Delta State Government, Monday, commenced demolition of buildings erected along waterways and causing flooding across the state in line with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s directive.

The demolition exercise started with the pulling down of parts of three buildings, including a yet-to-be-completed church structure and a storey building at Ugboroke, in Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.

The demolished parts of the buildings were occupying waterways believed to be responsible for the annual flooding of houses in the area.

Director-General, Special Duties, Governor’s Office, Asaba, Mr Frank Omare, led the amphibious swam buggy to the area, amid security protection from soldiers drafted from the 3 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Effurun.

The demolition and dredging exercise, which started on Monday at Uvwie Local Government Area will move to Warri, Warri South Local Government Area, Udu, Ughelli and other flood-prone parts of the state.

Speaking to journalists on Monday during the demolition exercise at Ugboroke, Mr Omare, who had done similar job as Commissioner for Environment during the administration of Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, said he would follow the mandate given to him without discrimination, adding that seven heavy equipment are at work.

“One of the mandates given to me is to remove illegal structures all over the state; in every local government area. And this is just the beginning and we’ve given them over two months to ensure that those who had built on natural water ways remove their buildings, those who do not have approval plans they should remove their buildings. And they’ve deliberately refused.

“In Hgboroke, Uvwie Local Government Area, if there’s rain for 10 minutes, everywhere will be flooded. The place is under water and we cannot continue to allow it.

“We’re not here for individual interest but the general interest. We will not compromise.

“No sentiments. The falling away of the yellow leave is a warning to the green one. We’ve started and we’re continuing. Times are hard, things are rough, but we must do the right thing.

“The law is law. We have about seven equipment scattered across Warri South and Uvwie local government areas. When we’re done, we’d move to other local government. It’s a warning to others.

“Nobody’s building will be spared no matter who is involved. We will not compromise. This is the way to go. Forty per cent houses here have no soak-away system. Five metres to the drainage, the roads and canals must be adhered to.

“Ministry of land and survey urban renewal are all with me to ensure things are done properly. We’re going to be very bold, and we’re bold, we’re going to be very focused and we’re focused and we’re going to ensure that nobody is victimised. We’re paying so much money to carry out this exercise.

“Government bears the cost of all logistics to bring back sanity. Oborevwori is a street man. He knows the streets. We’re ready for those who are ready for trouble. This is a warning to others.

“Any building that has approval please bring them. Whether they’re wrongly approved, we’ll take responsibility. That’s why the ministries in charge are here. They’d tell me how they approved buildings build on waterways,” he noted.

Meanwhile, one of the residents, whose father’s building was affected, David Adu, expressed happiness that the annual flooding in the area will subside with the demolition and dredging of the canal.

“I’m happy the demolition is ongoing even though my father’s house is affected. I only ask they allow us remove our items from the building before total demolition. They should ensure they strictly follow the master plan by bringing back the canal and roads encroached on by builders,” he charged.

Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN) has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to review its stand of deploying military on Niger to compel a return to democratic order

The group in a statement on Thursday signed by it’s National President, Hon Khalil Mohd Bello said there is hardly any good the military action on Niger would ensure.

They said: “We are totally not in support of any economic sanction against Niger Republic for the reason that the sanction would be more harmful and disastrous to the poor masses of Niger, Nigeria and her other neighbours than on the culprits and their surrogates.

“We are against any military intervention by ECOWAS or European countries for the reason that the said act would create more insecurity in Niger, Nigeria and other Sahelian states as this will lead to unnecessary fight between the intervention force and the Niger Republic army and the civilians who would be deluded by the military under the cover of nationalism to join the fight as volunteers.

“There is a tendency that, the process of restoring democracy in the said country under the able leadership of President Bazoum, the risk that the President and his good family might be affected.

“The possibility of the success in the said military action is highly questionable, because even if they succeeded in bringing him back to power, they wouldn’t stay there permanently to defend his Government as we have seen in the cases of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.”

They stressed that: “The military action in Niger republic as in any west African states would directly affect pastoral occupation in the entire region. It will make the free movement of livestock from one State to another in search of Animal feeds and water points as stipulated in the ECOWAS rules extremely difficult which would bring another problem to our members.

“The action would seriously lead to the widespread of terrorists and their terrorism activities in Niger, Nigeria and Sahelian States, because if ECOWAS succeeded in defeating the culprits, there is the tendency that they would move with their guns into hinterlands and forcing people to join the bandits just like that of Boko-haram insurgency days.”

The group while arguing that military action would highly devastate the economy of Niger and that of Northern states of Nigeria who are in commercial activities with one another even prior to the coming of Arabs traders or European colonialists, said: “It will painfully break the very old mutual relationship/economic ties between Niger Republic and Northern states of Nigeria who are from onset of like blood brothers.”

They also noted that the action shall bring more hardship and instability of Government in many West African countries due to unbearable hardship that would go with it.

“And above all, it would create anarchism in many West African states due to the inability of many Government in the region to properly overcome the number of hundred thousands rebels that may emerge due to the military intervention of Niger republic.

“It will lead to the distruction of many lives and properties since the coupists would not fold their arms waiting for the ECOWAS force to conquer them,” they said.

*Inaugurates new NEDC board at Presidential Villa

*Says: “Task of rebuilding north-east region cannot be undertaken divided”

The Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima has tasked the new board and management of North-East Development Commission (NEDC) to prioritize access to quality education, healthcare, economic opportunities, noting that “today, we must remember that development is not merely about bricks and mortar”.

The Vice President gave the charge in his remarks at the inauguration of the board and management of the NEDC at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday.

Sen. Shettima who emphasized the importance of human capital development said progress “is also about empowering minds, cultivating talent, and fostering an environment where dreams can flourish.”

“The commission can only guarantee the safety of the emerging and future generations if it nurtures the seeds that will produce them. For Nigeria to regain its stability, this commission must refuse to be extinguished even in the face of adversity, as it has since its establishment,” the Vice President noted.

The VP said the inauguration of the new management was not merely a political protocol but the renewal of the nation’s hope, the making of a legacy and a testament to the commitment of the Tinubu administration to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the region.

He reminded the members that “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s investment in the human capital and development trajectory of the North-East fuels the enthusiasm with which he has prioritized the affairs of the NEDC.”

Vice President Shettima then commended the efforts of the immediate past board, stressing that “I have no doubt that the leadership of this commission is prepared to shoulder the trust placed upon it by the government, as it has done in the past years.”

“Your impressive fiscal discipline and financial transparency, which have resulted in a credit balance of N222.9 billion in your coffers in the wake of the second quarter of 2023, are marks of the managerial expectations and character for which NEDC is known.”

“I appeal to each of you, for the people summon us. We must don our combat gear to fulfill our promise of preventing any lapses in our intervention, providing the people an escape from undeserved realities. We must restore the glories of the North-East as a vast land of history and culture, and crafts and industry,” the VP tasked the new board.

Sen. Shettima then appealed to leaders and the people of the northeast region to support the new board and management to deliver on its mandate of transforming the region, noting that “this is a journey we cannot afford to undertake divided.”

