmes, prevent youth poverty, delinquency and destitution in Nigeria.

Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (middle) with his Deputy, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo (2nd right), the incoming Governor of the state, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah (2nd left), his wife, Mrs. Nkechinyere Iheoma Mbah (left), the incoming Deputy Governor, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai (right), Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Callistus Onaga (3rd left), Monsignor Obiora Ike (3rd right), other Bishops and priests, etc, during a Thanksgiving Mass for the successful completion of Governor Ugwuanyi’s eight-year tenure, held at the Holy Ghost Cathedral, Ogui, Enugu, yesterday.

Economists fault CBN for hiking inflation rate, urge focus on key drivers

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Some Economists have urged the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to focus more on supply side or cost push factors and structural issues fueling inflation in the country.

The experts told the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Lagos that the repeated interest rate hikes had done little to stop the upward trend in inflation.

The apex bank on May 24, raised the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) for the seventh time to 18.5 per cent from 18 per cent.

The MPR is the baseline interest rate in an economy, on which every other interest rate used within an economy is built.

The Monetary Policy Committee had raised the MPR from 17.5 per cent to 18 per cent at its last meeting in March.

The members voted to retain the Asymmetric Corridor of +100/-700 basis points around the MPR, retain the Cash Reserve Ratio, CRR, of 32.5 per cent and retain the Liquidity Ratio of 30 per cent.

Prof. Ndubisi Nwokoma, Director, Centre for Economic Policy Analysis and Research, University of Lagos, advised CBN to focus its attention on the cost push factors as they drive inflation.

“On the increase in the MPR, I think the CBN is still battling with the inflation issue, which is proper.

“The CBN should focus more on the cost push factors of inflation, like the increased costs of production due to supply chain disruptions, exchange rate instability as well as increased price expectations due to the country’s fiscal challenges,’’ he said.

Mr Nwokoma, however, said the apex bank needed to also know that the negative consequences of its naira redesign and cashless policies were still affecting the inflation rate as they had not significantly moderated since cash became more available after the crisis earlier in the year.

Also, Uchenna Uwaleke, a Professor of Finance and Capital

Mshel homes unveils Lisa Suites in Abuja

By Abubakar Yunus, Abuja

Mshel homes has unveiled Lisa Suites in Asokoro, Abuja. The suites is a project established to help expand the frontiers suites and hotel in Nigeria and bridge the housing gap in the Federal Capital Territory.

Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the launching ceremony, the General Manager of Mshel Homes and suites, Architecture Barka Umaru Mshelia said one key thing about business is that you must create a sustainable plan for every business.

He said one key thing we have put in place is to look at our furniture and all the things we have put in place to make sure that there is constant change when this item deteriorate and we have taken care of a very good customer care representative experts who are here to serve our customers with the highest level of customers service.

According to him,”Our own desires is to give you comfort and luxury, and we can not be able to achieve it except we are deliberate to make sure they all your needs as it concerns the accomodations is taking care of and that’s why we are championing the new movement of real estate and our houses are fully smart”

Speaking further,he explained that when you look at our class of finishing, you will really know that we spent time and energy to really give it the world class luxury accomodations for people to be able to live in the highest level of comfort they would ever aspire, adding that the project cost the company almost 2.5 billion naira to put this here.

Umaru Mshelia said there are a lot of opportunities in the hospitality industry in Nigeria, because it has a lot of potential where people are looking for

a place where they can sit down, relax and have good opportunities. So for me I believe we are ripe in the market, we have come when a lot of opportunities reside here in Abuja

“Lately, I have seen in the news where the price of property and accommodations have grown. Why do they do that? It was because of the scarcity of quality accommodations and that’s why we distinguish ourselves to provide quality suites with that level of accomodations.

Speaking of the incoming

government,he said “I believe the incoming president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a business man and I can tell you that the same way he reorganized real estate in Lagos State,he would replicate that in Abuja.

“My anticipation is that there will be a great opportunity in Nigeria for him to tap a lot of opportunities that will bring about foreign investment and will increase our economic activities in the city of Abuja and Nigeria at large.

AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina says fuel subsidy killing Nigeria’s economy

From Abubakar Yunusa, Abuja

Akinwumi Adesina, the President African Development Bank, AfDB, says Fuel subsidy is killing Nigeria’s economy, costing it 10 billion dollars alone in 2022.

Mr Adesina, who said this at a lecture in Abuja, said Nigeria’s fuel subsidies benefit the rich not the poor, fueling their government’s endless fleets of cars at the expense of the poor.

“Estimates show that the poorest 40 per cent of the population consume just three per cent of petrol.”

According to him, support should be given to the private sector and modular refineries to allow for efficiency and competitiveness to drive down fuel pump prices.

“The newly commissioned Dangote Refinery by President Buhari, the largest single train petroleum refinery in the world, and its Petrochemical Complex will revolutionise Nigeria’s economy.

“Congratulations to Aliko Dangote for his amazing 19 billion dollar investment,” he said.

Mr Adesina also said there was an urgent need to look at the cost of governance.

“The cost of governance in Nigeria is way too high and should be drastically reduced to free up more resources for development.

“Nigeria is spending very little on development.

“Today, Nigeria is ranked among countries with the lowest human development index in the world.

“This is with a rank of 167 among 174 countries globally, according to the World Bank 2022 Public Expenditure Review report.”

Mr Adesina said to meet massive infrastructure needs, according to the report, Nigeria will require three trillion dollars by 2050.

He said according to the report, it will take Nigeria 300 years to provide its minimum

level of infrastructure needed for development at the current rate.

“Nigeria must rely more on the private sector for infrastructure development to reduce fiscal burdens on the government.

He further said there was the need to raise tax revenue, diversify the economy, tackle power challenge, revive rural areas, and invest in human capital among others.

“We must move away from the so-called “youth empowerment programmes as youths do not need handouts, they need investments.

“The current banking systems do not and will not lend to the youth.

“Special funds, with palliative in approach are not systemic and are also not sustainable.

“What’s needed to unleash the entrepreneurship of the youth in Nigeria are brand new financial ecosystems.

“Ecosystems that understand, value, promote and provide financial instruments

and platforms for nurturing business ventures of the youth at scale.”

On AfDB contribution, Mr Adesina said through its partnership with Agence Francaise de Development and the Islamic Development Bank, 618 million dollars I-DICE programme was initiated.

He said it was initated to develop digital and creative enterprises, they will create six million jobs and add 6.3 billion, dollars to Nigeria’s economy.

“With the support of the African Development Bank, Kenya, under President Kenyatta, was able to expand electricity access from 32:per cent in 2013 to 75 per cent in 2022.

“Today, 86 per cent of Kenya’s economy is powered by renewable energy.

“In 2014, Egypt had electricity deficit of 6,000 megawatts, but by 2022 it had 20,000 megawatts of surplus power generation capacity,” he said.

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (4th L); Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (M); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Belgore (3rd L); newly Nigerian confered Citizens, Prof. David Jowitt (3rd R); Janice Okpanachi (2nd R); and others, during the 1st 2023 Conferment Cetemony of 385 Nigeria Citizenship by Naturalisation/Registration on foreign Nationals, held at the weekend in Abuja . Photo: Justin Imo-owo

African operations contribute

50% to UBA’s earnings – CEO

From Abubakar Yunusa

The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc on Thursday announced that all its African subsidiaries are now on firm footing as they have been contributing maximally to the group’s profit margin.

The bank said its African operations, specifically, have contributed close to 50 per cent of the group’s earnings, leveraging on digital offerings and products across the board to gain large market shares across the different regions of operations in Africa.

The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of UBA Africa, Abiola Bawuah, disclosed this while addressing journalists from across Africa during a hybrid media parley on Thursday.

She also highlighted the impact of devaluation and double digit inflation in Nigeria and a number of other African countries where the bank operates, adding that the subsidiaries have been performing well, contributing significantly to the growth and development of trade, infrastructure and finance on the continent.

“As of last month, none of our African subsidiaries is making a loss. They have all been turning in profits, this is a testament to the fact that they have navigated successfully and have all found their footing.

“And this extends to each and every one of them, even the ones in war-torn countries. Of course, we are aware that there is always room for improvement, but for now, we are glad that our 19 subsidiaries are out of the red zone,” Mrs Bawuah said.

In the area of infrastructure financing, she noted that the bank has been bullish in financing projects across Africa, which according to her is based on the conviction that the continent needs to bridge the infrastructural gap necessary for economic growth.

“UBA has proven expertise and capacity in key sectors of economies across Africa, especially in oil and gas, infrastructure finance, agriculture and commodity/export, and these have positioned it as a preferred partner for structured solutions to key governments and corporates operating in/into Africa,” she said.

She noted that in the last few years, the bank has invested heavily and supported key governments of various African countries with over $1 billion in infrastructural development, especially in roads, hospitals, health, power and other critical sectors.

According to her, the bank has contributed massively in promoting trade in Africa and

CBN issues guide on usage of SabiMONI platform

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued procedures on how individuals can set up a profile on the new digital financial literacy platform called SabiMONI.

Last week, the apex bank Deputy Governor, Aishah Ahmad, announced that the bank has developed the SabiMONI e-learning platform.

In a thread of tweets with image illustrations posted on its official Twitter page, the CBN enumerated step-by-step guidelines on how to register and participate in the financial tool learning process.

According to the apex bank, the first step is to log on to the SabiMONIe-Learning platform with any browser to begin registration and create an account by registering and filling in all required fields on the page.

After that, the CBN said

the next step is to check email inbox/spam folder for a confirmation email and then click the confirmation link to verify the account.

Step-by-step guide to signing up for the SabiMONI Financial Literacy eLearning Platform… https://t.co/J96oqjmFqO pic. twitter.com/IrW2oGRp59

What should follow this is to fill in email/Username and password to log in and update user profile to have access to the platform, the CBN said.

The “SabiMoni” is an e-learning platform designed to train and provide people with up-to-date financial tools and resources at no cost.

During the launching ceremony of the digital financial tool, the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, hinted that the SabiMONI platform is a declaration that the bank is determined to meet the target of 95 per cent financial inclusion

by 2024.

#CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin #Emefiele, launched the Financial Literacy eLearning Platform, #SabiMONI, with the declaration that the Bank is determined to meet the target of 95% financial inclusion by 2024. 1/5 pic.twitter.com/ sDcGRxVCUJ

“#SabiMONI portal will serve as a repository of information not only for learners and trainers but also for researchers in the most effective manner,” he said.

#SabiMONI platform consists of 15 financial literacy modules, in a train-the-trainer model with the primary targets being the ‘Intermediaries Segment’ as identified by the National Financial Literacy Framework (NFLF) – Dir. Consumer Protection Department, Mrs. Rashida Monguno.4/5 pic.twitter.com/ Bc2XUPHGGd

On her part, the CBN Deputy

Governor, Aishah Ahmad, said the SabiMONI portal will help the Bank reach more people and make them aware of the benefits of financial products and services.

She said it will increase the use of financial services, help customers make better financial decisions and further drive financial inclusion in the country.

The apex bank noted that the SabiMONI platform consists of 15 financial literacy modules.

In a train-the-trainer model, it said the primary targets are the ‘Intermediaries Segment’ as identified by the National Financial Literacy Framework (NFLF) Director of Consumer Protection Department, Rashida Monguno.

“Upon completion of the course, learners will qualify as Certified Financial Literacy Trainers (CFLT),” the bank said.

