The Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) has called on the Federal Government to take immediate action to secure the release of two Kaduna-based journalists and their families who were abducted over the weekend.
According to NPAN, Abdulgafar Alabelewe and AbdulRaheem Aodu, journalists working in Kaduna, were abducted alongside their families by bandits in a late-night raid on their homes. While details remain unclear, one family member reported the attackers to be heavily armed and shooting indiscriminately.
In a statement released on Wednesday, NPAN President Kabiru Yusuf described the abduction as a “condemnable event” and called on the government to “deploy all necessary security assets at its disposal” to ensure the safe return of the journalists and their families.
Yusuf said, “The Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria is concerned over the safety of Messers Abdulgafar Alabelewe and Mr. AbdulRaheem Abdu, the Kaduna state’s correspondents of The Nation and Blueprint newspapers, respectively, who were abducted last weekend.
READ ALSO:Nigerian journalist cries out, alleges threat to life over reports on Kaduna conflicts
“More worrying is the prolonged silence from their abductors, who seized the journalists along with members of their families, including wives and children. The trauma induced on both their biological and professional families by this condemnable event, is better imagined.
“We call on the Federal Government to ensure the safe return of the journalists and their families, by deploying all the necessary security assets at its disposal.”
The abduction has raised concerns about the safety of journalists operating in Nigeria, particularly in areas with high levels of banditry and violence. NPAN’s statement emphasizes the chilling effect such incidents can have on press freedom and the vital role journalists play in society.
NPAN’s demand for swift government action reflects the urgency of the situation. The families of the abducted individuals are undoubtedly facing immense distress, and time is critical to securing their safe release.
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NPAN demands urgent action from Nigerian govt over abducted Kaduna journalists, families
Indiscriminate dissolution of institutions’ governing boards illegal
The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities has urged stakeholders within the university system to collaborate in addressing challenges facing the sector.
Chairman of COPSUN, Senator Joshua Lidani, made this statement in Lagos on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the seventh biennial conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria.
The conference theme was ‘Effective University Governance: Role of Stakeholders.’
Lidani, who is also the Pro-Chancellor of Gombe State University, revealed that the theme covers various governance issues within the university system.
He mentioned several challenges currently affecting the university and tertiary education sectors, such as corrupt practices, impersonation, irregular exam centres, inadequate funding, and the proliferation of universities.
Additionally, he expressed concerns about the discriminatory and premature dissolution of governing councils and boards of tertiary educational institutions, along with delays in their reconstitution.
“The indiscriminate and premature dissolution of governing councils and boards of tertiary educational institutions, coupled with delays in their reconstitution, not only constitute illegal acts but also create significant administrative vacuums that lead to various anomalies. The incessant strike actions by ASUU and other labour unions have had profound consequences on stability, quality, and standards. The proliferation of universities and inadequate funding further exacerbate these challenges.
“While this conference alone may not fully resolve these issues, it serves to raise public awareness about the threats posed to good governance, standards, and quality within the tertiary educational system. It is imperative for stakeholders to recognize the depth of these problems. Failing to address them promptly could lead to the deterioration of our education system, undermining trust from other nations. The sooner we acknowledge and resolve these challenges, the better.
“I have no doubt that this conference can chart a path forward and provide guidance on how stakeholders can effectively contribute to enhancing educational standards in the country,” he said.
Chairman of the opening ceremony, and former Chief of Staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, encouraged the pro-chancellors to formulate action plans to elevate their institutions to the level of competence and attractiveness seen in federal and private universities.
Gambari said that by doing so, universities would retain top faculty and staff, thereby attracting the best students from the pool of eligible candidates.
“State-owned universities should strategically carve out specific niches that leverage their unique comparative advantages to enhance their position in the educational landscape.
“Successfully achieving this establishes a foundation for creating and gaining recognition for their brand,” he said.
The keynote address was given by Prof. Nuhu Yaqub.
Also speaking, Emeritus Prof. Julius Okojie emphasised the significance of emotional intelligence in leadership among Vice-Chancellors of universities.
He stated that effective university governance could be achieved through productive collaboration among stakeholders.
The chairman of the national planning committee was Prof. Deji Omole, while the chairman of the local planning committee, was the Vice-Chancellor, of Lagos State University, Ojo, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello.