In his remarks, the Chairman of the NEDC board, Maj. Gen. Paul Tarfa (rtd), thanked President Bola Tinubu for finding them worthy of service, assuring that the present board will among other things, focus on implementing human capital development projects in line with the “Renewed Hope Agenda”.

Members of the inaugurated board present at the event included, the MD of the Commission, Mohammad Alkali; Gambo Maikomo, member (North-East Taraba); Abdullahi Abbas member (North-West Kano); Steven Tsav member (North-Central, Benue); Mutiu Lawal-Areh Member (South-West, Lagos); Samuel Oni Ebo Member (South-East, Abia); Frank Owhor, member (South-South, Rivers); Musa Yashi, Executive Director Humanitarian Affairs (North-East Bauchi); Ahmed Yahaya, Executive Director, Operations, (North-East Gombe), and Abubakar Iliya, Executive Director Admin and Finance, (North-East, Yobe).

The event was witnessed by some dignitaries including Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum; NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd); the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia; Senators Kaka Lawan and Musliu Obanikoro, and Lagos State APC Chairman, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi, among others.

Olusola Abiola
Director Information
Office of the Vice President
9th August 2023

Yobe State Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni has assured the commitment of his administration to strengthen working relationship between Yobe state and Nigeria Customs Service.

He gave the assurance on Wednesday when he visited the Acting Comptroller General of Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi.

Buni said as a border state, Yobe state government and the Nigeria Customs need to synergise to be proactive on security and other issues along the border.

He said: “The government and people of Yobe state would continue to support the Nigeria Customs and other security organisations to execute their duties effectively and successfully.

“While congratulating you on this well deserved appointment, l wish to assure you of our support and cooperation in Yobe state.”

The Customs Acting Comptroller General said Yobe state is very strategic for Customs border operations.

He said: “We will appreciate your support to enlighten the people of Yobe state especially the border communities to assist us execute our duties.”

He commended Buni for the visit, assuring that he would also visit the state to build on the existing relationship.

The Presidential Amnesty Office is being rocked by a raging controversy over N1.9 billion deducted from trainees and beneficiaries of the programme.

Investigations revealed that the alleged fraud involves the office of the Head of Reintegration of the office.

The N1.9 billion were alleged to have been deducted from contracts that were executed under the Train, Employ and Mentor Programme initiated by a former Interim Administrator, Col Dikio.

Under the TIEM, the beneficiaries of the programme were to be trained, employed and mentored to prevent them from straying after the programme.

Investigations revealed that when General Ndiomu (Retd.) took over, there were 1,200 delegates in training which he stopped. He was said to have conducted graduation for all of them as he was under instruction to bring the programme to an end.

It was gathered that the contracts were renegotiated and the Reintegration Department removed the ‘Employ and Mentor’ component with the promise that the beneficiaries would be outrightly empowered.

It was gathered that the Integration Office deducted funds from the contracts and kept N1.9 billion meant to empower the delegates.

After waiting endlessly for the outright empowerment, the beneficiaries and office staff are complaining that the N1.9 billion component deducted from the contracts have been diverted by the office.

Investigations revealed that the contractors include Bradama International Skill Works Limited (400 delegates), Sunup Logistics Limited (200) delegates, Krisdera Agro Allied FArms, (200 delegates), Teecentenel Nigeria Limited (110), Betrieb Limited (50,) and Vika Farms Limited.

Some delegates under Krisdera Agro Allied Farms and Teecentennel Nigeria Limited that were interviewed are pointing accusing finger in the direction of the Head of Reintegration.

After renegotiating with the contractors, deducted a substantial amount from the contract sum, they went to the various training Centres to offer each delegate 750k to completely delist them from the Amnesty Programme.

The delegates collectively rejected the said amount. The office promised to get back to them but all to no avail. The amount deducted from the negotiations with the contractors is N1.9 billion.

They claim he was responsible for the mastery around delay or disappearance of their Two Months In-Training Allowance which had earlier been paid by the Office to the contractor for onward disbursement to the delegates.

Our investigation revealed that instruction was given to the contractors to withhold the money since the delegates did not complete the eight months they were initially required to spend.

That money has not be returned to the government coffers.

It was further gathered that the Head of the Amnesty Office has directed the security unit to seize the phones of Amnesty staff for investigation because of the purported “leakage of information” and his clash with Chief Timipre Sylva. The investigation commenced today two weeks ago

Penultimate week, all the staff of the office were made to tender their phone for scrutiny by the Head of the office.

Some of the delegates who resisted it move and threatened to file a case against the office were redeployed.

The meeting held in December 2022 and since then the delegates have been kept waiting.

There are fears that the money may have been diverted.

Some of the delegates who came to protest in Abuja were molested with military personnel with military tanks temporarily hired by Indiomu to stop the delegates at all cost.

The concerned delegates who fear they might not receive the money are calling on the office of the NSA which supervises the PAP to look into the books of the agencies.

When contacted on the phone of the allegations, the spokesman of the Office, Freston Akpo said: “The allegation is frivolous and unfounded. It is part of ongoing smear campaign in the media to discredit the interim administrator and his team.”

The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has given an advice on mechanisms that should be employed to attract second and third generation Nigerians in the Diaspora to contribute towards Nigeria’s development and growth.

Okonjo-Iweala gave the advice on Wednesday to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), during a presentation to her as a “Diaspora Icon”, a decision that was taken at the recently held Maiden National Diaspora Merit Award in Abuja.

The team that made the presentation to her was led by the Chairman/CEO, NIDCOM, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

The WTO DG said the Diaspora is capable of doing so much for Nigeria, which goes beyond remittances such as skills and knowledge transfer especially as most countries of the world are fast embracing the technology and digital era.

On her recent recognition, Okonjo-Iweala expressed her pride as a citizen of Nigeria, adding that she was elated, and humbled, for being selected to receive such an award as a “Diaspora Icon”.

He commended the Commission for the work it has been doing over the years in terms of Diaspora engagement, under the pragmatic leadership of the NiDCOM boss.

Okonjo-Iweala expressed her support to work with the Commission and the Federal Government of Nigeria for the betterment of all Nigerians.

While presenting the award to her, the NiDCOM Chairman stated that the award was presented to the DG, WTO for her selfless service to Nigeria and humanity at large.

Dabiri-Erewa remarked that she serves as an inspiration to all Nigerian women, aiming at balancing family ties and career growth.

The Diaspora Icon Award is one of the categories given at the National Diaspora Day celebrations and National Diaspora Merit Award held in July 26, 2023.

The United States Agency for International Development and stakeholders in the health sector have listed three key priority areas to work on for improved health care in the country.

The Chief of Party, USAID Integrated Health Programme, Marta Levitt on Tuesday urged the Bola Tinubu-led government to prioritize and invest in health insurance, family planning and nutrition to take the health sector to the desired levels where every citizen can easily access health care services at any time.

