A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Joe Igbokwe, has urged President Bola Tinubu to find out why Nigeria’s refineries are not working.
Igbokwe wondered what happened to the four refineries in Nigeria that have become comatose.
He was reacting to a remark by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, that Nigeria spent $600 million monthly on the importation of fuel.
Edun had said Nigeria spent $600 million monthly on fuel imports due to the high cost to supplying neighbouring countries, extending to Central Africa.
The minister said the situation was a key factor in President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove the fuel subsidy, as the country lacks precise data on domestic fuel consumption.
Reacting, Igbokwe posted on Facebook: “Finance Minister says Nigeria spends $600m monthly on importation of PMS. Please, what happened to our 4 refineries?
“If this is a jinx, we have to break it. PBAT should find out why our refineries are not working for years now. We need to know.”
Tinubu should find out why Nigeria’s refineries are not working – Joe Igbokwe
Tinubu should find out why Nigeria’s refineries are not working – Joe Igbokwe
Apple makes changes to App Store
Apple on Thursday announced changes to its App Store after the European Union accused the iPhone maker of breaking the bloc’s landmark new digital rules.
The EU said the App Store terms prevented app developers from freely steering consumers to alternative ways to pay, making Apple the first-ever tech firm to face accusations of breaching a new law known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Now Apple says there will be changes to comply with the DMA and address the findings of the European Commission, the EU’s powerful antitrust regulator.
At the time, Brussels said developers could only steer customers through a link in their app that redirected the user to a web page to conclude any contracts.
Regulators said Apple placed “several restrictions,” meaning app developers could not communicate, promote offers and conclude contracts through the channel of their choice.
From the autumn, Apple said developers in the EU “can communicate and promote offers for purchases” wherever they want, for example, via an alternative app marketplace.
But in Thursday’s announcement, Apple said the changes mean developers will have a new fee structure for customers linking out of an app for offers and content.
For instance, developers will have to pay a five per cent fee on sales of digital goods and services made on any platform within a year of a user first installing an app with the ability to link out to a different channel, such as a website.
– Risk of fines –
If the tech titans modify their platforms in accordance with EU rules, they can avoid large penalties. The DMA demands the EU wrap up any probe within a year of its start.
The commission told AFP it “will assess Apple’s eventual changes to the compliance measures, also taking into account any feedback from the market, notably developers”.
The charges against Apple came after the commission launched investigations in March into Apple, Facebook owner Meta and Google under the DMA.
Meta also faced formal accusations of violating the DMA in July.
The DMA gives big tech a list of what they can and can’t do in business in a bid to increase competition in the digital sphere. For example, they must offer choice screens for web browsers and search engines to give users more options.
The law gives the EU the power to impose fines of up to 10 per cent of a company’s total global turnover. This can rise to up to 20 per cent for repeat offenders.
Apple also faces daily penalties of up to five per cent of its average daily worldwide turnover if found to be non-compliant.
Apple’s total revenue in the year to September 2023 stood at $383 billion.
The Coalition for App Fairness, whose members include Swedish streaming giant Spotify and which has long called for Apple to open up its marketplace, dismissed the latest Apple announcement.
“With the introduction of yet another confusing, arbitrary, and expensive fee structure, Apple continues to evade compliance and make the digital landscape in Europe more complicated for developers and more costly for consumers,” it said.
– Battles with Apple –
Apple is not the only company targeted by the DMA. Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok owner ByteDance must also comply with the DMA.
Online travel giant Booking.com will need to later this year, while the commission is also evaluating whether tech billionaire Elon Musk’s X should also face the rules.
Apple’s App Store has been a source of contention with the EU, even before the DMA entered into force in March this year.
The EU slapped Apple with a 1.8-billion-euro ($2.0-billion) fine after similar findings in a probe launched in 2020 following a complaint from Spotify.
Apple has appealed against the fine.
The EU is also investigating Apple over changes previously made to comply with the DMA by allowing third-party app stores.
AFP
Edo IDP first class graduate bags US varsity PhD scholarship
Amos Ishaku, a First Class graduate and internally displaced person in Uhorgua camp, Edo State, has bagged a fully-funded PhD scholarship from the University of Illinois, Chicago, USA.
Ishaku had in November 2023, graduated with first class in Chemical Engineering from Edo State University, Uzaire.
Speaking on Thursday via telephone, Coordinator of the camp, Mr Solomon Folorunsho, said the development was an indication that creating an enabling environment for the needy could yield results.
NAN reports that the camp is being managed by Home for the Needy Foundation.
“This is to let the world and our friends know that the support they are giving to the orphans, widows, displaced people and the vulnerable in our centre is yielding great results.