The conference will end on July 12, 2024.
Oyo targets local, foreign tourists
Oyo State Government, on Tuesday, said its maiden edition of the 2024 World Egungun/Fuji/Amala Festival, tagged “Our Culture, Our Heritage”, will target the expansion of the state’s economy through cultural tourism.
The state Commissioner for Tourism and Culture, Wasiu Olatunbosun, gave this indication in a statement by the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Media, Suleiman Olanrewaju, in Ibadan, the state capital.
He said the festival would be a rich package of the cultural potential and heritage of the state and is intended to attract both local and foreign tourists for investment opportunities in line with the vision of Governor Makinde.
Olatunbosun said, “Masquerades hold deep historical significance, embodying the spirit of resilience and unity, which defines the state’s identity and is a testament to the enduring legacy of Oyo’s traditions, while the state also produced Fuji greats, including the late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Iyanda Sawaba, Rasheed Ayinde Merenge, Abass Akande Obesere, Saheed Osupa and Taye Currency, to mention a few.
“The Egungun/Fuji/Amala Festival aligned with Governor Makinde’s Omituntun 2.0 agenda, which has incorporated tourism for the expansion of the state’s economy.”
The commissioner, who noted that the cultural event would be held on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at the Race Course, Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan, said it also will feature major masquerades offering a dynamic showcase of culture and dance, as well as music, and a savoury flavour of Amala with Gbegiri, Eko and Moin Moin cuisines.
He said, “The maiden edition of the World Egungun Festival will be held on Thursday at the Race Course, Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Ibadan. The festival will be the first of its kind in the state, South-West and probably Nigeria, and it is also going to be an annual event.
“We are going to make sure that we improve on whatever we do this year. Our target is to get it enlisted by UNESCO just like we did for the Sango Festival, and one of the criteria is for us to do the programme seamlessly for a minimum of five years.
“I believe strongly that we have laid a very strong foundation and we are helping the Engineer of Modern Oyo State, the governor himself, to also make another first in this regard.
“We are going to have Egungun, Fuji and also Amala on parade. We believe that the state should start doing something to recognise what Baba Barrister did in the area of Fuji’s creation. So, we are giving him a posthumous award. We also adopted all his songs as our official songs for the event.
“Also, we believe that we should also create a platform where we can promote upcoming artistes who are looking for such platforms to perform. So, we decided to use the day to accommodate them so that they can have the opportunity to showcase their talents.
We have discussed with the food vendors and the official foods that will be served include Amala and Abula soup, Moinmoin and Eko and Akara.
“Fuji legend, Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, an indigene of the state, will also be honoured with a posthumous award in appreciation of his lasting legacy in promoting Fuji music to the world.”
Speaking on security before and during the festival, the commissioner assured the attendees of safety, stating that Governor Makinde’s security architecture has ensured the effective security of lives and property in the state in the last five years.
Nigerian farmers happy with creation of Livestock Development Ministry – AFAN
All Farmers Association of Nigeria has said that the creation of the Livestock Development Ministry by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will bring joy to its members nationwide.
Femi Oke, the South West Chairman of AFAN disclosed this in an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday.
His comment comes as President Tinubu announced the creation of the Livestock Development Ministry on Tuesday.
Oke said the creation of the ministry stems from agriculture stakeholders’ recommendation to the federal government.
He explained that the Livestock Ministry would lead to the end of the age-long farmers-herders conflict and banditry in Nigeria.
“It is not new news to stakeholders in the agriculture sector. Some time ago we had a meeting in Abuja on livestock and that was one of our conclusions to the federal government. It is to ease the bottleneck neck of the Ministry of Agriculture. For years now we have been hearing of farmer-herders conflict, and we now decided that the agriculture ministry should be decentralized.
“It is a welcome development to we farmers. It is a joy to farmers.
“We believe the ministry’s creation will bring to an end farmers-herders conflicts and banditry,” he said.
Similarly, Ayuba Rano, the National Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers in a Channel TV interview on Wednesday said the development will bring a solution to food insecurity in Nigeria.
“The president has given full attention to livestock development, which is a major challenge to food security.
Fulani socio-cultural group, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, has been at the forefront in championing the call for the creation of a Livestock ministry.