She noted that if government make these investments, there would be immediate impact on the sector which is presently bedeviled with many challenges including high out-of-pocket expenditures, and poor access to even basic health care services.

Speaking at a health seminar titled: “Implication of Changes in Government on Public Health Policies and Programmes in Nigeria,” organised to mark the 5th Anniversary of Sydani Group in Abuja, she said: “With the new administration, the potentials are endless, we need to hit while the iron is hot, make sure health is at the foremost. Invest in financial risk protection scheme. Health insurance scheme for Universal Health Coverage. The most important thing is for the administration to invest in health insurance to ensure that citizens are fully covered; and make sure that health insurance scheme is easily accessible.

“The second is family planning. The last is nutrition.”

Also speaking at the workshop, the EkitI State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Oyebanji Filani said in order to stop the issue of policy summersault there are strategies put in place to arrest this.

Filani, who is also the Chairman of the Furum of Commissioners for Health said the Forum is working closely with government at the federal level to address the challenges in the health sector.

He said: “We meet more closely, we look at each other and we address issues to accelerate performance at state level and we engage with our colleagues at the centre, with minister and heads of agencies.”

The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) has released the list of successful candidates who applied for enlistment into the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday signed by Ja’afaru Ahmed, the Secretary to the Board.

The statement read: “Candidates who participated at the Computer Based Test (CBT) as well as Physical Screening/Certificate Verification/Psychometric evaluation, are requested to visit the Board’s portal at cdcfib.career to check if they were successful as well as print an invitation slip containing the schedule for the exercise.”

According to the statement the documentation exercise and issuance of appointment letters for successful candidates will hold simultaneously for both Services from Tuesday 15th August, 2023 – Monday 4th September, 2023 at the Board and the Service Headquarters respectively.

The statement however warned that third-party (forwarded) messages would not be entertained.

The Presidency has directed the National Council on Climate Change to immediately develop a Comprehensive Climate Change Adaptation Project for Flood Management in Nigeria, and find a way to resuscitating the shrinking Lake Chad.

This is even as the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima revealed that the removal of oil subsidy has led to 30% reduction in daily fuel consumption, amounting to about 20 million litres, which is equivalent to an estimated daily saving of 42,800 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2e) emissions.

Speaking at a one-day workshop on unpacking the outcome of 58th Sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima lamented that climate change is perhaps the biggest challenge facing humanity today, noting that even as a developing nation in the global south, Nigeria is gravely impacted by the negative effects of climate change.

The Vice President who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Senator Ibrahim Hassan, said: “For instance, Nigeria is ranked as one of the ten most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change in the world. This is despite our negligible contribution to overall global carbon emissions responsible for climate change. In fact, Africa as a whole, accounts for less than 4% of total global carbon emissions.

“For me and a lot of the people that come from the North Eastern part of Nigeria, we bear the scars of climate change effects and have had to live with its impacts, such as drought and desertification, disruption of rainfall patterns, leading to sandstorms, severe floods, destruction of farmlands, infrastructure and human settlements. These and many more occur in other parts of the country too.”

He added that: “We are all living witnesses to ravaging floods of last year (2022) which held the country to a standstill for days. The World Bank’s Global Rapid post-disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE) assessment put the total direct economic damage to infrastructure be about US$7 billion. This is equivalent to 1.6% of Nigeria’s estimated 2021 (GDP), not including loss of over 600 lives. For Nigeria, that was climate change at its worst.

“Consequently, and in order to avert future occurrences of such severe floods, the National Council on Climate Change is hereby directed to develop a Comprehensive Climate Change Adaptation Project for Flood Management in Nigeria. The Project should include resuscitation of the Lake Chad Basin.”

The Vice President said: “The plan for decarbonizing our energy systems highlights the key role that natural gas will play in transitioning our economy across sectors. The data and evidence show that Nigeria can continue to use gas until 2040 without detracting from the goals of the Paris agreement. Nevertheless, we are rapidly advancing the development and deployment of renewables through various programs such as the $550million Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP) supported by the World Bank which is promoting the use of solar mini-grid and solar home systems across Nigeria. There is also the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority(NSIA) managed project jointly financed by Kano State and the Federal Government, which completed a 10MW solar plant, the largest in the country.”

He said: “Another intervention is the Energizing Education Programme, implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency which is delivering clean energy to Federal Universities and Teaching Hospitals across the country. Furthermore, government is also subsidizing clean energy for rural women through the Rural Women Energy Security(RUWES) project and Rural Energy Access Project (REAP). Other schemes include the Clean Energy Transportation Scheme (CETS) and National Clean Cooking Scheme (NCCS) which promote the deployment of CNG powered buses in major Nigerian cities and clean cooking in communities and boarding schools respectively.”

He noted that: “At the onset of this administration, H. E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, took the bold step of bring to an end petrol subsidy. Preliminary analysis conducted by the National Council on Climate Change on the co-benefits of fuel subsidy removal indicate that there has been about 30% reduction in daily fuel consumption, amounting to about 20 million liters, equivalent to an estimated daily saving of 42,800 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2e) emissions. When projected over a period of one year, it amounts to over 15 million tons of CO2e saved, representing about 40% GHG reduction from the baseline projection of 45 million metric tons of total GHG CO2eq by 2030. This places Nigeria on course to achieving our NDC targets ahead of time.”

The Vice President disclosed that: “Our vision and expectations for COP 28 will include increased climate action on many fronts, particularly increased and available climate finance. We note with concern, the lack of progress on the mobilization of the $100 billion meant for adaptation financing by 2020 pledged by western countries since 2009 at COP15. The Loss and Damage agreement which provided hope for many low-income countries bearing the brunt of climate change, must be finalized in Dubai; Just Energy Transition where we expect discussions to focus incentivizing and enabling emerging economies to transit sustainably in accordance to their national priorities, capacities, and based on greater financial support must also be finalized, taking cognizance of the need to include more favourable terms for developing countries, along with technology transfer.

“Our intention is to lead the ECOWAS sub region by example, leveraging on our accomplishments in championing the cause for regional climate actions at every international forum held over the years. The 2023 Africa Climate Week and Africa Climate Summit, both holding next month in Nairobi, Kenya, will provide platforms to reiterate the call for continued partnership, unity, cooperation and genuine collective efforts towards tackling the challenges of climate change. Our shared destiny as a global community is ultimately dependent on the successes we are able to achieve together.”

The Director General of the National Council on Climate Change, Salisu Dahiru said the workshop is very important in order for stakeholders to put head together to plan strategies for the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference which will be holding from 30 November to 12 December 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

One of the nation’s billionaire industrialists, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu has donated 25 state-of-the-art operational vehicles to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to boost the operation of the anti-narcotics agency across the nation.

The donation of the vehicles which total cost was put at N500 million, was done through the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa).

The donation to the agency is drawn from the ASR Africa Security Sector Support Grant, which is a security intervention initiative targeted at providing critical support to the agency to boost its operational reach and capacity.

ASR Africa had announced the Security Sector Support grant to Nigeria’s Armed Forces and other security agencies as its support for security operations across the country.