NUPRC issues new laws to regulate Nigeria’s oil sector

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said it has issued seven new regulations aimed at providing a regulatory environment that assures efficiency, predictability, clarity and effectiveness to the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

NUPRC Chief Executive Gbenga Komolafe disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

Mr Komolafe said the new regulations were signed and issued at the commission’s headquarters in a ceremony witnessed by Ogonnaya Orji, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) .He said these bring to twelve (12) the number of regulations so far concluded and issued by the commission in line with its mandate as prescribed by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021.

“All the 12 regulations and others to be finalized soon would serve as the key regulatory tools to be deployed by the commission in the discharge of its statutory functions under the PIA regime.

“Eighteen regulations were initially identified as a priority. Issuing the regulations represents a significant milestone achievement for the commission in its continued stride towards the attainment of the goals of the PIA and the reformation of the upstream petroleum sector,” he said.

He listed the seven new regulations to include, the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum measurement regulations 2023, Production Curtailment and domestic crude oil supply obligation regulations 2023, Frontier basins exploration

fund administration regulations 2023, and the Nigeria Upstream Decommissioning and abandonment regulations 2023.

Others are Significant crude oil and Gas discovery regulations 2023, Gas flaring, Venting and methane emission (Prevention of Waste and Pollution) regulations 2023 and the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Unitization regulations, 2023.

Mr Komolafe noted that five regulations were successfully gazetted into law between June and October 2022.

“All the regulations are revolutionary and aimed at providing a regulatory environment that assures efficiency, predictability, clarity, and effectiveness to the industry in the discharge of the commission’s mandate.

“The PIA 2021 empowers the Commission to make regulations which will give meaning and intent to the spirit of the Act. Consequently, the Commission, in fulfilment of this mandate, swung into action with the drafting of regulations of which five were initially gazette and published,” he said.

He noted that gazetting the twelve regulations demonstrates the commission’s commitment towards providing a businessenabling environment in the Nigerian upstream oil and gas industry space.

“Our drive to promote clarity, trust and predictability in the industry has remained un-flinching as evident in the efforts deployed towards ensuring that regulations and key policies necessitated by the PIA are developed and gazetted expeditiously to enable alignment with the provisions of the PIA.

“The seven regulations signed today are part of the thirteen draft regulations that were presented for discussion during the first, second and third phases of our consultations with stakeholders between 2022 and 2023.

“It is worthy of note that inputs of stakeholders from the various engagements were considered in the drafting of the regulations.

“The drafts were subsequently forwarded to the Attorney general of the federation and minister of Justice for vetting, legislative standardization, and approval.

“It is pertinent to note that the process of formulating the above regulations has been a rigorous and strenuous exercise characterised by several challenges at different stages of the regulation-making process,” he said.

Nevertheless, he said, the

outcome of the process is a result of critical thinking, vigorous engagements with the industry stakeholders, careful evaluation, and hard work by the commission’s regulation development team, whose efforts are a testament to the commission’s continually strive towards excellence in the discharge of its functions.

“I also charge them to redouble their ongoing efforts to speedily conclude work on the other regulations that they are currently working on as well as the others that have been identified and are being developed.

“The commission assures the industry of its continued dedication to develop and issue policies that will create an enabling environment for growth and more investments in the Nigerian upstream oil and gas sector,” he said.

Gwagwalada Chairman to upgrade monarchs, as Giri village head turbaned

By Usman Shauibu

Following the turbaning ceremony of the village head of Giri Kpasere, Etsu Yunusa Garba Dalhatu, the Executive Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council in the FCT, Hon. Abubakar Jibrin Giri, has said that plans are underway to upgrade more traditional rulers to the status of the village heads and district heads in the area.

Giri, who made this known in an interview with Peoples Daily correspondent during the coronation of Etsu Yunusa Barba Dalhatu in Giri Community on Saturday.

He said his administration would carry the traditional rulers along in the scheme of things, calling on the monarchs to always co-operate with the constituted authority.

He then advised the newly turbaned Village Head of Giri Kpasere to take his subjects along for the sake of peace and unity.

While addressing the crowd, the Gwagwalada Council boss pleaded with the Village Head to shun rumour-mongering in his Chiefdom and administered the people with the fear of God.

Also speaking, the Etsu Yunusa Garba Dalhatu, appealed to Gwagwalada Chairman to build a befitting palace for him.

He thanked the Chairman for upgrading him to the status of the Village Head, saying that he would always listen to the complaints of his subjects.

Etsu Dalhatu used the occasion to appeal to the parents to send their children to schools and counseled the youths against drug abuse of any kind.

Meanwhile, the Etsu Yunusa Garba Dalhatu has nine cabinet members which include Usman Deze Mohammed served as Shaba, Mallam Mohammed Haruna served as Sarkin Pada, Adamu Mohammed Datsugbe served as Secretary, Umar Dalhatu Ibrahim served as Wakili, Mallam Saidu Idris served as Liman and the position of Barde went to Danjuma Joshua.

Other cabinet members are Abubakar Mohammed (Pakke), Mohammed Haruna (Beyake) and the Position of Assistant Secretary was maintained by Suleiman Fazhi D.

Nigeria begins national carrier with Boeing 737-8000 aircraft

By Albert Akota

The Federal Government of Nigeria at the weekend at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airpor, Abuja, took delivery of a Boeing 737-8000 aircraft to launch Nigeria Air. Disclosing this to newsmen, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Sen. Hadi SIrika, said there are plans to create a fleet of 35 aircraft by 2028.

According to him, the achievement is the fulfilment of the promise of President Muhammadu Buhari to revive the national carrier before the end of his term, one of his 2015 election campaign promises

He informed Nigerians that, Ethiopian Airlines will own a 49

per cent stake in the new airline, while the Nigerian Sovereign Fund will take 46 per cent and the Nigerian Federal Government the remaining 5 per cent.

“We in the Ministry of Aviation in Nigeria and Aerospace understood the importance of infrastructure as a catalyst for economic growth and development. And these infrastructures include the soft infrastructure of airlines.

“The preferred bidder, Ethiopia, as a country as well as the second largest economy in Africa after Nigeria, are largely dependent on Ethiopia Airline. They have been operating the airline for over 70 years.

“Also, Ethiopia as a country, just to underscore the process

of aviation especially the airline, is the only airline with Qatar to record US$1 billion during COVID-19.

“Really, airline infrastructure is a driver of the economy. It is a catalyst for growth and economy,” Sirika said.

According to him, air transportation is the key to achieve AU Agenda 2063 in Aviation, which is Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future.

He said the agenda aimed to deliver on Africa’s goal for inclusive, sustainable development and concrete manifestation of the panAfrican drive for unity, selfdetermination, freedom,

progress and collective prosperity pursued under Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance.

Nigeria, by the grace of God Almighty, is the centre of Africa. We are more than 250 million vibrant and brilliant people, who travel a lot by air.

“So, we have a population, we have geography, we have the economy, we have the people, we have the market. Nigeria has the largest population in Africa followed by Ethiopia.

“So, it is a very laudable process we went through,” he said.

The minister said all projects contained in the aviation roadmap would be driven by Public Private Partnership for better performance.

May 29: Ortom hands over to Alia

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Benue State Governor has handed over to Governorelect Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia.

The handing over took place on Sunday at the banquet hall of the Government House.

Governor Ortom told Fr. Alia that the hand over contain structure and summary of his 8 years administration as gov of

the State, adding that the note contained in in details sectoral, ministries and agencies key program implemented by my administration.

He explained that the documents are in 3 Volumes with briefs from ministries, Departments and Agency,MDAs containing policy document of the State develiopment plan from 2016 on which his government was anchored.

According to him, highlights of total incomes that accrued for 8 years from all sources is put at 734.9 billion naira as at 30th April 2023, adding that the expenditure is 735.6 while the total indebtedness is 187.7 billion naira .

“The debt profile seem high which is inclusive of pension but we took steps towards debt reduction in debt swap between State that brought it to 71.6

billion”.

“The reduction came from inflow backlog of accumulated stamp debt 48 bilion, maintaining that 42 billion bailout find and 20 infrastructure development fund is owed the State from the Federal Government”, Ortom said.

In a short response, governorelect Alia appreciated the Governor for his service to his fatherland.

Inter-denominational church service for presidential inauguration at the National Christian center, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

METRO

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has flagged off ground breaking contract for the final engineering, design and infrastructure development of Maitama II District, of the Territory.

Speaking during the ceremony, the outgoing FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, said the project at the cost of N184 billion , if completed will open up the Federal Capital City to accommodate the increasing population of the nation’s capital, Abuja.

Bello, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary FCT Administration, Mr Olusade Adesola, said the engineering infrastructure project marks the conclusion of the administration’s actualisation map of developing the territory.

He said the Maitama II District, which covers 780 hectares of land mass on the hills of Maple, will have presidential resort as one of the features to be accommodated.

Bello noted that the administration is conscious of its responsibility to the residents of FCT, for the continuous provision of the requisite engineering infrastructure necessary for the growth of residential, commercial and social services.

He acknowledged the keen

interest of the National Assembly in supporting the administration in all stages that led to the approval and award of the contract.

“We are committed to ensuring sustainable funding of the project from our internally generated revenue and other sources”, he stressed.

Ealier, in welcome his remarks, the Executive Secretary Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Shehu Ahmed

revealed that the contract was awarded to Messrs Dantata & Sawoe Nig. Ltd at the contract sum of N184,366,505,342.50, with a completion period of 48 months.

This, Ahmed said was in addition to the numerous other achievements already recorded within the period of the outgoing Minister since he took over the mantle of leadership of the FCTA.

He said: “The District planned to be mixed development with

provision for a Presidential resort amongst others.

“It is bounded to the North by Mpape, to the South by Gurku District and the Army Baarracks, to the West by Maitama Extension District and to the East by FCT/Nasarawa State boarder.

“In line with the provisions of the Abuja Master Plan, infrastructure development of the city is being developed progressIvely to meet-up with

the rate of expansion of the City as well as availability of funds.

“The scope of work for the Development of Maitama II District mainly include: Site Clearance and Earthworks Road Works Storm Water Drainage System Cuverts of various sizes Confirmatory Site Tests Waste WVater Drainage System, Water Distribution Network Power Supply and Street Lighting Conduits for Telecommunication”.

Transition: Amb. David, former Aide applauds Bello, FCT Minister

By Stanley Onyekwere

The immediate past Special Assistant on Youth Matters, Ambassador Isaac David has commended the outgoing minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello for finding him worthy to work with his government.

David, in a statement expressed appreciation for the opportunity to work in the service of the FCT Administration.

According to him, “allowing me to work with him was a rare privilege that I had to enthusiastically grab with both hands when the call was made.

“The announcement came at the moment when the least was expected which was evident in the kind of excitement and

happiness that enveloped among the original inhabitants of Abuja that the right person who has been championing their course over the years was appointed.

“This reaction from my people was the main reason why I would forever remain grateful to him because it resonated joy, ecstasy, and hope in the land of FCT, and to the glory of God, we were able to better the lives of indigenous, most especially the youth than we met it.

“On this, I shall always remain loyal to you and forever ready to work with you if the opportunity comes again because your simple approaches to affairs of FCT as minister which devoid of high handedness was second to none. You exhibited some characteristics and attitudes that are worthy of emulation as

a leader, therefore I pray you to continue to succeed in your future endeavours.”

He said although the official relationship might have been cut off at the moment he is looking forward to continuing with him in a personal relationship because of his good, nice, and straightforward nature which cannot be easily forgotten.