Meanwhile, some Nigerians have kicked against the ministry establishment, stating that it would further increase the cost of governance.
This is as development further increased ministries under Tinubu government from 49 to 50
Nigerian farmers happy with creation of Livestock Development Ministry – AFAN
Plateau holds LG election October 9
Plateau State has fixed October 9, 2024, for the conduct of local government elections.
The Chairman of the state Independent Electoral Commission, Plangji Cishak, disclosed this on Wednesday during an ongoing meeting with leaders of political parties held at the commission’s headquarters in Jos, the state capital.
Plangji said the council poll would be conducted across the 17 local government areas of the state, which are currently under the management of Transition Implementation Committee Chairmen.
Details later…
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Address looming food insecurity now – Senate to Nigerian Govt
The Senate has urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, initiate measures to tackle the impending food insecurity in the country.
It also urged the government to outline measures put in place to combat the situation and address Nigerians on it.
The Senate’s resolution followed the adoption of a motion on the urgent need to address food insecurity and market exploitation of consumables in Nigeria at plenary.
The motion was sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi (APC– Kogi) and Senator Ali Ndume (APC-Borno).
Leading the debate, Karimi said in the last few months, the price of goods and household consumables in Nigeria had been on an all-time high.
According to him, this was leading to a high rate of inflation, weakening purchasing power and affecting the living conditions of the vast majority of Nigerians.
He said the latest data by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that food inflation in the country skyrocketed to 40.66 per cent on a year-on-year basis, representing a significant increase from the 24.82 per cent recorded in May 2023.
Karimi said the current market price of food items such as beans, maize, rice paddy, yam, tomatoes, and onions which initially rose by about 40 per cent after the removal of petroleum subsidy had increased to between 100 per cent and 300 per cent with no attributable reason for the increase in prices.
He said insecurity in food-producing regions, bad roads, increase in cost of transportation, depreciation of the value of Naira had been identified as possible factors contributing to increase in price of food items and other consumables.
He, however ,said that a greater percentage of the increase in prices of food items and consumables were not only responsible for the factors, rather the greed of merchants, traders, and retailers to make supernormal profits.
“Note that there is a general attitude of get rich quickly or get rich by all means.
“This is leading many Nigerians to jettison being their brother’s keeper” and exploiting one another to make abnormal profits.
“This attitude has been justified on the basis that many members of the political class, technocrats, and corporate elites have helped themselves with public funds without any repercussions in law.
”Nigerian traders have thus resorted to price overcharging to maximize profits,” he said.
Address looming food insecurity now – Senate to Nigerian Govt
N23bn allocation for airport upgrade not enough – FAAN MD
The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku, has stated that the N23.1bn allocated for rehabilitating and repairing airport facilities nationwide is grossly insufficient.
The FAAN MD, during an interview on The Morning Brief, a Channels TV programme, on Tuesday, said that airports, terminal areas, land sides and air sides are some of those things that require urgent improvements and the amount appropriate may not suffice.
Kuku emphasized that the aviation sector, particularly airports, is critical and requires substantial capital investment.
”When you refer to N23.1 billion or N23 billion, it may not actually scratch the surface if you look at where we are in terms of infrastructure development and upgrades. Yes, we do have some money earmarked for capital-intensive projects this year, and maybe slightly more. What I do want to say is that the Federal Government, through FAAN actually has 22 airports under our domain, which we manage.
She explained that the authority is subsidizing the remaining 19 airports and will extend this support to some of the new airports under development.
“We also have about six or seven airports that are either owned by state governments or private individuals or entities, which we also support with either aviation security or fire and rescue services.
“We have a number of states in the north as well as in the south-west that are coming up with new airports.
“I would say that based on the statistics today, only three of the 22 airports are actually profitable and contribute largely to the sustenance of the airport companies that we run.
“I would also say that we are actually cross-subsidising the other 19 airports today and in most instances, we will substitute or cross-subsidise for some of the airports that are coming on board as well.”
Kuku mentioned that FAAN allocates 50 per cent of its revenue to federal coffers, which presents a significant challenge. She noted that the authority is currently in talks with different branches of government to seek relief.
She explained that passenger traffic is influenced more by gross domestic product growth and economic activities than by the construction of new airports.