Earlier beneficiaries of the grant include The Nigerian Navy, The Nigerian Air Force, The Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Customs, Immigration, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Presenting documents and keys of the vehicles to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd), the Managing Director, ASR Africa, Dr. Ubon Udoh, stated that Abdul Samad Rabiu, Founder and Chairman of BUA Group is very passionate about giving back to society and has created the initiative to uplift and restore the dignity and lives of Africans.

Udoh thanked the NDLEA leadership for its support in ensuring the speedy realization of the project and noted that the operational vehicles would assist the NDLEA in fulfillment of its mandate in the war against drug-related crimes in the country.

Udoh said: “We are very pleased to be here. I want to start by appreciating you and your team for all the collaborations to make this day a reality. This is a testament to your tenacity and will to ensure this handover happens within a short time.

“I want to thank you all for the work you do. This agency has made a very giant stride under your leadership and this is a testament to the quality of your team. On behalf of Abdul Samad Rabiu, we are presenting you with 25 state-of-the-art operational vehicles to aid the work you do across the country and I can assure you on his behalf that this is just the beginning of better things to come.”

On his part, Marwa thanked the Chairman of ASR Africa for the support and redeeming the pledge.

He also enumerated the numerous achievements of the agency and promised full utilization of the vehicles donated by ASR Africa.

The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative seeks to support sustainable development initiatives in the Health, Education, and Social Development within Nigeria and the rest of Africa.

The National Executive Council of the Ambrose Alli University Alumni Association Worldwide Ekpoma has reacted to an alleged misleading publication that there is a crack in its leadership, saying that there are no factions.

A statement signed by the Worldwide Publicity Secretary, Pst. Ikupa Joseph Obaro, and made available to Blank NEWS Online, said the publication was made by a faceless group and lacks credibility.

The statement reads:

        “The attention of the National Executive Council of the Ambrose Alli University Alumni Association Worldwide Ekpoma has been drawn to a misleading publication that there’s a faction in its leadership. The said publication by a faceless group that calls itself concerned members and chairmen of AAU Alumni Association Worldwide, must be fictitious because from the beginning to the end of the publication no name was mentioned as the person who endorsed the release.

“Only two weeks ago our branch Chairmen in Nigeria and in the diaspora issued a release endorsed by ten of them attesting to the authenticity of the Clifford Omozeghian’s administration and passing a vote of confidence on him and his executive because of a similar sinister faceless group. We will not be surprise if the same persons are behind this publication.

Let it be on record that the Clifford Omozeghian’s executives were voted into power in a free and fair election and were duly sworn in at the Alumni building in Ekpoma on December 17th 2022 by Barr. A. O. Ogbidi Esq. a Notary Public in the presence of all delegates and Board of Trustees of our alumni association as observers. Anyone in doubt about the legitimacy of the Clifford Omozeghian led administration should contact the Chairman, Board of Trustees, AAU Alumni Association, Prof. A. D. Badaiki, (SAN) who also lectures at the university and is a member of the home branch at Ekpoma or the Secretary Prof. Omi Ujambi, a physicist who also lectures at the university, and who is also a onetime President of the alumni association.

“As far as the current executive committee of our alumni is concerned we are not in court with anybody. There is no litigation pending in any court against the association’s executives anywhere in Nigeria.

“The branch Chairmen are all working in harmony and synergy with the executive committee as their recent release herewith attached portrays.

“The faceless concerned members and branch Chairmen are like a drowning man trying to catch a straw. They are probably working for their principal who is the only one that knows what he stands to gain from attempting to cast our alumni association in bad light. The National Executive Council ably led by the Worldwide President Dr. Clifford Omozeghian Esq. shall remain focused and will refuse to be distracted.

“The general public, the university management, staff, students and members of our great alumni association should ignore them and focus on the good works of Dr. Clifford Omozeghian Esq. and his executives.

Signed:

Pst. Ikupa Joseph Obaro,

Worldwide Publicity Secretary

The North East Peoples Solidarity Front (NEPSF) has made an appeal to President Bola Tinubu to appoint a new Auditor General for the Federation from the North-East geo-political zone.

In a statement jointly signed by President Comrade Gabriel Michi and Secretary Comrade Mahmood Rufai, the group while acknowledging that the recruitment process for the position of Auditor General for the Federation was fair and transparent. They stated that after a thorough and competitive process, the best candidates were recommended based on merit, but however lamented that since the nation’s independence, the North-East geo-political zone has never had the opportunity to occupy the exalted position.

They presented historical data, indicating that the office has been held by individuals from the South-West (six occupants), South-East (two occupants), South-South (three occupants), and North-Central (one occupant).

The data however showed no candidate from the North-East or North-West has previously held the position.

The group expressed concern that the recently appointed Accountant General of the Federation was from the South-West, and they believed that for the sake of national interest, justice, and fairness, the position of Auditor General for the Federation should be filled by a candidate from the North-East, which has never been represented in the role since independence.

NEPSF urged President Tinubu to intervene in the recruitment process to prevent undue influence and manipulation by certain vested interests. They requested the President’s approval and submission of the name of the top candidate recommended by merit to the Senate for confirmation as Auditor General for the Federation.

Meanwhile, the group expressed gratitude to the President in anticipation of his fatherly intervention, acknowledging that appointing the most qualified candidate would demonstrate the administration’s commitment to probity and transparency in managing the nation’s public finances.

They also prayed for the President’s wisdom, courage, and strength in administering the country and addressing the case in question in the spirit of fairness, justice, and peace.

Borno State Governor, Banagana Umara Zulum, has approved the release of N80m grant for use by Guwori Islamic Academy, a charity institution that provides education to children mostly from low income families.

Zulum announced the approval on Sunday at the graduation ceremony of the school which is located around customs office in Jere Local Government Area.

The governor explained that the N80 million will be released in four batches of 20 million every year to support provision of educational facilities, improve teachers’ welfare and enhance learning for students.

“I am highly impressed with what I have seen here today (Sunday). The performance of the students is quite encouraging, as a government we are ready to support our children to receive good education (both Islamic and western). I am therefore announcing the grant of N80m to this school”, Zulum said.

He added, “Each year we will release N20m to complement the payment of the teachers’ salaries and other expenses. The first N20m cheque will be issued to the school management tomorrow (Monday) in sha Allah.”

Guwori Islamic Academy, which is a subsidiary of the Guwori Foundation was established by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited, (NNPCL), Mele Kolo Kyari, to provide free integrated Islamic and Western education.

Zulum also approved a total of N4.1m for 23 graduating students with each of the 12 pupils who have memorised the complete Holy Qur’an receiving N250,000 each and 11 pupils who have completed their primary education but could not memorise the complete Holy Qur’an to receive N100,000 each.

The governor charged parents to inculcate the teachings of Islam in their children. 

He also seized the opportunity to assure citizens of his administration’s commitment to providing meaningful development in the state and in combating all forms of criminalities for the people to go about their activities peacefully.

