The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday lifted the arms embargo on the Central African Republic (CAR) government forces.
The Council, however, urged all nations to take all necessary measures to prevent the direct or indirect supply of all types of weapons and related materials to armed groups operating there.
The arms embargo was established in 2013 in response to a brutal inter-communal conflict after the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power leading to the mostly Christian militias fighting back.
Thousands of people were killed and many were forced from their homes during the conflict.
The Security Council which unanimously adopted resolution 2745 (2024), also authorised Member States to “seize, register and dispose” of prohibited items – weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts – destined for armed groups and associated individuals operating in the CAR.
Member States are required to notify the CAR Sanctions Committee within 30 days of disposing of such items.
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UN Security Council lifts arms embargo on CAR forces
Osun LG poll: OSSIEC releases election guidelines
In preparation for the February 2025 local government election, the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSSIEC, has released the election guidelines.
This information was made available in a statement by Omoyemi Badru, the Press Secretary to OSSIEC Chairman, Hashim Abioye, on Tuesday in Osogbo.
The statement also revealed that participating political parties have all submitted dates for their party primary elections.
The statement urged political party candidates and stakeholders involved in the electoral process to access the guidelines.
It added that the guidelines contained key information and guiding procedures regarding the poll.
TVN reports that this is coming on the heels of arrangements by political parties who have shown interest in participating in the election.
According to the statement: “Nomination fee payable to the Commission by chairmanship candidate is N500,000 while that of councillorship candidate is N250,000 non-refundable.
“Documents to accompany a candidate’s nomination form shall include a tax clearance certificate issued in the last 2-3 years in the personal name of the candidate.
“Choice of chairmanship and vice chairmanship candidates by a political party in any local government shall reflect the peculiarities, history, custom and geographical spread of the local government.
“Withdrawal and replacement of candidate shall be subscribed by both the state chairman and secretary of the political party affected and shall be before final publication of names by the Commission except in the case of death (if any) of a candidate which may be at any time before or during the election.
“An aspirant who is a political appointee at any level must resign the appointment before the date of primary election.
“Procedure for voting requires a voter to possess a valid Permanent Voters Card (PVC) issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”
The statement also includes procedures for collation and declaration of results, election tribunal procedure and election appeal tribunal procedure.
Osun LG poll: OSSIEC releases election guidelines
Kano unveils committee on new minimum wage
The Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, on Tuesday, inaugurated a State Advisory Committee on the new national minimum wage, just 48 hours after President Bola Tinubu approved the N70,000 minimum wage as agreed with the organised labour unions.
The unveiling which took place at the Government House, was conducted by the Deputy Governor, Aminu Gwarzo, on behalf of the governor.
In a statement by the Deputy governor’s spokesman, Ibrahim Shuaibu, said Governor Yusuf emphasised the committee’s responsibility to plan effectively for the newly approved minimum wage and to present a practical recommendation for the state government’s immediate implementation.
Yusuf assured that the implementation of the new minimum wage would increase the development of the state across all sectors, as the welfare of workers is a government priority.
“The committee has been tasked with delivering results within three weeks. The Governor reminded the committee members that their selection was based on merit and urged them to deliver convincing results,” the statement said.
The newly inaugurated Chairman of the Committee, Special Adviser to the governor on state Affairs, Usman Bala, expressed his gratitude to the state government for its confidence in the committee.
He noted that the exercise would significantly impact thousands of workers in both the private and public sectors by balancing the interests of employers, employees, and the public.
He assured that the committee would use thorough data analysis and consider all relevant factors to arrive at a sustainable minimum wage recommendation for the state government.
Other members of the committee include Commissioner of Finance, Ibrahim Fagge, and Commissioner of Planning and Budget, Alhaji. Musa Shanono and Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Baba Halilu Dantiye.
Others are Baffa Gaya, Prof. Aliyu Isa Aliyu, Salahudeen Habib Isa, Ibrahim I. Boyi, Ibrahim Muhammad Kabara, Mustapha Nuraddeen Muhammad, Abdulkadir Abdussalam, Umar Muhammad Jalo, Hassan Salisu Kofar Mata and Yahaya Umar.