“I am proud of working with you because as a leader, you demonstrated the most sincerity, integrity, and zero tolerance for corruption in discharging your duty, and like that, you inculcated the same among those who worked with you which has hitherto prepared them to fit-in, in any kind of services they are called-up, I pray you to continue to soar higher in the service of this nation,” he said.

FCTA flags off N184b infrastructure contract in Maitama II College

of Nursing Science asked to hold matriculation annually

By Stanley Onyekwere

The FCT College of Nursing Science in Gwagwalada Area Council, has been directed to ensure that matriculation to be held as an official ceremony of the institution on annual basis, to ensure that graduates of the schools are properly integrated into working life.

The FCT Administration gave this directive through the outgoing Minister of FCT, Mallam Muhammad Bello, at the 2nd convocation ceremony 1991-2023 and 1st Matriculation (2022-2023), said that it would also ensure that the undergraduate would also be integrated into the learning life.

Bello explained that in achieving this, they have made provisions specifically in the budget of the FCT to ensure that the College of Nursing Science program is funded, year in and year out.

“I want to thank the Chief Medical Director of Gwagwalada Medical Hospital for the offer of employment to the best-

graduating students. We look forward to who will win for the very first winner of this opportunity,” he said.

The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Olusade Adesola congratulated all the graduates who successfully completed their programs, saying that their dedication, hard work, and perseverance have brought them to this point and that they should be proud of their achievements.

“Today, we celebrate your accomplishments and the knowledge and skills you have gained during your time at this esteemed institution.

“I am proud to note that graduates of this school have continued to distinguish themselves in their professional affairs as reports reaching us indicate that they are well sought after within and outside our shores.

“I also wish to congratulate all students who will be matriculating. Your first steps to becoming nurses have just begun and I encourage you to make the best use of

the opportunity of being students of this school to distinguish yourselves.

“At inception in 1991, the School of Midwifery operated alongside the School of Nursing under the umbrella of School of Nursing and Midwifery, Abuja. The school at that time occupied the present administrative block of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada,” he said.

Bello further noted that on January 14, 1993, FCT School of Midwifery gained autonomy and on February 6, 1995, it moved to its permanent site where it operates to date, and in those years it has sent out without fail very highly qualified nurses and midwives.

“To many of those graduates, therefore, this convocation is coming rather late and I urge the school management to endeavour to consistently celebrate this very important milestone in the lives of your students.

“Today, however, marks the culmination of much hard work,

dedication, focus, and commitment to the realisation of your ambitions and goals and it is heart-warming to see that many of the older graduates have made the efforts to be here,” the Minister said.

The minister, also disclosed that the Establishment Bill of the College is at the final stage of passage at the National Assembly and that great improvements have been added to both academic and non-academic activities.

“It might interest you to know that qualified tutors have been employed, massive renovations of facilities are ongoing, and the information technology infrastructure has been upgraded with Computer-Based Testing for internal and entrance examinations constantly taking place.

“These tests, I am informed are wholly conducted by the school personnel and have commenced the online application process for entrance into the college which remains one of the highest in the country,” he said.

Muhammad Musa Bello

US debt ceiling: Democrats and Republicans agree deal in principle, Joe Biden says

President Joe Biden and his Republican opponents have announced they have agreed in principle to raise the US debt ceiling and avert a default.

President Joe Biden described the agreement as a “compromise”, while House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said it “was worthy of the American people”.

The deal, after weeks of bitter negotiations, still needs to be approved by a divided Congress.

The Treasury has warned the US will run out of money on 5 June without a deal.

The US must borrow money to fund the government because it spends more than it raises in taxes.

Republicans have been seeking spending cuts in areas such as education and other social programmes in exchange for raising the $31.4tn (£25tn) debt limit.

Details of the tentative deal have not officially been releasedbut CBS, the BBC’s partner in the

US, reported that non-defence government spending would be kept flat for two years and then rise by 1% in 2025.

It was unclear how exactly a government programme that provides food-purchasing assistance for people on low or no incomes would change.

In a statement, President Biden described the agreement as a compromise which was good for the country “because it prevents what could have been a catastrophic default and would have led to an economic recession, retirement accounts devastated, and millions of jobs lost”.

Mr McCarthy, for his part, referred to “historic reductions in spending, consequential reforms that will lift people out of poverty into the workforce”.

“There are no new taxes, no new government programs,” he said.

Mr McCarthy added that he planned to finish writing the bill

on Sunday, before having a vote in Congress on Wednesday.

But he faces a challenge to push it through the House, where it may be opposed by some diehards among both Republicans and Democrats. On Sunday, Republican Representative Chip Roy of Texas said in a tweet he and some others were “going to try” to stop it passing.

Republicans control the House by 222 to 213, while Democrats control the Senate by 51 to 49.

Mr McCarthy told Fox News on Sunday that more than 95% of House Republicans were very excited about the deal.

A US default would upend the US economy and disrupt global markets.

In the US, the immediate effect would be that the government would quickly run out of funds to pay for welfare benefits and other support programmes, for instance.

Over a long period, the crisis would tip the US economy into

recession - and this would result in unemployment rising.

A US recession would have big knock-on effects for many countries around the world, for which the US is a key trading partner - they would not be able

to sell to an economy that does not buy as much.

And because the US dollar is the reserve currency of the world, a default would send panic across the world, eventually leading to prices of many commodities rising.

China’s C919 passenger plane enters into service

China’s first domestically-manufactured large passenger jet has successfully completed its maiden commercial flight.

State TV showed the C919 rising into the skies above Shanghai, heading to the capital Beijing early on Sunday.

It was built by the Commercial Aviation Corporation of China (Comac) in the hope of breaking the dominance of Airbus and Boeing’s single-aisle jets.

But the 164-seater still relies heavily on Western components, including engines and avionics.

The Shanghai-Beijing leg of the journey, with more than 130 passengers on board, was completed in just under three hours.

“I’m really confident in our country,” said passenger Liu Peng. He told Reuters news agency C919 “will definitely get better and better”.

“I’m feeling very emotional,” said 21-yearold student and flight enthusiast LV Boyuan. He spoke to Reuters at Shanghai airport before he boarded a normal flight to Chengdu,

from where he planned to take a return C919 flight the day after.

Designed to compete with large jumbo jets from Europe’s Airbus and the US airplane maker Boeing, the C919 can carry many more passengers and has a much longer range than its little brother, the ARJ21 - China’s first domestic jet, in service since 2016.

State-backed China Eastern Airline has ordered five of the newer, bigger planes.

Comac - which plans to produce 150 planes annually in five years’ time - says it has already secured more than 1,200 orders for the C919.

Some experts, however, say that most of these orders are believed to be letters of intent from domestic customers.

President Xi Jinping, who sat in the cockpit of a mock-up C919 a few years ago, has described the project as one of China’s most innovative achievements.

The C919 made its first test flight in 2017 and has undergone several similar flights since

Venice canal patch turns fluorescent green

Venetians woke up on Sunday morning to an unusual sight, as a patch of water in the city’s central waterway appeared to have turned fluorescent green.

Local authorities have collected water samples and opened an urgent investigation.

Speculation is rife as to what might have caused the water around the famous Rialto Bridge to change colour.

Theories range from the release of dye to a protest by environmental activists.

Italian media reported that local police were examining CCTV to determine whether the release might have been a stunt to coincide with the Volgalonga regatta taking place this weekend.

Many social media users said the images coming out of Venice were remindful of the 1968 stunt by Argentine artist Nicolás García

Uriburu, who dyed the waters of the Grand Canal green in order to raise awareness of ecological issues.

Spanish village votes in 30 seconds

An entire Spanish village voted in less than 30 seconds in this weekend’s local elections.

The seven registered voters of Villaroya, a small village in the La Rioja province, beat their own previous record of 32 seconds.

Salvador Perez, the incumbent mayor, has been in the role since 1973.

“I don’t know if I’ll get all seven votes, but it’s almost certain that I will,” he told Spanish media.

Mr Perez said that Villaroya’s residents are “very well trained” and were ready to cast their votes as soon as polls opened this morning.

A mere 29 seconds and 52 hundredths

later, Villaroya became the first seat in Spain to finish voting.

Mr Perez admitted his fellow countrymen were probably motivated by a sense of competitiveness with another Spanish village, Illán de Vacas in Castilla-La Mancha, which only has three registered voters.

Spain’s local elections are seen as a test run for parliamentary polls due at the end of the year.

Twelve of the country’s seventeen regional parliaments, and 8,000 town and city halls, are being contested.

ChatGPT: US lawyer admits using AI for case research

ChatGPT can answer questions using natural, human-like language and mimic other writing styles

A New York lawyer is facing a court

hearing of his own after his firm used AI tool ChatGPT for legal research.

A judge said the court was faced with an “unprecedented circumstance” after a filing was found to reference example legal cases that did not exist.

The lawyer who used the tool told the court he was “unaware that its content could be false”.

ChatGPT creates original text on request, but comes with warnings it can “produce inaccurate information”.

The original case involved a man suing an airline over an alleged personal injury. His legal team submitted a brief that cited several previous court cases in an attempt to prove, using precedent, why the case should move forward.

Sourcec: BBC

Mr Biden called House Speaker Kevin McCarthy after spending three days at the G7 meeting in Japan

Special red boarding passes were handed out during the first commercial flight of a C919 plane

Mozambique cholera: Why outbreaks have sparked unrest

False claims about the spread of a cholera outbreak in northern Mozambique have led to violent protests and deaths, according to health officials.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted instances in which misinformation about the disease has contributed to the unrest.

Through social media posts and local media reports, we’ve looked into some of these protests to understand what was behind the trouble.

In one recent incident, a man was beaten to death in the town of Gurue in Zambezia province by people who falsely accused him of spreading cholera, according to health officials.

The event was captured in a graphic video seen by the BBC that has been circulating on social messaging apps and shows the body of a man with a large crowd looking on.

In another protest, four people were killed as police battled a group attacking homes and property belonging to local officials in Nacala Porto in

Nampula province.

Further north in Cabo Delgado province, police fired into the air to disperse a crowd trying to attack a health centre in Meluco district.

What do people believe?

It is unclear what is fuelling the misinformation - which is largely spreading through word of mouth - although our monitoring of social media has provided some insight.

Cholera thrives in conditions where water sanitation is inadequate.

Some online posts claim falsely that measures implemented by local health officials, such as adding chlorine to water supplies and the use of purifiers, are in fact spreading the disease.

The BBC’s Jose Tembe in Maputo says almost all violent cases related to cholera stem from misinformation.

“Also targeted are grassroots leaders who mobilise people to use the purifiers. The leaders are falsely thought to be part of the alleged group spreading the water-borne disease,” he says.

South Africa period poverty: ‘I

Tamara Magwashu was bullied at school as her family was not rich enough to afford sanitary pads.

Now 27, she grew up in a poor township in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province and watched her single mother use old rags during menstruation.

Tamara would take at least a week off school while she was on her period, and had to learn how to fold and use the rags, which were very uncomfortable.

That scarring experience has motivated her as an adult.

“I made a choice deep within me that I didn’t want anyone else to go through what I did,” she tells the BBC.

“So I had the idea to create my own company, to eradicate period poverty.”

She now delivers sanitary pads to hundreds of schools in the Eastern Cape.

‘Grew up in a shack’

Her work has been recognised by her community and she was nominated for this year’s Forbes magazine 30 under 30 list, which showcases young campaigners and entrepreneurs from around the world.

Describing her upbringing in the township of Duncan Village in the city of East London, Tamara says she has lived her entire life “in a shack - never had any windows, never had any [piped] water”.

She decided to get part-time jobs after school to try and

make ends meet for her family - and to help when she was on her period.