Earlier in his address, the GCEO of NNPCL, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, expressed his appreciation for the good standard of teaching and learning in the school.

Qur’anic recitations and drama presentations by the students and lectures by several Islamic scholars were conducted during the ceremony.

The governor was accompanied to the event by the Member representing Marte, Monguno and Nganzai at the Federal House of Representatives, Engr. Bukar Talba, Head of Service, Barrister Mallam Fannami, Commissioners designate and other government officials.

Strong indications of massive fraud has rocked the Presidential Amnesty Office under the leadership of General Barry Ndiomu, with stakeholders calling for its probe.

Sources in critical position in the office have raised the alarm over the alarming plundering of the office under its current leadership.

The stakeholders have called on the anti graft agencies and indeed the supervisory office, the National Security Adviser to look into how the N5.4 billion monthly allocation to the office is being spent.

The sources claim that certain members of staff in the office of the Interim Administrator of the Amnesty Office are being paid huge amount for welfare.

The sources some heads of department receive between N10 and N15 million as welfare.

It was also learnt that some officials are currently be victimized for raising eyebrows over the handling financial matters in the organisation, while some retired officers appointed to the agency but willing to overlook the financial impropriety are given positions of prominence.

It was also learnt that a new Director of administration was deployed from the Head of Service but leadership of the Amnesty office prevented him from resuming effectively.

The sources revealed that all the functions of the Administration department were removed from the former Admin office and new department known as Head of Human Resources, which subsequently was given to a personnel described as being deployed from non mainstream civil service.

The sources also urged the Federal Government to investigate the cooperate system of the Amnesty office, insisting that the office removed N500 million every month for a suspicious cooperative system.

Sources also alleged that workers of the office who have expressed concern over the running of the office have been sent back to the ministries and replaced with newly employed ones.

It was also alleged that shortly before the end of the Buhari administration, the then National Security Adviser, Gen Monguno made moves to shut down the Programme which was resisted by the leaders and people of the Niger Delta.

When Barry Ndiomu was appointed, he said he was at the PAP with a mandate to wind down the programme, but the situation and tension in the region made it impossible for him to abruptly bring the programme to en end.

There are serious concerns that the Amnesty Office has lost its importance under Ndiomu having been relieved of its key roles in the region.

The Interim Administrator has since stopped fresh deployment of students for the scholarship programme which endeared government to many in the region.

Ndiomu also put an end to the training or empowerment programmes of delegates in the region.

… Tinubu commends Zulum’s performance in Borno 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday laid foundation stone for the establishment of 1,350 megawatts Gwagwalada Independent Power Plant (GIPP) Project sited in Gwagwalada area council of the FCT. 

The project is being carried out through a partnership between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC Limited, China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) and General Electric (GE).  

The event had in attendance Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum who was there in honour of Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer of  NNPC, Ltd. Mele Kyari hails from Borno State. 

Also at the event were Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives who represented the speaker, Deputy Governor of Nassarawa State who represented his Governor, the chinese ambassador to Nigeria and stakeholders from ministries of power, and petroleum and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. There were traditional rulers of Gwagwalada and Zuba amongst other stakeholders. 

President Tinubu in his remarks which has already been copiously reported by the presidency’s media team, also took time to praise Governor Zulum. 

Tinubu said he was happy that the Borno Governor attended the groundbreaking as his presence meant representation of a tier of Government. 

The President also commended Zulum’s performance since becoming Governor of Borno State. 

Before the president’s speech, permanent secretary of the FCT, Mr Olusade Adesola gave a welcoming address. 

Group CEO of NNPC Ltd, Mele Kyari gave overview of the Gwagwalada Independent Power Project including scope and overall objectives. 

Permanent secretary, ministry of petroleum, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda delivered the vote of thanks. 

The Gwagwalada Independent Power Project, “was necessitated by the need for delivering gas towards additional power generation capacity in Nigeria. Gas supply to the Plant shall be through the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline which is currently at its advanced stages of construction. The GIPP’s fuel requirements will be satisfied under a long-term Gas Sales, Purchase and Aggregation Agreement with Shell Petroleum Development Company Joint Venture (SPDCJV).”

“The GIPP project consists up of three power train blocks of 450MW each. Each block will include two General Electric (GE) GT132 gas turbine generators, two heat recovery steam generators (HRSG), one steam turbine electric generator, one direct air-cooling condenser, balance of plant equipment and a black start diesel generator.”

“On completion, the GIPP Project will generate an average of 10.3 million Megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity per year for sale to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading PIc (NBET). The sales of the generated power will be through Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the NBET to distribution companies (Discos) under long-term agreements, and direct sale to major off-takers.”

“China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) will construct the project under a turnkey Engineering, Procurement and Construction (“EPC”) contract. The GIPP Project will be operated by an experienced company with proven track record under an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) contract. GE will be engaged for the Long-Term Service Agreement (LTSA) that will include ongoing guarantees of availability, heat rate, and output.”

“Projected gross revenues within the first ten years is expected to be around USD 700-800 million per year.”

Africans Rising for Unity, Justice, Peace and Dignity, a Pan-African movement of people and organisations working for unity, justice, peace and dignity in Africa has called on African Union (AU) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to commence constructive engagement with all relevant actors in Niger political crisis so as to maintain peace and stability in the trouble country.

The group however disagreed with the planned invasion of the country by ECOWAS force, insisting that this would only lead to death of many civilians.

In a statement issued on the crisis, Africans Rising said it is “opposed to military take-over of political power and hereby denounces the actions by Niger’s military to seize power through a coup d’etat and suspend the constitution.”

The statement read: “We call on the military officers to allow a peaceful resolution to the stalemate, return the country to civilian rule and restore constitutional order in Niger.

“We also urge international and regional bodies such as ECOWAS and African Union to begin constructive engagement with all relevant actors to maintain peace and stability. In this light, we disagree with the threats of military intervention by ECOWAS member states as such an action would only lead to death of innocent people and destruction of the country.

“In the same vein, proposed sanctions must not further burden the already impoverished population.”

The group said: “ECOWAS and the AU must be more proactive in dealing with crises within the region and across Africa rather than reacting to situations after they deteriorate.

“In a span of three years, the West Africa region has been rocked by four coups d’état, Niger being the latest to join Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali. At the same time, we are witnessing increasing threats to civil liberties, wanton corruption, and outright state capture in many other countries.

“Without addressing the root causes of instability, we cannot have sustainable solutions. This calls for a more comprehensive approach to the social, economic and political environment that puts the needs of African citizens at the centre.

“We must resist any moves that will make West Africa or any part of Africa the theater of war by proxy between competing powers. It is very important for external powers from West and East to steer clear of Africa’s internal affairs and desist from making reckless statements hinting at military action. We will not tolerate any such rhetoric. Africa is not the extension of any other country or continent.”

The group stated that: “We face neither East nor West. We face forward”.

PRESS RELEASE

In responses, kindly quote:
AAA.03/CPRU/NHQ/ABJ/VOL 01/08
Date: 4 AUGUST, 2023
Head of News.