Ohanaeze skips Igbo Day, opens condolence register for Iwuanyanwu
The National Executive Council of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has opened a condolence register in honour of its late President, General, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
Iwuanyanwu, who passed away at the age of 82, served as the 11th President-General from April 30, 2023, following the death of his predecessor, George Obiozor, in December 2022.
The NEC held an emergency meeting at the organisation’s national secretariat in Enugu, where Secretary General Okey Emuchay expressed sadness over Iwuanyanwu’s passing, noting that it occurred less than two years after the organisation lost Obiozor.
Iwuanyanwu’s son, Jide, had confirmed his father’s death in a statement on July 25, stating that he died in Abuja after a brief illness.
While describing Iwuanyanwu as a rare human being, who had wonderful ideas and visions for the Igbo nation and Nigeria, Emuchay explained that a central burial committee would be established very soon.
“All activities, especially, the Igbo Day Celebration of 2024 scheduled to be held on the 29th of September 2024 in Imo State, will be skipped in respect and honour of the departed President General,” he said.
Speaking further, he said, “We want to assure that the ship of Ohanaeze is in safe hands, collectively as NEC, we want to give assurance that we shall match on from where he stopped.”
He urged all state Secretariats of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the chapters in Nigeria and the diaspora to open condolence books so that people could come and write and convey whatever thoughts and prayers they have for the departed President General.
Kogi commits to sustaining eye care programme
The Kogi State Government has pledged the timely release of the Blindness Prevention Fund in the approved state budget, adding that the residents would continue to have access to quality eye care services.
The state governor, Usman Ododo disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at the ceremony marking the end of the Sightsavers Kogi State Eye Care Programme project.
Ododo, represented by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Abdulazeez Adeiza, said, “My office will ensure the timely release of the blindness prevention vote in the approved budget of Kogi State. We will also provide the retention and maintenance of the eye care Hilux donated by the International Society of the Blind to enhance the logistics of the eye care programme team.
“I won’t call it a closing ceremony but rather a transition ceremony of Sightsavers rendering eye health services to the people in the state. They have rendered diagnostic and therapeutic interventions to thousands of persons in the state. They have also helped in training health workers, nurses and doctors on how to give quality eye care to people.
“We are grateful for the support and resources provided by Sightsavers International which has enabled us to establish comprehensive eye care centres, train doctors and provide equipment and resources. We are committed to sustaining the achievements of this programme and ensuring that the people of Kogi State continue to have access to quality eye care services.”
The Country Director, Sightsavers Nigeria, Dr. Joy Shu’aibu noted that stakeholders developed the state’s eyecare committee, which will help sustain the gains of the three-year partnership with the organisation.
Shu’aibu said, “We have examined an average of 14,000 people across the areas where we have worked. We have dispensed approximately 8,000 spectacles. We have refracted about 10,000 people, and we have offered life-changing cataract surgeries to several people in Kogi State and other related eyecare surgeries,” among others.
Speaking on some of the key achievements of the project, Sightsavers’ Senior Programme Manager for Eye Health, Selben Penzin disclosed that they invested in the control of avoidable blindness in the state.
BRGIE announces new slogan for Biafra’s liberation
Biafra Republic Government In-Exile. BRGIE, led by Simon Ekpa, has announced a new slogan for the actualisation of the Biafra Declaration.
Ekpa disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday through his official X handle.
According to him, the new slogan for the separatist movement is ‘freedom.’
He said the latest slogan is expected to take effect from Tuesday.
“The Biafra Government New Slogan! Our Slogan has changed, effective from today 30.7.2024. Freedom”, he said.
This comes amid the continued call for Biafra Independence by BRGIE and other regional agitators in Nigeria.
BRGIE had cited marginalisation, underdevelopment, insecurity and poverty in the southeast region as justification for self-referendum.
BRGIE announces new slogan for Biafra’s liberation
FG to pay 10,000 N’Delta youths N50,000 monthly
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, and the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission Dr Samuel Ogbuku, have called on youths and people of the region to shun the planned August 1 protest against economic hardship.