“Aside from those who graduated last year and the ones about to graduate, more than 200 are currently studying in different universities and no fewer than 150 others processing their admissions into universities.
“We thank you for believing in us and supporting us to do this, as we together celebrate this great success,” Folorunsho said.
NAN recalls that Ishaku, upon graduation, had bagged the Best Graduating Student, 2023 award, the Mike Ozekhome award for overall best graduating student and Best Student award in the Department of Chemical Engineering.
His other awards included: Best Student in Entrepreneurship and in the Faculty of Engineering.
Meanwhile, Folorunsho told NAN that Ishaku would be resuming in the institution later this month.
Kaduna gov promises justice for teenager killed by soldier
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, on Thursday, pledged to ensure justice for 16-year-old Ismail Muhammad who was killed by a soldier during hunger protest in Samaru area of Zaria in the state.
In a tweet on his verified X handle, Sani expressed deep condolences to the family of the deceased and announced a high-powered delegation, led by the Overseeing Commissioner for Internal Security, Samuel Aruwan, to condole with them.
The governor assured them that a full and thorough investigation would be conducted, and the culprit would be brought to book.
He also promised to maintain close contact with the family during the difficult time, just as he vowed to leave no stone unturned to ensure justice.
The governor said, “Today, I dispatched a high-powered delegation made up of top government officials and heads of security agencies to condole with the family of the teenager, Ismail Muhammad, who was killed when troops of the Nigerian Army mobilised to disperse a mob in Samaru area of Sabon Gari LG during the last protest.
“The team was led by the Overseeing Commissioner for Internal Security, Samuel Aruwan. While the team was with the family, I spoke on the phone with the father of the deceased, Muhammad Hussaini, and expressed our deepest condolences.
“I told him that we are deeply pained by the unfortunate incident and will leave no stone unturned to ensure that justice is served. A full and thorough investigation will be conducted and the culprit will be brought to book.
“I will stay in close contact with the family of the deceased in these trying times. I pray to Almighty Allah to comfort them. May Almighty Allah forgive Ismail’s shortcomings and grant him Aljannah Firdausi.”
The According reports that the incident occurred when Nigerian Army troops mobilised to disperse a mob during the recent #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria protest.
The development comes as the state government continued to address the fallout from the recent protests which turned violent in some areas on Monday and subsequently led to a 24-hour curfew in Kaduna and Zaria metropolitan cities in the state.
Bandits kill woman, injure daughter in Plateau community
Suspected bandits have killed a woman identified as Shoni Michael in Plateau State
Residents said her daughter, who was with her, was also shot by the terrorists before they fled into the bush
It was learnt that the victims were cooking food in their house in the Mangu community when the gunmen attacked them, killing the woman on the spot while her daughter sustained injuries
The incident, it was further gathered, happened in Kikyau village in Mangu Local Government Area on Wednesday evening.
A resident of Kikyau village, Charity Jatau confirmed the attack to According Online in Jos, the state capital, on Thursday.
Jatau said, “An aged woman was killed in Kikyau village last night after she was shot by armed men who we know to be terrorists. Her name is Shoni Michael. Her daughter sustained gunshot injuries
“It’s very sad because the victims were at their residence while preparing food for the family at 4:30pm when the terrorists suddenly appeared and opened fire on them.”
The residents who condemned the attack, called on the security agents to beam their searchlights on Kikyau and the neighbouring communities to stop the activities of the terrorists that have become more regular in recent time
The spokesman for the state police command, Alabo Alfred, was not readily available when contacted on the incident as his phone indicated that it was unreachable
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Botswana’s Tebogo wins men’s 200m gold, Nigeria’s relay teams crash in heats
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo has on Thursday night won the men’s 200m final at the ongoing Olympic Games.
Tebogo took down 100m champion Noah Lyles to finish first in the race, running a new African Record of 19.46s to win gold.
More to follow…
The post Botswana’s Tebogo wins men’s 200m gold, Nigeria’s relay teams crash in heats appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
Abia Assembly refuses to screen 3 commissioner nominees with incomplete credentials
There was a mild drama at the plenary of the Abia State House of Assembly yesterday, as three out of six commissioner nominees sent for confirmation by Abia Governor Alex Otti appeared without some required credentials.
This followed an observation presented to the House by the member representing Obingwa-West state constituency, Erondu Uchenna Erondu Jr., who frowned at why commissioner nominees would appear for screening without their complete credentials.
In his words: “Going through their documents here with us, there is no single paper, including First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC), West African Secondary School Certificate (WASSC), tax clearance certificate, birth certificate or age declaration, among others, to back up their claims in their Curriculum Vitae.”