Kuku emphasized the importance of focusing on key sectors like trade, manufacturing, and tourism to boost airport traffic.
“Rather than building new airports, we need to look at the bottom of the value chain to determine what activities can drive traffic into these airports,” Kuku said.
She also added that FAAN is working closely with international organizations, such as the International Air Transport Association and the Federal Ministry of aviation, to expand domestic and international routes.
Kuku mentioned that there are initiatives aimed at transforming Nigeria and certain airports within the country into transit hubs.
“What that means is that we start to build a network of airports where we can push our feeders to some of the other states or to some of the other locations and start to utilise our airports,” she said.
She highlighted that almost 4 million passengers travel internationally from Nigeria, stressing the importance of efficient infrastructure use for the upkeep and sustainability of these facilities.
Nigerian govt goes after another $2bn cash-for-crude loan to stimulate economy
Indications have emerged that the federal government via the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited may be planning to borrow an additional $2 billion in crude oil-backed loans from international creditors to boost its financial inflow and stimulate the economy.
Reuters reports that sources familiar with the matter confirmed the details on Tuesday.
This follows a similar earlier $3.3 billion oil-backed loan from Afrexim Bank.
In August 2023, following the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the forex market which significantly weakened the naira, the federal government through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd secured a $3.3 billion loan from AfreximBank to shore up liquidity in the market.
Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the NNPCL disclosed that the national oil company was in discussions with international creditors to raise an oil-backed credit facility.
READ ALSO:After missing deadline, Senate panel probing Buhari’s N30tr loans gets ultimatum to submit report
Kyari said the credit facility would help to boost its finances and allow investment in the oil and gas sector.
However, the GCEO did not disclose the international financial body with which NNPC was in talks, nor the amount it was planning to raise from the transaction.
He did mention that the cash raised would be used for all of NNPC’s business activities, including supporting production growth.
“We have no problem covering our gasoline payments. This is just money for normal business and not a desperate act.
“It will be a syndication with critical but regular partners who have been in business with our company to forward the cash,” Kyari said.
This new $2 billion loan, currently under discussion, is seen as crucial for NNPC to manage and pay off these rising subsidy expenses, according to these sources.
By: Babajide Okeowo
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Yobe Assembly receives petitions against LG vice chair, village head over alleged misconduct
The Yobe State House of Assembly has received a petition against the Vice-Chairman of Karasuwa Local Government Council, Khalid Abba Umara, over alleged gross misconduct and insubordination to the executive chairman of the council.
The Leader of the House, Hon Nasiru Hassan Yusuf, presented the petition on the floor of the House, which was signed by the Director Personnel Management of the Local Government Council, Gaji Mohammed.
The House has also received a petition labelled against the village head of Sabon Garin Mai Mala, Lawan Ado in Gujba local government area on alleged illegal revocation and selling of farm lands.
Presiding over the sitting, the Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Chiroma Buba Mashio, committed the petitions to the House Committee on Security and Petition for proper investigations.
He then tasked the committee to report back to the House within one week.
Yobe Assembly receives petitions against LG vice chair, village head over alleged misconduct
Govt moves to translate Lagos laws into Yoruba with AI
The Lagos State Law Reform Commission has organised a three-day workshop to harness Artificial Intelligence in translating the laws of Lagos State into the Yoruba language.
This was contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Jubril Gawat, posted on his X account on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the theme for the three-day event was “Unlocking AI Powered Translation: Enhancing Access to Lagos State Laws in indigenous languages.”
Gawat said the workshop was “with a view to boosting public order and safety, operational efficiency, and improved accessibility and scalability of Lagos State Laws.”
The Yoruba language is a common thread among the diverse population of Lagos State, with many inhabitants speaking it fluently.
In June, the Lagos State Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology held a stakeholder engagement forum on the proposed innovation bill.
The legislation promises to catalyse innovation and foster an enabling environment for technological advancement in the state.
The Commissioner for Innovation, Science, and Technology, Olatubosun Alake, at an event in June, said, “The urgency of establishing a robust policy framework that encourages continuous innovation investment and drives Lagos to the forefront of the digital revolution.
“This is because it can encourage or discourage continuous innovation investment in the state. This engagement is in line with driving an innovation policy framework.”
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