SAFE SCHOOLS: TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE INAUGURATED FOR NSSRCC, AS NSCDC CG TASKS EXPERTS ON SUPPORT.

The Commandant General (CG) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, OFR, has called on members and stakeholders at the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) to provide expert support to the centre for effective implementation and success of the Safe Schools Programme.

The CG made this call during the inauguration of a 21-member Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) at the Corps National Headquarters, Abuja.

Dr Audi stated that the safe schools programme has become necessary considering the importance of education on human capital development and the overall national development, thus making it expedient for government to deploy extraordinary measures to tackle the spate of attacks on school facilities in Nigeria.

According to the CG, the NSSRCC is a critical component of the National Plan for safe schools saddled with coordinative, preventive, safety and security responsibilities and responses for schools and host communities in collaboration with the military, other law enforcement agencies as well as relevant stakeholders.

“I call on members of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to maximally support the centre for effective implementation and success of the safe Schools Programme.

“The national plan on safe schools was put in place to facilitate the prevention of attacks and effective protection of schools and host communities from violence and attacks.

“Therefore, support to the centre by those with expertise as carefully selected to serve on this committee will result in the success of the programme and safety of schools children”, the Corps helmsman said.

The CG maintained that shortly after the launch of the centre on February 13, 2023, a committee of experts was constituted to develop Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and implementation framework to guide the operations of the centre in line with global best practices.

He reiterated that the inauguration of the Technical Advisory Committee is in compliance with Section 8, Sub-Section II of the SOP which provides that in order to ensure effective and efficient administration of the programme, “the CG shall appoint and request for representation from relevant stakeholders, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to provide compass and direction to the NSSRCC”.

Speaking in an address of welcome, Commander of the centre, CSC Tersoo Shaapera, PhD, explained that NSCDC has been made the lead agency with the mandate to host the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC).

He added that the inauguration of TAC is of compelling necessity to gain and use the knowledge, expertise and experience of every agency represented in the committee to the advantage of the center.

He corrected the misconception that the Corps is in conflict with any sister agency or stakeholders in the implementation of national plan on safe schools, explaining that the national document on implementation of the Safe Schools Programme, clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of every agency.

Members of the committee were drawn from government security agencies, Federal ministries and other critical stakeholders which includes representatives of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), National Security Adviser (NSA), Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director General, Department of State Security (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ministries of Education, Defence, Finance, Budget and National Planning.

Other stakeholders represented in the committee are the Governors Forum, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) NAPTIP, Ministries of Justice, Interior, Humanitarian Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Independent Consultants and the NSCDC CG as the chairman.

The representatives of the Chief of Defence Staff, National Security Adviser, Ministries of Defence, Education, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Nigeria Governors Forum and Save the Children, in their goodwill messages, congratulated the Corps for the inauguration and assured of support in the implementation of the safe Schools Programme.

Signed:

CC OLUSOLA ODUMOSU
Director Public Relations,
NSCDC National Headquarters, Abuja

More than 73,000 people in Kebbi and Sokoto States gained access to improved water supply following the construction of 19 new solar-powered boreholes and the rehabilitation of 27 non-functional hand pump boreholes, courtesy of support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

A statement on Friday read that: “The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) support improved access to water, sanitation, and hygiene in health centres, schools, and underserved communities.

“The two-year Integrated Water Sanitation and Hygiene Services (i-WASH) activity worked with state ministries, local government WASH units, rural water supply and sanitation agencies, and local communities to improve WASH services in seven schools, four health centers, and 46 rural communities.

“The activity guaranteed access to 13 improved latrines and 17 handwashing facilities for school students and users of primary healthcare centers. About 100 remote sensors were deployed to monitor water pumps in Kebbi and Sokoto States.”

Speaking on the successful completion of the i-WASH activity recently in Abuja, USAID/Nigeria WASH Team Lead, Latif-ur Rahman said, “Through our partnership with Green Habitat Initiative, we have introduced a new system of remote monitoring of the functionality of water pumps to increase transparency and accountability of WASH investments and reduce the downtime of facilities.”

This $2 million i-WASH activity contributed to the Nigerian government’s efforts to reduce waterborne diseases and associated socio-economic challenges and is helping to accelerate Nigeria’s achievement of health, water, and sanitation targets for United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 6.

International Organisation for Migration, (IOM), Search for Common Ground and Mercy Corps Nigeria are wading into farmers and herders clashes in Adamawa and Taraba States through the commencement of the second phase of the project, ‘Contribution to the Mitigation of Conflict Over Natural Resources Between Farmer and Herder Communities (COMITAS).

Chief of Mission, IOM Nigeria, Laurent De Boeck explained that the COMITAS project aims at finding tradition solutions to conflicts between farmers and herders in Adamawa state through strengthened traditional conflict resolution system and a systematic early warning and early response mechanisms.

He made this known at a meeting of the COMITAS Project Steering Committee on the extension of the project to Taraba state, yesterday in Abuja.

The Chief of Mission noted that during the second phase of the project, the consortium will continue to engage all stakeholders ncluding the government, agencies, leaders, and affected communities.

He said: “The expansion of the project to Taraba became necessary because of the linkages between communities in Adamawa and those in the neighbouring LGAs in Taraba who had been displaced due to the farmer herder crisis.

“It also became necessary to expand the project to Guyuk and Shelleng LGAs in Adamawa because these areas have experienced clashes between two farming communities in the past two years. It is hoped that through transformative dialogue and capacity building on natural resource management the participating communities will be able to coexist peacefully.”

De Boeck revealed that in the first phase: “Overall the project reached over 7,960 (2,006 female, 5,954 male) direct participants and 25,237 (6,309 female, 18,928 male) indirect participants from 52 communities within the 5 LGAs of operation which consist of an estimated population of 1,023,700.

“To achieve this, the consortium worked with media outlets, Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Faith Based Organisations, Community-Based Organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations.”

Acting Head of Cooperation and Section Democracy Governance and Migration, European Union Delegations to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ruben Aguilera, on his part explained that the EU is trying to encourage other stakeholders to invest in the fight against insecurity in Nigeria especially the farmers and herder crisis.

He said the EU is investing 200 million euros in both the first and second phases COMITAS but “The European Union is investing more than 500 million Euros overall and out of that, around. 100 million Euros goes to security issues and I think we are one of the largest international partners.”

Aguilera said: ” We are also investing heavily in the farmer herders conflict. A lot of people think the biggest challenge in the north east is with insurgency (Boko Haram) but you also know they are other areas and that is why we have been choosing these type of projects, we have chosen Adamawa and Taraba working with some of the local organisations with the states government so that things can be improved that’s why we have taken a decision to expand.

“We are not only involved in Adamawa and Taraba, we are also working in the Northwest, Northeast as well as Niger Delta and other regions like the middle belt. We want to take a comprehensive approach and partner with all levels of government and civil societies to ameliorate the security challenges.”