“I started to work whenever I could around my studies so that I could buy sanitary pads because for me those rags were very uncomfortable.”

Tamara also says that as a teenager she found it very difficult to understand why she was getting period pains, because there was very little education about menstruation.

She was not alone in this struggle.

Anti-poverty NGO The Borgen Project estimates that seven million South African girls cannot afford to buy sanitary products.

Across the globe, the World Bank says that at least 500 million women and girls lack access to the facilities they need during their periods.

UN Women reckons that 1.25 billion women and girls worldwide have no safe, private toilet to go to.

And that is the case for Tamara and her family. They share a public toilet with around 50 others in her township.

Despite South Africa being one of the wealthiest countries on the continent, the young businesswoman thinks it only really “shines from the outside”.

When she went to university in Johannesburg to study public relations, Tamara managed to start saving some money from her student loan as

In a caption accompanying the video of the killing in Garue, the victim was alleged to have distributed infected “dust” at a property in the area.

The WHO Africa representative in Mozambique, Severin von Xylander, says

misinformation is dangerous because it can fuel behaviour that drives the spread of disease.

Mozambique has been battling an outbreak of the disease since September last year.

It’s just one of many countries in the region facing rising cases of

cholera, including South Africa, Malawi, Zimbabwe, DR Congo and Kenya.

“This, in turn, undermines trust in health authorities, which hampers public health responses and ultimately prolongs outbreaks.”

well as income from her parttime jobs in order to start her own business, with a view to changing things for women and girls in her community.

She had to be self-sufficient as she had tried to get a business loan but no-one would take a risk on her as she did not have any assets to her name.

She eventually launched the business in 2021 with the aim of selling period products at an affordable price for disadvantaged women.

She called it Azosule, which means “to wipe away every tear from their eyes” in South

Africa’s Xhosa language.

It also has a charitable arm, using a portion of its profits.

Tamara created the “She needs you” campaign where she goes into schools in rural areas to deliver pads for free.

The Borgen Project estimates around 30% of girls do not attend school there while they are on their period because they do not have access to sanitary products.

‘It was like Christmas’ Her former secondary school headteacher is proud of her work.

“She has helped the girls so

much. She has brought so many pads that the girls have enough for six months - it was like Christmas for them,” Thazea Mnyaka says.

“These girls come from disadvantaged backgrounds where their only meals can come from school, how can they buy sanitary products?”

In addition, Tamara does local pad drives on the street, where she hands out her products in marginalised communities.

Yazini Kuse is a journalist, also from Duncan Village, and she was the first reporter to

don’t want anyone else to use rags for sanitary pads’

Cholera outbreaks are common in Mozambique

Tamara Magwashu wants to make sure that young women have access to sanitary pads

Ukraine war: Kyiv hit by new massive Russian drone attack

Russia has carried out a new massive drone attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.

Kyiv’s mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said a man died when drone wreckage fell near a petrol station. A woman was injured.

Overall, Russia launched a record 54 so-called kamikaze drones on Ukrainian targets, 52 of which were shot down, Ukraine’s Air Force reported.

Russia - which launched its fullscale invasion in February 2022has stepped up its attacks on Kyiv, seeking to overwhelm the capital’s defences.

At least two high-rise buildings in different districts of the capital caught fire after being hit by falling drone fragments.

Kyiv officials also reported that warehouses in the southern Holosiyivsky district had been set ablaze.

More than 40 drones were downed over the capital overnight, Ukrainian officials said. This information has not been independently verified.

But President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the air defence and rescue services, saying: “You look up to destroy enemy missiles, aircraft, helicopters, and drones. Every time you shoot down enemy drones and missiles, lives are saved... you are heroes!”

Kyiv resident Anastasiia said that she was asleep at home when she was woken up by the sound of a drone flying “very close” to her window.

“I then saw a big flash of light inside the flat. At first it was yellow, then bright orange and then blinding white. It was so bright that I could not see anything in the flat,” she told the BBC, adding that it all went “very quiet” during the flashes and that the sound of the explosions came “two or three seconds after the flash. It was very loud, like thunder.”

“Those two or three seconds felt like a very long time,” she said. “The bright light was transformed into total darkness. I wanted to check if there was any damage. I could not understand what happened. I was in shock so I did not feel scared. I could not understand if I and my flat were OK.”

Anastasiia said she only realised she was still alive when she heard the sound of car alarms in the street. “When people read the news about drones being intercepted, this is what it means in reality. Then I went back to sleep until my friend brought me breakfast and I realised that we have to appreciate every moment of life.”

Some officials accused Russia of targeting Kyiv deliberately as residents prepared to celebrate Kyiv Day - the anniversary of the city’s foundation more than 1,500 years ago and a popular holiday before the war.

Earlier on Sunday, air raid alerts were activated in 12 regions of Ukraine, from Volyn in the north-west to Dnipropetrovsk in the south-east. There were also reports of explosions in the city of Zhytomyr, west of Kyiv.

In its recent attacks, Russia has been using so-called kamikaze drones as well as a range of cruise and ballistic missiles.

The frequency of the Russian attacks on Kyiv and elsewhere has been increasing as Ukraine steps up its preparations for a counteroffensive.

On Saturday, one of Ukraine’s most senior security officials told the BBC the country was ready to launch such an operation.

Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the powerful National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, said an assault to retake territory from President Vladimir Putin’s occupying forces could begin

“tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week”.

Ukraine has been planning a counter-offensive for months. But it has wanted as much time as possible to train troops and to receive military equipment from Western allies.

In the meantime, Russian forces have been preparing their defences in the seized regions of south-eastern Ukraine.

Drone attacks by both sides have been rising. Russia has been targeting not just Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure but also military targets.

In particular, Russia seems to be trying not only to deplete Ukraine’s stock of air defence missiles but also to damage the launch systems themselves.

In turn, Ukraine has been targeting key locations in parts of the country occupied by Russian forces. Those include command

and control sites, logistical supply lines including oil storage centres. Ahead of Ukraine’s much expected counter-offensive, the tempo of military exchanges between both sides appears to be rising.

In recent weeks, Russia has blamed Kyiv for heavy artillery and mortar shelling on the region of Belgorod. On Sunday, Belgorod’s governor ordered all schools along the border with Ukraine and in Belgorod city to close for the summer with immediate effect.

Speaking to the BBC, Andrei Kelin, Russia’s ambassador to the UK, said his country had “enormous resources” and it was yet to “act very seriously”.

Warning that supplies of weapons to Ukraine risk escalating the war to levels not seen so far, he added: “Sooner or later, of course, this escalation may get a new dimension which we do not need and we do not want.”

Indian Olympic wrestlers detained as latest protest escalates

Two Olympic wrestlers have been detained by police in India during the latest protest against the alleged sexual abuse of female athletes.

Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik were among those trying to march to Delhi’s new parliament on Sunday.

They were stopped by hundreds of police, who were on duty for the building’s inauguration.

Footage showed protesters climbing over barricades and being carried away by the authorities.

Two-time World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat and her sister Sangeeta were also among the country’s top wrestlers to be detained.

“This is wrong,” Ms Malik told reporters after she had been placed on a bus by the authorities.

“We were walking quietly, they dragged us forcefully and detained us and they’re not even telling us where we will be taken.”

“Our people are not being allowed to march,” said Mr Phogat, adding that the protesters “requested with folded hands” that police let them go and that they would go peacefully.

The incident happened as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was officially opening the new parliament nearby, which has replaced the British-era building.

Most opposition parties boycotted the ceremony after criticising the government for not asking President Droupadi Murmu, who is head of state, to open it.

Police claimed the protesting wrestlers had not followed their directions and that they had

detained those who had tried to break the barricades.

“They broke the law,” Delhi’s Special Commissioner of Police, Dependra Pathak told local media.

“Regarding further action, we would ascertain what rules have been violated and then take action by following due legal process.”

The police also removed tents and other items from the site where the protesters have been camped out for weeks.

Their handling of the march has been criticised by a number of opposition politicians.

“Strongly condemn the way Delhi Police manhandled Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and other wrestlers,” tweeted West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from the All India Trinamool Congress party.

“It’s shameful our champions are treated in this manner.”

Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is from the Aam Aadmi Party, called the police’s behaviour “very wrong and condemnable”.

Ms Malik - the first Indian woman to win an Olympic wrestling medal in 2016 - later tweeted that once she and her fellow protesters were released they would begin their “satyagraha”, a form of nonviolent resistance, again.

The demonstrators accuse wrestling officials of sexually harassing women in the sport. That includes the head of its governing body, Brij Bhushan Singh, who denies the claims.

Their protests began in January but were called off the same month after Mr Singh was stripped of his

administrative powers by the sports ministry and the government promised to investigate their complaints.

The wrestlers restarted their protests in April, calling for his arrest. Earlier this month, they claimed they were abused and assaulted by Delhi police.

The Indian Olympic Association set up a committee to investigate the allegations against Mr Singh, which submitted its report weeks ago. The committee’s findings haven’t been revealed yet.

Police in Delhi were also on guard on Sunday as a group of farmers tried to enter the city to support the wrestlers. That was after dozens of farmers broke down police barricades in Delhi to join another protest earlier this month.

Source: BBC

Several buildings were hit by falling drone fragments, Kyiv officials say

Education NSSEC to partner Min of Communication on digital deployment in schools

By Maryam Abeeb

National Senior Secondary Education Commission has expressed its readiness to partner with Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy in facilitating the deployment of digital pedagogy in Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria.

This was disclosed in statement on the heels of the commission’s visit led by the Chairperson, Ambassador Nimota Akanbi to the outgoing Minister, Prof. Isa Ibrahim Pantami recently in his office in Abuja.

In her address, Akanbi

noted that her commission’s request,“ for the technical assistance and partnership from the Ministry is to facilitate a seamless deployment of digital pedagogy in Senior Secondary Schools in the nation.”

She acknowledged the contribution of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), which she said “has always

been of immense help in the installation of solar powers and its maintenance, installation of Information Communication Technology (ICT) centers in some Secondary Schools across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, with the aim to power the 21st century teaching and learning effectiveness for future readiness.”

The Board Chairperson further solicited for Man power

development for staffs of the Commission to improve their Productivity and Capability in the workforce, a development Unified Educational Portal for Data collation for Senior Secondary Schools which she said, will serve as a data depository bank for information dissemination.

In his response, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, said that, the Ministry will spring up urgent

support and collaboration with the Commission to come in the area of ICT to aid Secondary School in Nigeria.

He applauded the outgoing President Mohammadu Buhari and the Minister of Education for their providence in resuscitating the Commission knowing fully well according to him the Secondary subsector is better than the Tertiary subsector he said.

Nigeria researchers develop innovations to tackle poverty, education challenges

By Maryam Abeeb

Nigerian researchers have developed four prototype innovations to address the challenges of hunger, poverty, quality education, responsible consumption and production in the country.

The prototypes were developed by lecturers from public higher institutions, under the Research for Impact (R4i), an initiative of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in collaboration with Innov8 Hub.

The lecturers, numbering 18 were selected to participate in the initiative, who were then divided into four teams that developed prototypes of their innovative solutions to challenges in the Nigerian Society.

Team one, called ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’designed a smart grain storage using an approach that prevents pest infestation of stored grains; keeping them safe for consumption while Team 2 called ‘No Poverty’designed a Float House named “Gimbaliya,” constructed using low density

material that float on water.

Team 3 ‘zero hunger’ developed anAutomated Ultrasonic SolarPowered Sprayer and broadspectrum bio-pesticides for control of pests in an eco-friendly manner, anchored on SDG 2-Zero Hunger.