This follows Akpabio’s launch of a Youth Internship Scheme initiated by the NDDC for 10,000 youths from the Niger Delta region.
Speaking during the NDDC Executive Management Engagement with Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities and Selected Stakeholders in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Akpabio declared that the proposed nationwide protests by some youths would not take place in the nine states of the Niger Delta, describing the region as a protest-free zone.
Detailing the Youth Internship Scheme, the Senate President said, “the 10,000 youths would be engaged in the programme designed to improve their skills, noting that the beneficiaries in the first phase would be paid N50,000 monthly.”
Akpabio stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to the development of the Niger Delta region. He noted that following a presidential directive, the NDDC recently inaugurated five flagship projects covering roads, bridges, and electricity across the region.
He commended the NDDC for restoring some damaged sections of the East-West Road and assured that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project would not only commence from Lagos but would also start simultaneously from the Niger Delta.
Akpabio added that despite the challenges of developing the Niger Delta region, the NDDC had executed several projects that had improved the lives of the people, promising that henceforth, the Commission would receive its full share of statutory allocations.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr Chiedu Ebie, assured that the Commission would continue to focus on completing capital projects that would add value to the Niger Delta region.
Ebie said, “Our commitment is to work towards transforming the region, in line with the 8-Point Presidential Priorities, as well as in accordance with the demands of the NDDC Act of 2000.”
He thanked members of the National Assembly for expeditiously passing the 2024 budget of the Commission, which would set the tone for the implementation of projects and programmes benefiting the people of the Niger Delta region.
Speaking, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, remarked that the people of the Niger Delta region had transitioned from militant agitation to intellectual struggle, noting that the region was now reaping the benefits of these struggles.
He said, “We have provided more opportunities and hope to Niger Delta youths through our Holistic Opportunity Projects of Engagement, designed to identify youths’ interests for skills training.”
The NDDC boss said that Project HOPE had helped the Commission develop a comprehensive digital repository, comprising important information about the youths of the Niger Delta region, including their qualifications, skills, interests, needs, and current employment status.
Ogbuku remarked that the NDDC was working with the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce to train youths and young entrepreneurs in the Niger Delta region.
He explained that the Commission would collaborate with the Chamber of Commerce to support Small and Medium Enterprises in the region and ensure the sustainability of youth development programmes.
“We will also partner with the Bank of Industry to fund projects, support businesses, and facilitate the success of our empowerment programmes. We will provide all necessary support for youth entrepreneurship schemes,” he added.
Ogbuku urged Niger Deltans not to be lured into any protest that could destabilise the country, as such actions would hinder development and further impoverish the ordinary people.
In his goodwill message, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, stressed that progress could only be achieved through unity and peace.
He lauded the Board and Management of the NDDC for working hand-in-glove to develop the Niger Delta region.
Similarly, the National Chairman of PANDEF, Senator Emmanuel Ibokessien, acknowledged the numerous achievements of the NDDC and appealed to Niger Delta youths to disregard those calling for protests.
The President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Jonathan Lopkobiri, maintained that Niger Deltans had no business with those inciting youths to anarchy. He observed that the protesters’ demands did not address the long-neglected East-West Road.
He commended the NDDC for providing relief to users of the road, which he noted was still threatened by flooding.
I’ll ensure no state pays higher wage than Edo
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the welfare of workers in the state, pledging that his administration will ensure that no worker in the country earns better than those in the state’s employ.
The governor, who spoke while addressing civil and public servants in the state, at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy in Benin City, the Edo State capital, said the investment in the workers is part of efforts to ensure that the workers are adequately motivated and empowered to deliver effective to Edo people.
Commending the workers for their relentless contributions to the development of the state, the governor said his government has ensured that the workers are provided with a conducive working environment and incentives that are befitting of their immense contributions to the growth of the State.
The governor said that the state government under his leadership has trained over 2700 civil and public servants on digitisation, information technology, and digital transformation, among others, as part of ongoing efforts to drive the government’s digital economy plans and ensure the use of technology in processing government’s transactions and activities.