-By Austen Akhagbeme:

Until very recently, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the new strong man of Niger Republic, was the head of the Presidential guard. He was a very dependable ally of the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

His over ten years of experience as a chief guardsman in the corridors of power must have exposed him to the frailty and fragility of the presidency and its occupants. So he could choose to lock the doors against the landlord and his household without much ado or resistance. And he did just that albeit successfully on July 26 2023.

His puerile boastfulness, daring ECOWAS and threatening a showdown with a rag-tag army that is wholly dependent on the support of his rogue peers within the coup d’etat belt and their newfound imperialist godfathers, typifies the folly and delusion embedded in the minds of the African ruling elite be they civilians or Soldiers.

The knee-jerk response to the coup by ECOWAS and its leaders is equally being perceived as a tacit ploy to join in the killing of a proverbial rampaging beast in the neighbourhood before it gets to one’s own home.

Therefore, dragging the entire region into an avoidable crisis all in the name of restoring democracy to a nation with a long history of political instability is uncalled for.

A military solution to the Nigerien crisis can snowball into a major and endless war teleguided and masterminded by two imperialistic “onlookers” to the watchful pleasure of ignorant citizens who will be the ultimate victims after all.

President Tinubu, the leader of ECOWAS, must be careful not to endanger the lives of over 200 million Nigerians in search of peace in a nation of 20 million people.

Foreign policy decisions are more often than not, a product of an envisaged economic advantage. This decision to throw a punch at the Nigerien putschists is borne out of egotistical consideration or self-preservation. Let us leave Niger and their newfound friends alone.

• Austen Akhagbeme is a Columnist with Blank NEWS Online

The Rotary club of Abuja Wuse Central is planning to expend N18.4 million on intervention projects in the federal capital city, Abuja.

Apart from infrastructure to be built the humanitarian club also planned to embark on tree planting and vaccination of residents of the city for the 2023/24 year.

Speaking during his investiture and flag off of the clubs humanitarian projects for 2023-2024 year, the President of Rotary club Wuse Central, Dr. Albert Alkali said the club said would be focusing on disease prevention by providing hepatitis B screening and vaccination, malaria treatments and tree planting within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He said: “Within the year we are looking into seven areas of focus in disease prevention by providing vaccination and screenings for hepatitis B and malaria treatments, we are also looking at maternal and child health, distributing mosquito nets to pregnant, nursing mothers and de-worming the kids, we would also be looking at the environment, we would be planting trees and providing dustbins within the FCT and its environs to ensure we have a safer environment to live in.

“We would be looking into peace and conflict resolution because we all know that with peace in the society, things would be better so we would be looking at catching them young by speaking to children in secondary schools and get involved in peer mediation and then we would be looking at mental health and girl child education, these are areas we would be working on.

“We would also be renovating a PHC in Jahi, we would remodel their vaccination centre because since the Covid, vaccination is done in more spacious areas where its not crowded, we would be providing them with a model pharmacy and provide solar energy, all of these would be done within a year. The theme for this year is creating hope in the world so we intend to create hope where their is hopelessness, especially in our rural areas.”

Chairman of the investiture Committee and President Elect, 2024-2025 year, Dr. Tomola Emaleku said Rotary is a Humanitarian club that touches the lives of the poor, we go into the interiors to see what we can do to improve the lives of people. Rotary club of Wuse Central has been in existence for over 13 years and touched the lives of so many people.

He added, “We have gone to communities and given them schools, health centers, water. Last year we built a borehole and maternity center in Dakwa District and for this 2023, our star project is the building and renovation of a maternity centre, we already built it and bought a grnerating set for them and now we would sink a borehole for them.”

The president and executive members of the warri chamber of commerce, industry, mines and agriculture (WACCIMA), led by it’s president Mr Francis Eruotor paid a courtesy visit to the new Delta ports manager, Mr Teslim Makanjuola in his office at the ports complex warri.

The ports manager thanked WACCIMA for the visit and pledged the suport and cooperation of the management of the Nigeria Ports Authority at all times, noting that he was highly elated for the visit and called on WACCIMA to feel free to come for collaboration to improve the economic prosperity of the greater Warri area.

The ports manager asked WACCIMA to avail itself to the opportunity open for export of home grown products and for export opportunities that are abound in the Delta ports.

Responding on behalf of the chambers, the president Mr Eruotor thanked the ports manager for the honour and expressed its members readiness to collaborate with the ports authority to bring about greater prosperity to Warri and its environs.

He further said that the NPA has been very supportive in promoting programmes and sponsorship with the chambers and expressed hope that the administration of Mr Makanjuola will further consolidate on the success of the past management.

Group photograph of WACCIMA and the ports manager was taken right in his office, standing 4th from left Teslim Makanjuola ports manager, 5th from left is Mr Francis Eruotor President Waaccima , next is Deputy president WACCIMA and others.

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has put forward a proposal for the establishment of a Health Development Bank in a move towards strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system.

The announcement was made by the Lead Director of CSJ, Eze Onyekpere, during a workshop on “Innovative and Alternative Funding of the Health Sector” held in Abuja on Wednesday.

The current state of healthcare financing in Nigeria has been a cause for concern, with allocations to the health sector averaging a mere 5% of the federal budget over the last five years (2018-2022). These allocations encompass capital, recurrent, statutory transfers, and other vital aspects of the health sector, but still fall far short of meeting the sector’s demands.

According to Onyekpere, the CSJ’s proposal for a Health Development Bank seeks to address the financial constraints faced by the health sector, he noted that: “If implemented, the bank will provide a predictable and sustainable source of funding for critical health projects, ensuring that funds are tied to specific results and milestones in line with national health policies and goals.”

Currently, a significant portion of Nigeria’s health budget is dedicated to recurrent expenditure, leaving minimal room for capital investments in health infrastructure and upgrades. Onyekpere said “The proposed Health Development Bank would enable targeted investments in areas such as health facilities, medical equipment, digital technology for telemedicine, and improvements in pharmaceutical production, including the manufacture of critical vaccines and pharmaceutical ingredients.”

One of the pressing challenges in the health sector is the lack of access to basic medical equipment in primary healthcare facilities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only 41% of such facilities had access to such equipment in 2018. Additionally, many health facilities suffer from inadequate access to electricity, water, and sanitation, affecting the quality of healthcare services provided.

The Health Development Bank aims to address these issues by supporting infrastructure provision and upgrades in health facilities, fostering an enabling environment for quality healthcare delivery. This, in turn, will reduce the need for medical tourism, saving the country over $1 billion annually.

Onyekpere said: “The bank will be instrumental in improving Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry, which currently heavily relies on imports. By providing funds for infrastructure, technology, and human resource development, the bank can stimulate local production of critical pharmaceuticals and vaccines, enhancing the nation’s health security.”

The proposal also emphasizes the need to invest in the health workforce to bridge the significant gaps in healthcare personnel. Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio is far below the desired levels, and the country needs an additional 149,700 doctors to achieve the ideal 1 doctor to 1000 patients ratio. The Health Development Bank would develop a human resource loan scheme to facilitate the training and development of essential healthcare professionals.