Team 4 ‘Quality Education,’ desiged a innovation, ‘E-Access,’ a mobile application that caters for lecturers who develop lecture materials, and students in need of lecture materials.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the two weeks training, the executive secretary of TETFund, Arch. Sonny Echono encouraged athe 18 participants to be change agent when they go back to their various institutions.

He urged the to make the right contribution and see that education become impactful, set personal goals and ignore the noise around them in order to excel in whatever they do.

The executive secretary further said Nigeria must move from the mindset that God will give them everything.

“The Research for Impact Initiative is logical response to our

desire to solve societal problems, to address the challenges we currently face in our country in terms of generating revenue.

“Our country is going through very difficult times, we have one of the highest population growth rate in the world and there are projections that in few years now we will actually become the third in the world in terms of population.

“While many see this as a blessing, some of us also know that if we do not prepare our population and give them the tools to survive and compete, we have a time bomb in our hands because our landmark is not going to increase, we are going to have challenges,” he said.

Chief facilitator for R4i workshop, Dr Obichi Obiajunwa was to celebrate the culmination of two weeks of intensive training in innovation and prototype development, an endeavor that has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on each and every one of the participants.

He said innovation is the lifeblood of progress for any nation and the driving force that propels

societies forward, enabling them to tackle complex challenges and create a better world.

“As lecturers, you play a crucial role in shaping the minds of future generations, and your ability to infuse innovation into your teaching and research will have a profound impact for any on the development of our nation.

“The knowledge and skills you have acquired in this workshop will not only enhance your individual abilities but also enrich the academic landscape of your respective universities.

“The prototypes that you

have developed throughout this workshop are a testament to your creativity and problem-solving prowess. Each idea represents a spark of inspirational potential solution to a pressing societal issue.

“These prototypes have the power to transform lives, to drive sustainable development, and to contribute to the well-being of our communities,” he said.

He commended TETfund for the invaluable support and guidance in fostering innovation and research excellence in the country.

FG presents 18 ambulances to Unity Schools

Maryam Abeeb

The federal government through the ministry of education has presented state of the art ambulances to 18 Federal Government Colleges (FGCs).

The Minister of State for Education, Mr Goodluck Opiah while presenting the ambulance at the FGC Apo in Abuja, charged the recipient schools to make good use of the ambulances.

He said that each ambulance would go to three unity colleges across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

He said the delivery was a pilot project of the ministry, stressing that more ambulances would be delivered in no time to other schools.

”I am highly delighted to be performing this handing over ceremony of ambulances and two buses to some of our Unity colleges, as one of my last assignment as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

”The significance of this is that the Federal Ministry of Education not only wants our children to be well educated but to also ensure that they remain in good health in order to have sound minds for the pursuit of learning.

”The Ministry intends to make sure that every unity school have an ambulance and this is the first set. We would be procuring another set of 15 ambulances from the 2023 appropriation.

”And these would be distributed on the basis of distance to urban centres,

difficulty in accessing hospital services and geopolitical spread,” he said.

He urged the schools to make use of the ambulances for the optimal benefit of the students, Opiah said the ambulances would be domiciled in the care of the government hospital within the school community.

”The option of handing over the ambulances to the hospitals was informed by the need for functional use, as if it is left with your individual schools, it may not be used for up to three months.

”We are also giving out two buses to two of our new schools that do not have one. This is to make sure that all unity schools have their own buses for use by the students. You are to make sure that the bus is not miss used,” he said.

The Director, Senior Secondary Education in the ministry, Hajia Binta Abdulkadri, called for effective safeguarding of the ambulances.

The beneficiary schools are FGC, Nasarawa state, Federal Governmtent Girls College (FGGC),Langtang, Plateau state, Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC) Ogugu, Kogi and FGC, Azare, Bauchi.

Others are FSTC, Michika Adamawa state, FGGC, Jalingo, Taraba, FSTC Katsina, FSTC Kaduna, FGC Gusau, Zamfara, FGC Nise,Anambra and FSTC Amuzu, Ebonyi state.

In the list are FSTC Umuaka, FGC October, Akwa-Ibom, FGC, Ikom, Cross River, FGC Odi, Bayelsa, FGC, Ikirun, Osun, FSTC, Igangan, Ogun

Malam Adamu Adamu

Feature

Portugal housing crisis: ‘I’ll

The landlady’s been chasing me since 2018, she says she needs the flat - now there’s an eviction notice.”

Georgina Simões is a carer at a nursing home in the Portuguese capital Lisbon. She earns just above the minimum wage.

Her rent, at €300 (£262) a month, is low by the city’s current standards. But she still has to work two jobs to afford it. And conditions at the property are poor - she can’t shower because water leaks into the neighbours’ flat.

“I don’t leave because when I look for houses my salary isn’t enough, even to pay rent. Rent prices are above the wages we have in Portugal.”

Georgina’s circumstances are far from unique. Average rent in Lisbon is now just over €2,000, while the minimum wage is about €760.

Portugal is currently grappling with a severe housing crisis, triggered by an increase in foreign investment in property and a lack of affordable new homes.

But it’s not simply an issue of supply. Researcher and activist Rita Silva, who helped set up the housing movement Habita, says there are “more houses than people, but prices don’t go down”.

She adds that the current crisis - which has sparked numerous campaigns pushing for more affordable housinghas spread across the country over several years following the financial crisis of 2008.

The case involving Georgina, the carer, is now in the courts, and she hopes to remain at her property for a further six months. Her lawyer is trying to buy her that time.

What happens if she loses, I ask.

“I’ll be out on the streets,” she says. “I don’t have a chance, I don’t know what will happen. I just need a roof to sleep under - I spend my life at work.”

to move back in with mum’

Joelsy Pacheco, meanwhile, juggles two jobs as a nurse on average for 16 hours a day, working at an intensive care unit at one of Lisbon’s main hospitals as well as at an NGO.

“Most of my wages go on rent, not to mention bills, food, transport,” she says. “With just one job, it would be almost impossible.”

Her lease will end later this year, and she is worried her rent will rise.

“Where would I go next?” she asks. “It’s likely I’ll have to move back in with my mum, far away from work - and I’ll have to restructure my entire life.”

Earlier this year, Portuguese comedian and activist Diogo Faro unintentionally became one of the faces of the affordable housing movement, after posting a video on social media about soaring rent prices in Lisbon.

Soon, his inbox was flooded with messages.

“There are divorced couples who can’t move out because they can’t afford it, which I think is brutal. Older people that are choosing between paying rent or medication, so they’re shortening their lives to have a roof,” he says.

As he received more and more stories like these, the comic got together with a few friends and started the movement Casa é um Direito (Housing is a Right).

His and other housing movements planned a demonstration that drew more than 30,000 people to the streets of Lisbon. The protests then spread to other cities, such as Porto and Braga.

“We’ve called the protests A House To Live, because people are desperate. They want a house to rest, play with their kids, to live,” says Diogo Faro, who sees this as just the beginning of the fight.

Lisbon’s mayor Carlos Moedas has described the housing issue as “the biggest crisis in our generation”.

A third of Lisbon’s historical centre is unoccupied, according to geographer and housing researcher Luís Mendes, and recent cases suggest the state is making the situation worse. When a few shanty houses were destroyed in March, eight families were left homeless and had to be sent to emergency accommodation.

He made the comment in April, while launching the construction of a new affordable rent development in Entrecampos, which will provide 152 new homes.

Schemes have also been set up to help those unable to afford the high rental prices, with local authorities offering to pay a third of the cost, says Lisbon’s housing and development councillor Filipa Roseta.

A third of Lisbon’s historical centre is unoccupied, according to geographer and housing researcher Luís Mendes, and recent cases suggest the state is making the situation worse.

When a few shanty houses were destroyed in March, eight families were left homeless and had to be sent to emergency accommodation.

“We’re talking about rent prices in Lisbon that are higher than some of the richest areas of Berlin, for example, where

there’s been a rent cap. Not to mention the difference in wages,” says Luís.

“In Lisbon there are areas where an 80 sq m house is €1,200 a month. Well, that’s the average salary of a Lisboeta [Lisbon resident]. So we’re talking about prohibitive amounts - I would even say obscene.”

He says factors leading to the country’s current housing crisis include what he refers to as “touristification” - when the rise in popularity of holiday rentals diverts homes from residential use to tourism.

Areas like the historical neighbourhood of Alfama, known as the home of the Portuguese musical genre Fado, now have 60% of their houses in short-term rental use.

“What are tourists going to see? Each other?” jokes Diogo Faro.

Then there are the government measures

aimed at attracting foreign investment through tax-free schemes for investment funds, digital nomads, and - most of all - Portuguese Golden Visas.

“Golden Visas allowed investors from outside the EU to get a resident visa in Portugal to invest, and that would work as a way into the Schengen Area.

“Often they would redo a house, but it would still be empty. Many times those properties would then be sold time and time again, and that created a distortion on the housing market and is one of the causes of the housing crisis,” says Luís.

As part of a new programme for housing, the government is putting a stop to Golden Visas and short-term rentals permits, as well as limiting rent increases to 2%.

For most, though, it’s too little, too late.

Source: BBC

have

The right to affordable housing has become a major issue in Lisbon

Some 60% of properties in Lisbon’s historical neighbourhood of Alfama are now short-term rentals

PUBLIC NOTICE

ASSOCIATION OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NEKEDE BANKING/FINANCE CLASS OF 2004 -2009

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. NWAEZE DARLINGTON - CHAIRMAN

2. VICTOR-ONWURAH NGOZI ANASTASIA - SECRETARY

3. AKWATU STANLEY CHIDIEBERE

4. EDWARD NNAMDI VICTOR

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO UNITE ALL THE BANKING AND FINANCE CLASS OF 2009.

2. TO PROMOTE LOVE AND UNITY AMONGST MEMBERS.

3. TO PROTECT, PROMOTE AND SUPPORT LAWFUL INTEREST OF MEMBERS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

ABDULLAHI TURAKI FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. ABDULLAHI ZUBAIRU – CHAIRMAN

2. TURAKI HALIMATU ABDULLAHI

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO ASSIST THE LESS PRIVILEGED

2. TO EMPOWER THE YOUTH AND WOMEN

3. TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE

4. TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT

5. TO ENCOURAGE GIRLCHILD EDUCATION

6. TO PROMOTE PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE IN THE SOCIETY

7. TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

INDIAN WOMEN EMPOWERMENT ASSOCIATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 2020.

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ASSOCIATION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. KUMARI ANITA (CHAIRMAN)

2. AGGRAWAL ADITI (SECRETARY)

3. KUMAR RITIKA PAMELLA

PUBLIC NOTICE

ARUNA YAKUBU FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. YAKUBU NUHU OHIS- PRESIDENT

2. YAKUBU ABDULMUMINI OMOKHEOWA - SECRETARY

3. IMOKHAI BILIKISU

4.MOHAMMED MANSOOR

5. ALIU ABDUL -RASHEED.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO PROMOTE HUMANITARIAN AND CHARITABLE SUPPORT TO THE LESS PRIVILEGED , ORPHANS,WIDOWS AND PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED, EQUIP THEM WITH VOCATIONAL SKILLS

2. TO PROVIDE SUCCOUR AND HOPE FOR THE HELPLESS AND OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS TO INTELLIGENT AND DESERVING PUPILS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

PAKATA AREA WOMEN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. ALABERE AJOKE RABIAT - CHAIRMAN

2. ALATA SHAKIRAT MUHAMMED - SECRETARY

3. GHALI -MOHAMMED IBRAHEEM

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO DISCOURAGE OUR MOTHERS AND SISTERS FROM THE ACT OF BEGGING ON THE STREET BY ASSISTING THEM THROUGH EMPOWERMENT AND DONATIONS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY

ALHAJI IBRAHIM IYANDA BAKARE (CHIEF), OTUN-OBA OF IGBAJA CHARITY FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. BAKARE SURAJ FEMI

2. OYEBANJI VICTORIA ADUKE

3. BAKARE BASHIR MAYOWA

4. HAKEEM OLAWALE BAKARE

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO PROVIDE CARE AND SUPPORT FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED IN THE SOCIETY.

2. TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE LESS PRIVILEGE PEOPLE THROUGH PROVISION OF FREE QUALITATIVE EDUCATION, HEALTHCAREAND HUMAN CAPACITY BUILDING.

3. TO CANVAS AND PROMOTE HEALTHY LIVING AMONG THE YOUTHS AND LESS PRIVILEGEDAND TO PROVIDE PSYCHOSOCIALAND EDUCATIONALSUPPLIESAMONG

MATTERS IN THE SOCIETY.

3. TO RAISE FUNDS FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES.

4. TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RENDERING SERVICES TO THEABUJACOMMUNITY.

5. TO PROMOTE THE EMPOWERMENT AND ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN IN OUR COMMUNITY.

6. TO IDENTIFY A WORLD-WIDE DESERVING CHARITY IN HOST AS WELL AS HOME COUNTRY. CHILDREN.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRARGENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFFAGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY

LOSS OF DOCUMENT ABDULKABIR ALIU FOUNDATION

CAC/IT/NO.45244.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REMOVAL AND APPOINTMENTS OF TRUSTEE (CHANGE OF TRUSTEE) AND CHANGE OF ADDRESS UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

NEW TRUSTEES ARE :

ALIU ADISA ABDULKABIR

ALIU ABIOLA ABDULRAHMAN

ALIU OLALEKAN UMAR

OLD TRUSTEE – TO BE REMOVED

ADEREMI ABIDEEN

THE LESS PRIVILEGED.

4. TO CONTRIBUTE TO POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN RURAL COMMUNITIES IN NIGERIA THROUGH SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED CHILDREN, WOMENAND YOUTH, EDUCATION SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN ESPECIALLY ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND CREATE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

PRECIOUS RUBIES EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE CAC/IT/NO.166831

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HASAPPLIED TO THE CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC),ABUJA FOR CHANGE OF OFFICE ADDRESS UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. LAWUYI OLADIPO OLADAYO

2. LAWUYI OLUWAMAYOWA CHANGE OF OFFICE ADDRESS:

THE OLD ADDRESS : BLOCK A1, OFFICE 3, SITE 5 ASO ESTATE, LUGBE, ABUJA.

THE NEW ADDRESS : HOUSE 8, ROAD 12, OGOMBO LEKKI ATLANTIC GARDEN ESTATE, AJAH, LAGOS STATE.

THE TRUSTEES ARE CHANGING THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS APPLICATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

OLD STUDENTS ASSOCIATION OF SAINT ANTHONY’S SECONDARY SCHOOL, ILORIN NINETY-TWO SET

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1 .OLAWOYE OLADELE EMMANUEL- CHAIRMAN

2. AHMED SALIMOT ADEOTI- SECRETARY

3.MOHAMMED KIKELOMO JANET

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO DEVELOP INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE SCHOOL AND ENVIRONS

2. TO UNITE MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION BOTH IN NIGERIA AND DIASPORA.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NAKANDE CARE FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. NAKANDE IBRAHIM DASUKI (CHAIRMAN)

2. HALLIRU IBRAHIM INYAS (SECRETARY)

3. NAKANDE MANSIR SALIHU

4. ABDULLAHI NAKANDE HABIBU

5. MOHAMMED MUTARI

6. SALIHU MANZIR NAKANDE

7. SALIHU TALATU AMINU

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO ENGAGE IN CHARITY WORK AND CARE FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGE IN THE SOCIETY.

2. TO ASSIST THE NEEDY, ORPHANS AND THE DOWN TRODDEN IN THE SOCIETY.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : ADESOJI ALANI OJO 08058622007.

BASSEY

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS BASSEY LYDIA. NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS BASSEY LYDIA OKON ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ADEMU

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS IDOWU EVELYN ONAGOCHO NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS ADEMU ONAGOCHO EVELYN. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

AJIBOLA

I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS JIBOL DAMILOLA WHICH WAS WRONGLY CAPTION BY MY BVN, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS AJIBOLA GRACE DAMILOLA ALL DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

MIGHTY ARROWS VOICE MINISTRY

2. ADEGBOYEGA OLUWATOSIN LYDIA

3. OLODODO JIDE JOHN

4. OGUNTI EMMANUEL OLUWAYEMI

5. ABIOLA ABIMBOLA WINNIE

6. JOSHUA TOYIN MERCY...... SECRETARY

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. BRINGING CHRISTIANS IN LOKOJA AND ITS ENVIRONS TO PRAISE GOD IN ONE VOICE.

2. BRINGING GIFTS AND TALENTS IN THEIR MULTIPLES TO GIVE GLORY TO GOD.

3. STIRRING UNITY AMONGST CHURCHES AND DENOMINATIONS WITH ONE SPIRIT.

4. SPEARHEADING REVIVAL IN THE WORLD STARTING FROM LOKOJA KOGI STATE.

5. UNITING THE BODY OF CHRIST THROUGH WORSHIP (MUSIC), WORD AND PRAYER

6. ORGANIZING SPIRIT-FILLED STATE OF THE ART CONFERENCES.

7. PULLING OF RESOURCES FROM THE BODY OF CHRIST TO ACHIEVE A COMMON PURPOSE..

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRARGENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : JOSHUA TOYIN MERCY.(SECRETARY)

PUBLIC NOTICE

UMUCHU IMPROVEMENT UNION KANO BRANCH

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE MENTIONED UNION HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION WITH THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION CAC UNDER PART “F” OF THE COMPANY AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, (CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1. CALISTUS IKENNA UMEH - CHAIRMAN

2. EMMANUEL EZEAGU OGUEGBE

3. ANTHONY OGOCHUKWU ELECHUKWU

4. ANTHONY DOZIE IGBOABUCHI

THE OBJECTIVES ARE:

1. TO COLLECTIVELY PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE INTEREST OF ITS MEMBERS

2. TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF THE MEMBERS.

3. TO ADVANCE AND DEFEND UNION MEMBERS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

JOINT HOPE FOR DISABILITY VOICE INCLUSION NETWORK

3. TO CREATE A FORUM FOR MAINSTREAMING, SHARING AND EXCHANGING INFORMATION RELEVANT TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

4. TO PROMOTE PERSONS WITH DISABILITYARTISTIC EXPRESSION, RECREATION THROUGH CULTURAL EVENTS, TALENT SHOW AND PROJECTS.

5. TO IMPLEMENT VARIOUS PREVENTATIVE PROGRAMS AIMED AT DISABILITY PREVENTION, INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRARGENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA, WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED. SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

RECONCILIATION WORDS AND PRAYER GOSPEL CHURCH (ORI OKE IGBENIJA)

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “F” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 2020.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1. PROPHET AND PASTOR HEZEKIAH OLUSAYO ADEEYO - GENERAL OVERSEER

2. HON. AJIBOLA WAHEED BABAWALE.

3. ADEEYO EMMANUEL OLUWATIMILEYIN.

4. AJIJOLA OLABISI.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

1. TO PROPAGATE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST TO ALL NATIONS.

2. TO WORSHIP THE LORD OUR GOD IN TRUTH AND IN SPIRIT.

3. TO PROCLAIM THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION, HEALING BY FAITH IN JESUS NAME.

4. THE CHURCH SHALL HAVE BRANCHES WHENEVER CONVERTS ARE MADE SO AS TO MATURE THEM AS DISCIPLE OF CHRIST.

5. TO CONDUCT CRUSADES, SEMINARS, OPERATES CHRISTIAN SEMINARIES, SYMPOSIA AND CAMP MEETINGS PROGRAMMES AS THE CASE MAY BE FOR PROPAGATION OF GOSPEL.

6. TO HELP THE WORLD TO MAINTAIN PEACE THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: BARR. DEMOLA SALAMI. SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

AMAZING QUEENS CLUB.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “F” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 2020.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1. EDU LATIFAT OYINDAMOLA - CHAIRMAN.

2. OGUNLEYE AISHAT TITILAYO - SECRETARY.

3. KAREEM ARIKE RASHIDAT - MEMBER.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

1.TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE LESS PRIVILEGE IN THE SOCIETY.

2.TO HELP MEMBERS TO GROW.

3.TO MAKE THE SOCIETY A SAFER/BETTER PLACE FOR WOMEN.

4.TO CREATE AWARENESS ON WOMEN RIGHT AND GENDER EQUITY.

5.TO INSPIRE AND ENRICH WOMEN IN THE SOCIETY.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED:BARR. AKINTAN OMOWUNMI FAVOUR. LAWYER

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE PINNACLE OF EVIDENCE ADORATION CHURCH

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HASAPPLIED TO THE CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC)ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART F OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT (CAMA) 2020

TRUSTEES:

1. OPARA UZOCHUKWU ANTHONY (CHAIRMAN)

2. AGOHA CHINWEUBA BLESSING (SECRETARY)

MAIN AIMS & OBJECTIVES:

1. WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST CALLED TO KNOW, GLORIFY, AND ENJOY THE TRINITY OF GOD THROUGH CHRIST, AND BY THE HOLY SPIRIT’S EMPOWERMENT. WE SEEK TO LOVE GOD, HIS PEOPLE, AND THE WORLD.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION

SIGNED, SECRETARY

Chinese Quotes of Inspiration:

Share Chinese Harmony, Perform Nigeria-China Symphony

There is nothing a gentleman can do to be kind to others

China, Central Asian countries deepen cooperation ties

President Xi Jinping has stressed the need for China and Central Asia community to work more closely towards a shared future to deepen mutual assistance, common development, universal security and everlasting friendship.

President Xi Jinping made the statement when he chaired the inaugural Summit of the China-Central Asia which held in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province on May 19.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan, President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan attended the Summit.

In a friendly atmosphere, the presidents reviewed the history of friendly exchanges between China and the five Central Asian countries, took stock of cooperation experience in various fields, and envisioned future cooperation directions. With the future in mind, they agreed to work together for an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

President Xi, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, warmly welcomed the five presidents to Xi’an for the Summit. President Xi pointed out that in today’s world, transformations unseen in a century are accelerating; the international and regional situation is changing in profound and complex ways; both opportunities and challenges are unprecedented.

The China-Central Asia Summit held at this critical historical juncture following the trend of winwin cooperation and reflects people’s aspirations for everlasting friendship. It is bound to have an important and far-reaching influence on China’s relations with

Central Asian countries, and carry global significance. Taking the Xi’an Summit as an opportunity, China is ready to work with all parties to review past experience, chart a blueprint for cooperation, and demonstrate unity, creativity and efficiency, with a view to achieving sound and sustained growth of China-Central Asia relations.

President Xi delivered a keynote speech entitled “Working Together for a China-Central Asia Community with a Shared Future Featuring Mutual Assistance, Common Development, Universal Security and Everlasting Friendship”.