He further stated that his government has built and strengthened institutions that will ensure the sustainability of the e-governance reforms and other laudable initiatives of his administration in the State’s civil and public service.
Obaseki stated, “The new Edo will be driven by you, using technology. One of the considerations for promotion is that you have taken training on one aspect of technology to enable you to move to the next level. We will retain you in the service by improving your conditions of service and ensuring no state pays wages that are higher than that of Edo State.”
He added, “I will continue to work until my last day as a governor to ensure everything we started in the last eight is sustained.”
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Protest: Critical national assets may become targets of criminals – NSCDC
The Abia State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has vowed to protect critical national assets in the state from destruction during the forthcoming nationwide protests.
The commandant of NSCDC in Abia State, Usman Ishaq Alfadari, assured the public that the corps is fully prepared to protect lives and properties and all national assets and infrastructure in Abia State, during and after the protest.
He gave the assurances while addressing a gathering of officers and men of the command and members of the press regarding the planned nationwide protest.
He said that credible intelligence and experience have shown that criminal elements may hijack the protest as an opportunity to destroy public and private properties and threaten people’s lives.
“We understand the concerns of the public and want to assure them that we have made adequate arrangements to ensure their safety and security,” said Commandant Alfadarai. “Our officers and men are well-trained and equipped to handle any situation that may arise during the protest.”
He also warned that NSCDC would not tolerate any act of violence or destruction of property and that anyone found engaging in such activities would be dealt with decisively.
“We are committed to maintaining law and order, and protecting the rights of all citizens,” said the NSCDC commandant. “We urge the public to remain calm and go about their lawful activities without fear.”
Alfdarai also assured the public that the corps is working closely with other security agencies to ensure a hitch-free protest.
Protest: Critical national assets may become targets of criminals – NSCDC
WTO chief, Okonjo-Iweala, sounds alarm on global trade
The head of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Tuesday, said global commerce was going through troubling times, with protectionism on the rise.
Okonjo-Iweala said the future of trade lay in services, digitalisation and the green economy, in the global trade body’s annual report.
“These are troubling times for global trade. Amid geopolitical tensions and the backdrop of the climate crisis, we see increased protectionism and unilateral policy measures.
“After years of talk of decoupling, trade may be starting to fragment along geopolitical lines,” she said.
Opportunities do remain, she added, pointing to the potential for growth and job creation through digitalisation.
Trade, she said, could also “enhance global food security and accelerate the push towards net-zero emissions.”
The WTO’s annual report looked back at the Geneva-based organisation’s activities in 2023 and early 2024.
The WTO’s 13th ministerial conference was held in Abu Dhabi in late February and ran on into early March, ending with a temporary extension of an e-commerce moratorium but no deals on agriculture and fisheries, highlighting the sharp divisions between members amid geopolitical tensions and economic headwinds threatening global commerce.
– Digital trade hopes –
Okonjo-Iweala said that in 2023, merchandise trade volumes fell by 1.2 per cent, after growing 3.0 per cent in 2022, as many countries dealt with the lingering effects of inflation and high energy prices.
The decline was partially offset by strong growth in services trade, which increased by 9 per cent in value terms, boosted by a post-pandemic tourism surge.
The report said the value of total goods and commercial services trade was $30.4 trillion last year, close to record highs.
Digital commerce is growing far faster than its traditional counterpart.
“The future of trade is services, digital, green,” said Okonjo-Iweala, the former Nigerian Finance and Foreign Minister.
Efforts to draw up global digital trade rules advanced Friday when dozens of nations wrapped up negotiations with a draft text, but more talks will likely be necessary as the United States and several other countries are still not on board.
Protections for online consumers, digitalisation of customs procedures and recognition of electronic signatures are among the measures laid out in the text aimed at promoting and facilitating digital transactions.
European Union trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis called the text “historic,” saying countries had “negotiated the first global rules on digital trade.
“This will facilitate e-transactions, boost innovation and integrate developing countries into the digital economy,” he said.
AFP