He urged the House to critically look into the anomaly to forestall further recurrences.
Reacting, the Speaker, Emmanuel Emeruwa, said that one of the commissioner nominees was not present at the screening because he was coming from afar and affirmed that others would be confirmed after they presented their credentials to the House at the next plenary.
Out of the six commissioner nominees sent to the Abia State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation by the state governor, only two, Ubochi Goodluck Chinedu and Ogbonnaya Uche, were confirmed after the screening by the House.
The confirmation of the other nominees was suspended pending when they submitted their credentials to the clerk of the House.
The House also passed into law HAB 10—The Abia State Cocoa Development and Other Commodities and Marketing Board Bill, 2024—following its third reading and consideration of the report from its Joint Committee on Agriculture, Trade, Commerce and Industry.
The House later adjourned its plenary to reconvene on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.
Abia Assembly refuses to screen 3 commissioner nominees with incomplete credentials
NLC secretariat’s invasion, assault on democracy – CLO
A prominent human rights group, Civil Liberties Organisation, has condemned the invasion of the Nigeria Labour Congress headquarters in Abuja, known as Labour House, by Nigerian Police officers on Wednesday night. In a statement issued by its Executive Director, Ibuchukwu Ezike, on Thursday, the CLO described the incident as an abuse of democratic principles, where
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20 die in Bayelsa boat explosion
At least 20 persons died when a wooden cargo boat identified as “Godbless Dickson,” burst into flames in Bayelsa waterways on Wednesday.
The boat carried 64 passengers and crew members when the incident occurred along the Ezetu 1 community of Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State.
The ill-fated boat was packed with farm produce from the rural settlement headed to Swali market in Yenagoa before the incident.
The spokesman for the state police command, Musa Mohammed, confirmed the incident to journalists on Thursday in Yenagoa.
He said rescue efforts by the Marine Police unit were still ongoing.
The Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Bayelsa Chapter, Mr. Ogoniba Ipigansi, also confirmed the incident.
He said the union’s rescue team comprising two speed boats had been dispatched to the scene to assist the passengers on board.
The post 20 die in Bayelsa boat explosion appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
New constables’ training begins August 10
The Police Service Commission on Thursday said successful candidates from the 2022 police constable recruitment exercise are expected to commence their training at various police colleges in the country on August 10.
The commission added that candidates expected to report for training are those who confirmed their status in the police recruitment portal.
In a statement on Thursday, the commission’s Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani said the candidates’ names were already with the management of the college.
Ani said, “Successful candidates of the just concluded 2022 Police Recruitment exercise are expected to resume training this Saturday, August 10th, 2024, in different Police colleges in the country. The resumption will last from the 10th to the 20th of August.
“The candidates expected to report for training are those who confirmed their status in the Police Recruitment Portal. The names of the candidates are already with the Management of the Colleges, and we will only admit persons whose names are on the list.”
Ani said the commission has stopped using the former portal where names were initially released.
He added that this was a result of the decision reached after meeting with the police management.
He said, “The Commission wishes to state that it has rested the previous Portal, where names were initially released after an elaborate meeting with the Police Management and where it was agreed that the Portal used from the beginning of the exercise should be sustained till the end to ensure fairness, justice and inclusivity in the recruitment process.
“Only candidates whose names appeared on the agreed Portal or who received official messages inviting him/her to report at the Colleges will be allowed for the training. “
Ani also said the commission had started sending messages to specialists who are expected to commence their training from September 28, to October 10,.
He said, “Messages are currently being sent to successful candidates including Specialists who are to report for training between the 28th of September and 10th of October, 2024.”
Ani, while conveying the message of the PSC chairman, DIG Hashimu Argungu retd, urged the candidates to ensure that they report to the Colleges on the exact dates required of them.
“He said the Commission will continue to monitor their progress throughout their stay in the training colleges to ensure they come out fully prepared to serve the nation and contribute to the fight to rescue the nation from banditry and terrorism.
“Dr. Argungu said the Commission staff would be sent to the Colleges to monitor their conduct and disposition to the training.
He assured that the commission will continue to provide the enabling environment for them to give their best to the Nigerian nation.
“He congratulated them on their success throughout the stages of the recruitment and enjoined them to be committed to the training so that at the end of the training exercise they would have improved themselves and ready to face the challenges that lay ahead of them,” the statement added.
The According reports that after several weeks of dispute over the recruitment of 10000 constables, the PSC and police settled their differences in July.
The police had alleged that some qualified candidates were replaced with unqualified ones and demanded a cancellation of the entire process.
The PSC, however, denied the allegation and flatly rejected the demand for cancellation.
But in a statement on July 30, the force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi said the two bodies had resolved their differences.