He noted that Xi’an is an important cradle of the Chinese civilization and nation. It is also the starting point of the ancient Silk Road on the east end. With their joint endeavor of hundreds of years, Chinese and Central Asian peoples made the Silk Road expand and prosper, a historic contribution to the interaction, integration, enrichment and development of world civilizations. This gathering in Xi’an today to renew a millennia-old friendship and open up new vistas for the future is of very important significance.

President Xi recalled putting forward the initiative of jointly building a Silk Road Economic Belt back in 2013. Over the past decade, China and Central Asian countries have worked closely together to fully revive the Silk Road and actively deepen future-oriented cooperation, steering their relations into a new era. The China-Central Asia relationship is steeped in history, driven by broad actual needs, and built on solid popular support. The relations are brimming with vigor and vitality in the new era. Changes of the world, of our times, and of the historical trajectory are taking place in ways like never

China, EU committed to return to win-win cooperation

For more than a month, leaders and dignitaries of many European countries have visited China intensively, and high-level Chinese officials have also visited Europe intensively recently in bid to strengthen mutually beneficial relationship.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister, Qin Gang recently concluded his first trip to Europe since taking office, visiting Germany, France and Norway respectively. At the last stop in Norway, he said that through this visit, he deeply felt the positive willingness of the European side to strengthen communication and coordination with China and promote mutually beneficial cooperation.

At the same time, for the sustainable and stable development of China-EU relations, three points need to be adhered to: first, adhere to an inclusive world view; second, adhere to a progressive historical view; third, adhere to a mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation view.

Since November last year, European leaders and highlevel leaders have generally emphasized that they do not seek to “decouple” from China, but they have also continued to propose “de-risking” China. In this regard, Qin Gang pointed out during his visit to Europe that China is Europe’s partner in dealing with risks, and what China exports to Europe and the world is insurance rather than risks. He called on China and the EU to unanimously oppose “decoupling and broken chains” and jointly adhere to the correct direction of economic globalization. He also urged China and the EU to jointly oppose the “new cold war” and take the lead in promoting coordination and positive interaction among major powers.

China always views its relations with Europe from a

strategic height and long-term perspective. China sees Europe as a comprehensive strategic partner and follows a Europe policy featuring stability and continuity. While appreciating the EU’s statement of not subscribe ing to zero-sum game, the EU’s perception of China — the triptych of rival, partner and competitor — as self-contradictory. In fact, China and Europe have broad common interests with cooperation and consensus far surpassing competition and disagreements. China hopes the European side will not be biased by ideological difference, rise above external disruption, uphold strategic autonomy, form its independent and objective perception of China, and adopt a positive and rational China policy. This best serves its interests. As the Chinese side has stressed repeatedly, the “derisking” rhetoric is based on a false narrative. China-Europe economic and trade cooperation enjoys a sound foundation, fruitful outcomes and enormous potential. The dependencies are mutual and our cooperation is mutually beneficial. China can be an important partner for the EU in the face of risks and challenges. We hope the European side will provide a fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies and avoid politicizing economic and trade issues or approaching them from an untenable security angle. In a world of profound changes and fluid international landscape, the global significance and strategic influence of relations between China and Europe, two constructive forces and sources of stability, has become even more pronounced. China and Europe need to keep an open mind and respect and support the development paths independently chosen by the people of all countries around the world. Both sides need to view history correctly and progressively, jointly reject a new

Group photo of President Xi and Presidents of the five Central Asian countries

before. Central Asia is at a crossroads connecting the East and West, the South and North.

The world needs a stable Central Asia. The sovereignty, security, independence and territorial integrity of Central Asian countries must be upheld; their people’s choice of development paths must be respected; and their efforts for peace, harmony and tranquility must be supported.

The world needs a prosperous Central Asia. A dynamic and prospering Central Asia will help people in the region achieve their aspiration for a better life. It will also lend strong impetus to global economic recovery.

The world needs a harmonious Central Asia. Solidarity, inclusiveness, and harmony are the pursuits of the Central Asian people. No one has the right to sow

discord or stoke confrontation in the region, let alone seek selfish political interests.

The world needs an interconnected Central Asia. Central Asia has the right foundation, condition and capability to become an important connectivity hub of Eurasia and make unique contribution to the trading of goods, the interplay of civilizations and the development of science and technology in the world.

President Xi underscored that this Summit has created a new platform and opened up new prospects for China-Central Asia cooperation. China would take this as an opportunity to step up coordination with all parties for good planning, development and progress of ChinaCentral Asia cooperation.

Chinese economy stabilises, rebounds in Q1 2023

Since the beginning of this year, all regions and government departments have thoroughly implemented the decisions and plans of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, giving priority to stability, sought progress while maintaining stability, promoted highquality development, and made great efforts to ensure steady growth, employment, and prices.

China has adopted proactive and effective macro policies, and made steady and quick shifts in terms of epidemic prevention and control. Work and life have been returning to normal at a faster pace, production and demand have stabilized and rebounded, jobs and prices have become basically stable, business expectations have significantly improved, positive factors have been cumulatively increasing, and the economy has gotten off to a good start. The main features are as follows.

First, economic growth has stabilized and rebounded. In the first quarter, GDP grew by 4.5% year on year, 1.6 percentage points higher than that of the fourth quarter of last year and 2.2% up from the previous quarter. It has grown faster than in the past. Agriculture has maintained steady growth. Animal husbandry has grown steadily, and agricultural production has remained stable. In the first quarter, the value added of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries increased by 3.8% year on year, and the output of pork, beef, mutton, and poultry meat increased by 2.5%. Industrial production has recovered steadily. In the first quarter, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 3% year on year, 0.3 percentage points higher than that in the fourth quarter of last year. The service sector has witnessed a marked rebound in growth

President Xi’s Global Security Initiative gaining traction

In a world of change and disorder on the security front, President Xi Jinping has put forward the important Global Security Initiative (GSI), calling on countries to adapt to the profoundly changing international landscape in the spirit of solidarity, and address the complex and intertwined security challenges with a win-win mindset.

The GSI aims to eliminate the root causes of international conflicts, improve global security governance, encourage joint international efforts to bring more stability and certainty to a volatile and changing era, and promote durable peace and development in the world. This major initiative has been widely commended and warmly received by the international community, among which more than 80 countries and a number of international organizations have expressed appreciation and support.

As the initiator of the GSI, China has taken real actions to implement it. We are committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. We have had in-depth exchanges and communication on security concepts and policies with other parties to beat swords

into plowshares and work for shared security. Not long ago, China issued the Global Security Initiative Concept Paper to further elaborate on the initiative’s core ideas and principles as well as the priorities, platforms and mechanisms of cooperation.

China has actively engaged in mediation diplomacy and made unremitting efforts for the political settlement of hotspot issues including the Iranian nuclear issue, the issues on the Korean Peninsula, the Syrian issue and the Palestinian question. We’ve issued China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis and China’s Position on the Afghan Issue, and stood firm on the side of peace. Not long ago, Saudi Arabia and Iran held talks in Beijing and achieved major outcomes. The two countries announced their decision to resume diplomatic relations, which is a successful practice of the GSI and sets a good example of how countries in the region can resolve disputes and differences and achieve good neighborliness and friendship through dialogue and consultation.

rate. In the first quarter, the value added of the service sector grew 5.4% year on year, 3.1 percentage points higher than that in the fourth quarter of last year. The service sector, with faceto-face engagements among a significant number of people, previously hit hard by COVID-19, has especially recovered very fast.

Second, domestic demand has been expanding. Market sales have turned to increase. More opportunities and greater expectations to spend have driven market sales to expand and consumer spending in the service sector to rebound notably. In the first quarter, the total retail sales of consumer goods rose 5.8% from a year earlier, compared with a 2.7% decrease in the fourth quarter of last year. Retail sales in the service sector have demonstrated a good recovery momentum, of which catering revenue rose 13.9%. Investment has grown steadily. In the first quarter, fixed asset investment increased by 5.1% year on year, on par with the whole of last year. Among them, infrastructure investment and manufacturing investment grew by 8.8% and 7%, respectively.

Third, jobs and prices have remained basically stable. The employment situation has improved. In the first quarter, the surveyed urban unemployment rate averaged 5.5%, down 0.1 percentage points from the fourth quarter of last year. The surveyed urban unemployment rate in March was 5.3%, down 0.3 percentage points from February. Consumer prices rose moderately, and the supply of goods and services in the market was on the whole sufficient. In the first quarter, consumer prices rose by 1.3% year on year, maintaining a moderate rise. Excluding food and energy, the core CPI rose 0.8% year on year, unchanged from that of the first two months and thus basically stable.

Chinese technology helps Africa pursue quality development

Burundi, an East African country known as the “heart of Africa,” can boast of favorable conditions for rice production, thanks to its tropical climate with abundant rainfall. But Burundians have long been suffering from food shortage for the low yield of rice.

To help address the agricultural challenge in the country, China has sent five batches of senior experts under bilateral technical cooperation programs since August 2009. To conduct research and trials, the Chinese experts made field trips in all 15 rice-growing provinces in Burundi and successfully selected and introduced eight

varieties of rice seed suitable to the local weather and environment.

Thanks to their efforts, poor yields or the threat of total crop failure caused by rice plague in mountainous areas has become a thing of yesteryear.

Furthermore, as a leading country in the digital innovation industry, China has also been providing technical support for Africa’s digital economy development in terms of e-commerce, digital infrastructure, mobile application and payment, helping the continent unleash its great potential in agriculture and gain access to a broader global market.

Through cross-border e-commerce platforms, coffee from Ethiopia, chili sauce from Rwanda, black tea from Kenya, chocolate from Ghana and cashew nuts from Tanzania found their way to Chinese consumers. And Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Kilimall, Alibaba and KiKUU have also managed to hit the African market.

To facilitate the flow of more quality goods from Africa into China, a live-stream shopping carnival will be held at the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in June in Changsha, capital of central China’s Hunan Province, on the theme of “common development for a shared future.”

On February 21, 2023, the Lanting Forum themed The Global Security Initiative China’s Proposal for Solving Security Challenges was held in Beijing.

Gusau, Sanusi extol Sunday Dare on national award of CON

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau and the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi have congratulated the Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Chief Sunday Akin Dare on his conferment with the national award of the prestigious Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR.

Chief Dare’s name topped the list of those conferred with the CON award, and which was released on Sunday.

“The National Award of CON conferred on Chief Sunday Dare by Mr.

President goes a long way to underscore the character, diligence, competence and drive that the man brought to the job. Chief Dare worked assiduously to reposition Nigeria sports generally and posterity will be kind to him.”

On his part, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi celebrated the award of CON on the Sports Minister and stated that the strong mentality and passion that Chief Dare brought to the office remains ineffable.

“He has been a class act. We celebrate him for the award and we pray that he will continue to soar even higher in his future endeavours.”

…Congratulate Super Eagles’ forward, Victor Osimhen on MFR award

By Albert Akota

Both the NFF President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau and the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi have also congratulated Super Eagles’ forward, Victor James Osimhen who has been conferred with the National Award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) by President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR.

Osimhen’s name appeared on number 23 of those conferred with MFR as the list was released on Sunday.

“The football industry has been given ample recognition this time and we commend our father, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR for this. The award to Osimhen means that even as a football player, you can be honoured by your country for exceptional service and also for the way you represent the country abroad.

“We are proud of Osimhen and what he has done and continues to do with Napoli SC in Italy and for the Super Eagles.”

Dr. Sanusi added: “Ever since he won the FIFA U17 World Cup as record goalscorer, Osimhen has continued to rise in leaps and bounds through hard work, dedication and discipline. We believe this award will spur him to do even more for the Super Eagles and to continue to be a good ambassador of Nigeria Football internationally.”