If approved and implemented, the Health Development Bank has the potential to transform Nigeria’s healthcare landscape, increasing access to quality healthcare, generating jobs, improving tax revenue, and enhancing the nation’s GDP contribution.

The proposal is set to be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration, and stakeholders in the health sector are eagerly awaiting the outcome. Experts believe that the establishment of a Health Development Bank could be the much-needed boost that Nigeria’s health sector requires to reach its full potential and deliver world-class healthcare services to its citizens.

Earlier, CSJ’s Programme Manager, Public Finance, Dr Chidi Sundayson, during a paper presentation on “Sugar & Sweetened Beverage (SSB) tax as Alternative Source of Healthcare Funding,” estimated that an SSB tax in Nigeria has the potential to generate approximately 1% of the country’s GDP, equivalent to USD 4.77 billion. This revenue could significantly contribute to funding the health sector and strengthening healthcare and health systems in the nation.

Sundayson said “In light of Nigeria’s current revenue challenges and mounting debt burden, adopting the SSB tax as an alternative funding source is a critical consideration. By ploughing back the resources generated from the tax into the health sector, transparency and accountability can be ensured through well-designed systems for tax collection and administration.”

He added that SSB tax offers a promising opportunity to bridge the funding gap and improve healthcare for all Nigerians. With the Sustainable Development Goals still seven years away, decisive action is required to make significant strides towards better health outcomes.

A press statement signed by President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero and made available to Blank NEWS Online reads:

“We want to inform all Nigerians that we have just risen from a meeting with the federal Government where we sought to get them listen to the demands of the people and workers of Nigeria.

“The outcome of this meeting earlier today has however not changed anything or the course which we have set for ourselves tomorrow as custodians of the interests and desires of Nigerian workers and people.

“Nigerians are advised to ignore the work of fifth columnists who are working hard against the wishes of the people. We urge everyone to gather in our respective states and wherever we may be across the nation to give vent to this collective resolve.

“Once again, the Nationwide Mass Protest will start tomorrow.

OUR DEMANDS ARE:

• IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION IN GOOD FAITH OF THE RESOLUTIONS WITH CONGRESS JOINTLY SIGNED WITH GOVERNMENT AND TUC
• IMMEDIATE REVERSAL OF ALL ANTI-POOR POLICIES OF GOVERNMENT
  INCLUDING THE RECENT HIKE IN PMS PRICE, SCHOOL FEES AND VAT
• FIX OUR LOCAL REFINERIES IN PORTHARCOURT, WARRI AND KADUNA
• RELEASE OF 8 MONTHS WITHHELD SALARIES OF UNIVERSITY LECTURERS AND WORKERS
• ACCORD APPROPRIATE RECOGNITION AND SUPPORT TO THE PRESIDENTIAL
• STEERING COMMITTEE AND THE WORK OF ITS SUB COMMITTEES
• TO PUT A STOP TO INHUMAN ACTIONS AND POLICIES OF GOVERNMENT.

Comrade Joe Ajaero

President

Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved the release of additional one billion naira towards completion of the ongoing reconstruction works at the Maiduguri Monday Market which was razed in February, this year. 

Zulum announced the latest intervention on Monday in Maiduguri during an inspection visit to the market to assess progress of rebuilding.

The governor also announced September 2023 as target for reopening of the market which has been closed for five months to undergo reconstruction. 

“I want to assure you (traders and the people of Maiduguri) that we shall complete this reconstruction work very soon, insha’Allah. I am aware of the exigencies you have been facing, however, be assured that in the next 30 days, maximum 35 days we will complete this work bi iznillah. Maiduguri Monday Market will reopen on or before September 10 insha’ Allah”, Zulum said.

He added, “In view of the foregoing, I want to announce the release of another 1 billion naira to hasten the completion of works.

Zulum noted that the construction work will include the remodelling of the market where many traders lost their shops.

“We decided to remodel the market to allow vehicular movement inside, we put in place drainages for the free flow of sewage and rainwater. As a result of the remodelling, quite a number of shops have been demolished. To accommodate those that have lost their shops, we are building additional number of smaller shops.”

It would be recalled that Maiduguri Monday market was engulfed by an inferno on the 26th of February, 2023, after which the governor released an initial one billion naira as emergency palliative for affected traders.

Zulum released another one billion naira to kick-start the reconstruction of the market with a 23-member committee inaugurated to supervise the work.

The governor visited the market a number of times to supervise reconstruction works. 

Zulum, in his latest visit commended the committee for their commitment to ensuring the market is put back on time. 

“Let me convey my deep appreciation to the chairman and members of this committee (for their good job)”, the governor said.

The Deputy Governor of Delta State, Sir Monday Onyeme, has assured members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), that the administration of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori is running an inclusive government.

According to Onyeme, the administration is not discriminatory and embraces the inclusion of the Igbos, Hausas, Yorubas and professional bodies.

The Deputy Governor made the disclosure on Monday when members of the AGN, led by their National President, Chief Emeka Rollas, paid him a courtesy visit at his office, Government House, Asaba.

He thanked members of the body for the roles they played during the 2023 general elections, asserting that it was necessary to make governance inclusive.

“In your speech, you talked about inclusion of some of your members in the present administration; I can assure you that I will convey your message to my Governor, our Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and I am very sure His Excellency will be very receptive about this because, our government is an inclusive one.

“Non indigenes definitely will have roles to play in this administration; so, the Igbo community, Yoruba community, and Hausa community are part of our government.

“Also, professional bodies like yours will be active in this government because, it is our government,” Onyeme said.

The Deputy Governor also assured members of the Actors Guild that the state government would remain interested in activities that take place at the multi-million naira Film Village.

“Anybody with good intentions will be interested in knowing about what goes on in an edifice that gulped hundreds of millions of Naira,” he added.

Earlier, Chief Emeka Rollas, said that they were happy that the Delta State government had always provided a suitable environment for members of Actors Guild of Nigeria to carry out their activities.

He said, members of the association had supported the past administration and were also ready to support the Oborevwori-led administration.

He appealed to the state government to revitalize the Film Village to serve as a meeting point for actors in the country.

Also speaking, a veteran actress, Evangelist Patience Ozorkwor, commended the government of Delta State for the positive roles it has been playing since the inception of the Actors Guild of Nigeria in the country, particularly, the provision of the gigantic Film Village built and donated to the organization by the past administration.

Ozorkwor, stated that Delta State purposeful encouragement for film production to thrive in the state, had further given opportunity for marketers to invest more in the film making industry.

She stated, “today nobody looks down on us, they now see us as professionals, and we are glad to see that in this kind of profession, you do not need to be a graduate to be able to act.”

Pics:
Sir Monday Onyeme, Deputy Governor of Delta State (left) with the President, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Chief Emeka Rollas when the latter led members of the association to pay him a courtesy call at his office, Government House, Asaba on Monday, July 31, 2023.