Osimhen has been the star-man for Napoli SC of Italy as the team won its first Italia Serie A title in 33 years a few weeks ago, and only on Sunday scored his 25th league goal of the season for the club.

Gusau, Sanusi celebrate Amaju Pinnick on national award of OFR

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim

Musa

Gusau has congratulated his immediate predecessor, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick on the award of the prestigious Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) bestowed on him by the President and CommanderIn-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR.

“I am very happy to celebrate a goalgetter, an achiever, an accomplished administrator and an eminent world citizen, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick on this award. He is quite deserving but I must thank President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR for recognizing the hard work and diligence of Mr. Pinnick in Nigeria, African and world football.

“On behalf of the Board, Management and Staff of the NFF, I congratulate Mr. Pinnick and I believe this prestigious National Award will serve as an impetus for him to do even more for Nigeria, African and world football.”

On his part, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi stated that the award is not only for Mr. Pinnick and

his adorable immediate family, but also for all those who worked with him at the NFF, and the entire Nigeria Football fraternity.

“We are very grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR for this award, because in essence it recognizes the work that football administrators are doing. Mr. Pinnick is a shining light for Nigeria and African football in the global space.”

Amaju Melvin Pinnick served two terms as President of NFF between 2014 and 2022 (the first to break the one-term duck since Sunday Dankaro in the 1970s), arrow-headed a leadership change at the Confederation of African Football, served as 1st Vice President of CAF and is presently Member of the FIFA Council – an exclusive club of 37 people who are the supreme governors of world football.

A vintage philanthropist through his Brownhill Foundation, Amaju Melvin Pinnick has enabled the appointment of a good number of Nigerians into top offices and committees of FIFA and CAF.

NFF hails smooth conduct of State FA elections

By Albert Akota

The Nigeria Football Federation has praised the smooth conduct of ongoing elections into the Football Associations in a number States of the Federation, saying that it is pleased that almost all those who have conducted their polls have gone about the business responsibly and with character and integrity.

Speaking on Friday, Head of Member Associations of the NFF, Ali Muhammad Abubakar said that the NFF is delighted with the adherence to the rules and electoral codes and urged the States yet to conduct their elections to adopt the same stance of character, conformity and integrity.

“The NFF is pleased with the conduct of the elections in most of the States where elections have been held. The rules and regulations, as well as the electoral codes, have been adhered to.

“However, the NFF is not happy with what happened in Akwa Ibom State, and that is why we have not recognized the socalled elections conducted there. Elections were held in defiance of a court order. The NFF is a law-abiding organization and will not support anything that is tantamount to disregard and disrespect to the rule of law.”

A total of eight States, namely Abia, Zamfara, Borno, Kano, Jigawa, Lagos, Niger and Cross River States have conducted their elections, and the same have been

recognized by the NFF. Elections into the Board of Ekiti State Football Association are scheduled for Saturday, 27th May. Most of the remaining States have scheduled their elections for the month of June 2023.

PEOPLES DAILY

MONDAY, MAY 29, 2023

LATEST SPORTS LATEST

Daniel Anderson: Former St Helens coach left paralysed after surfing accident

Tinubu, Reps leadership imbroglio and the witches

The shenanigans and threats notwithstanding, a new president and his vice will take over from the outgoing ones today, Monday May 29, at least going by the physical realities on ground. Already, the Federal Government has declared a work-free day, a public holiday to give the national event the attention and magnitude it requires. Members of the international community are already in the country in solidarity, and the security forces have given word to rise to the occasion to contain troublemakers. So all is reasonably set.

Monday Column

By Hameed M. Bello, PhD

hamdbelo@yahoo.co.uk

making efforts to storm the nation’s capital to cleanse and detoxify the environment for the President-elect, Bola Tinubu to operate in.

Former St Helens coach

Daniel Anderson says he is fortunate to be alive after being left a quadriplegic in a bodysurfing accident in Australia in December.

The 56-year-old went into cardiac arrest after the incident and had to be dragged from the water.

His life was saved by two offduty paramedics who were on the beach in Central Coast, New South Wales.

“I’m very lucky the paramedics were there,” said Australian Anderson.

“I was obviously in a bad way. If they weren’t there, who knows how it would have finished up.”

Anderson guided Saints to the League Leaders Shield, Super League Grand Final and Challenge Cup treble in 2006. He was named BBC Sports Personality Coach of the Year later that year.

Saints won the Challenge Cup in 2007 and 2008 and the World Club Challenge in 2007, as well reaching the Grand Final in 2007 and 2008.

In his first interview since the accident, Anderson said X-rays showed severe compression of his spinal cord and he was classified as an incomplete quadriplegic.

“Incomplete means that you can get little bits back but some things you never can,” he told the Daily Telegraph in Australia.

“No-one can tell you categorically what, if any, movement you get back, but after four days I was wiggling my big toe.

Taye Taiwo and Oduamadi

On the side of the Legislature, the incoming leadership of the 10th National Assembly including the Senate and the House of Representatives will be inaugurated by the Presidentelect, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu on June 13, after he himself would have formally taken over as substantive president on May 29. Between May 29 and June 13, President Bola Tinubu will have a window of 16 days to play a role in who gets the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. He may also decide not to play a role at all to allow for a truly Independent Legislature with little or no Executive interference or meddlesomeness. This is however very unlikely going by experience of the last regimes. Depending on how he plays this role, President Bola Tinubu will either have succeeded in starting on a good note or on a bad one in drawing up the chart for his relationship with the Legislature. His actions and inaction could bring about a cordial relationship, or an antagonistic one which may adversely undermine his delivery of good governance.

It could be recalled how in 2007, the Green Chamber lawmakers at the time perceived former President Olusegun Obasanjo, just out of office then, to have recommended and planted the former Speaker Patricia Olubunmi Etteh as presiding officer of the House. In a bid to justify her removal, the lawmakers then accused Etteh of allegedly awarding a N628 Million contract for the renovation of the official residences for the presiding officers without following due process. She was removed, but after achieving their ultimate goal, the lawmakers cleared her of wrongdoing. Ettheh’s successor, Dimeji Bankole stepped in as the reactionary voice of a House that did not want to be a rubber stamp or a weak parliament. They suspected that Etteh’s imposition was to undermine the independence of the Legislature engineered by Obasanjo who had a not-too-smooth relationship with the National Assembly during his time as president between May 1999 to May 2007.

Incoming President Bola Tinubu, as a smart politician, is not unmindful of the circumstances around the emergence of former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal against the wish of the executive arm and the ruling

ADVERT: 0806 564 8620

NEWS: 0814 292 9046

KANO: 0803 587 5846

LAGOS: 08074420617

party in the respective periods they served. History and antecedents have proved that party preference in respect of presiding officers of the National Assembly may be respected, but it is usually not sacrosanct that it will be implemented in both chambers. In order not to incur the wrath of the parliamentarians, the smart thing for the party to do is to exercise cautious discretion in advocating for, or recommending candidates as presiding officers of the National Assembly, and to restrain from holding on tenaciously to their preference especially in the face of glaring emotional resistance by many of the lawmakers who will ultimately be directly responsible for electing their leaders.

Power can be given in the absence of opposition and alternative choice. Political power is more likely taken, than it is given by relying on a strategy that wins. This includes making strategic compromises in the present time in order to gain power in the long run. But to expect power to be given to you on the platter of gold with a sense of entitlement is like to wait for Godot. Remember that play “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett in which two characters, Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), engage in a variety of discussions and encounters while awaiting the titular Godot, who never arrives? ‘Waiting for Godot’ is Beckett’s translation of his own original Frenchlanguage play, En attendant Godot, and is subtitled (in English only) as “a tragicomedy in two acts”.The original French text was composed between 9 October 1948 and 29 January 1949. The first performance, directed by Roger Blin, was on 5 January 1953 at the Théâtre de Babylon, Paris. The English-language version debuted in London in 1955. In a poll conducted by the British Royal National Theatre in 1998/99, ‘Waiting for Godot’ was voted the “most significant English-language play of the century. That digression is just by the way.

Many of the lawmakers in the House of Representatives are suspicious of the candidacy of Hon Abbas Tajudeen from the North West state of Kaduna. This is not necessarily because he is not qualified for the job. He is an excellent ranking lawmaker who has a good relationship with his colleagues. But just like Etteh, he is seen as a candidate imposed on the House by the outgoing Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila. The lawmakers

believe that the National Working Committee of the APC was stampeded by Gbajabiamila to adopt Abbas as the candidate of the party. After realizing their missteps, the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, acting for the party, amended the earlier endorsement of Abbas to say that further consultations should continue because, essentially, the lawmakers are responsible for electing their leaders themselves. The reversal by the APC chairman may not be unconnected to the realization of a possible revolt and defiance of party preference, including solidarity across party lines.

Unless the APC threads softly, it may lose its fragile majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives if it insists on imposing leaders on the lawmakers. If that happens, President Tinubu may have a chaotic relationship with the Legislature. He knows the implication himself as a former Senator. The threat by returning and elected representatives that their loyalty cannot be guaranteed if the APC leadership insists on imposing presiding officers on them cannot be treated with kid gloves either. The protest to the party headquarters as a warning signal by the disgruntled lawmakers is a sign of what is coming.

Meanwhile, the incoming president has more than enough national emergencies to attend to, and does not deserve any spiritual or religious distractions from attention seekers.The new president has pending development issues to contend with in the areas of security, economy, social engineering, national healing and wealth creation among others and does not need to be bothered with the inanities from the Association of Witches on one hand, and a segment of the church represented by pastor Paul Enenche of the Dunamis Church on the other. Recall that Enenche was one of the key supporters who provided his church platform for the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi to make a public statement.

As reported, the Senior Pastor of the Dunamis International Gospel Center, Dr Paul Enenche had issued a stern warning to witches and wizards coming into the Federal Capital Territory for the May 29 presidential inauguration. This was in reaction to the White Witches and Wizards Association of Nigeria which had earlier on May 1, said they were

The Spokesperson of the Witches Association, Okhue Obo who stated this in a statement, assured the Presidentelect of a peaceful inauguration, warning those plotting to scuttle the event to desist from doing so. Perhaps a statement from the handlers of the President-elect dissociating him from this type of inanities could have sufficed. Maybe it was treated for what it is - a distraction.

Some members of the association reportedly stormed Abuja earlier in the week to carry out the proposed cleansing and detoxification.

Enenche, while speaking on Friday night during the just concluded Destiny Recovery Convention, dared the witches and wizards, saying “we are in charge here”, and instructed other clergymen to anoint strategic places in the city as a spiritual battle against other forces. He said, “There are some agents of the devil that said they are coming to cleanse this city.

“Anybody who is from the devil, sent from the pit of hell that enters this city to plant any agenda of hell, if they are not cut off then we have no right to preach.

“Every witches and bitches, lizards and wizards, Hey! We are serving you notice to let you know we are in charge here and we are not about to change our minds.

“Pastors, we are going to take prophetic action in this city within the next 24 hours. Carry bottles of oil and go through the territory, anoint the ground and pour oil on this ground. Every agent of the devil who steps on this ground for a demonic agenda is a dead agent… if they trample on this earth and still survive, we are not serving the living God.”

Please save us these type of religious brickbats and transcendence. Nigerians are expectant of good governance from the incoming new government to make their lives more meaningful.

May Day: Pay serious attention to workers welfare in your govt -Lawan tells Tinubu