Officials from the Nasarawa State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, along with traditional rulers, have been accused of aiding and abetting illegal mining activities within the state.
The allegations were made by the Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, Mr Adamu Omadefu, during a recent plenary session in Lafia in a motion of public importance sponsored by Daniel Ogah Ogazi(APC, Kokona East).
Ogazi expressed concern that the criminal activities are being carried out with the connivance of ministry officials.
Omadefu (APC, Keana) described the situation as worrisome and called for a concerted effort among stakeholders to eliminate illegal mining in Nasarawa State.
Adding to the discussion, Musa Ibrahim, a former Commissioner of Environment and Natural Resources and current representative of Doma South Constituency, explained that illegal miners cannot operate without the knowledge of officials.
Ibrahim alleged that government officials and community leaders are being bribed with U.S. dollars to facilitate these illegal activities.
Mr Onarigu Onah Kana (SDP, Loko/Udege) echoed these sentiments, noting that traditional rulers are also implicated in contributing to the menace of illegal mining in the state.
Govt officials, traditional rulers aiding, abetting illegal mining in Nasarawa – Lawmakers
Govt officials, traditional rulers aiding, abetting illegal mining in Nasarawa – Lawmakers
Typhoon Gaemi displaces nearly 300,000 in eastern China
Authorities evacuated nearly 300,000 people and suspended public transport across eastern China on Friday, as Typhoon Gaemi brought torrential rains already responsible for five deaths in nearby Taiwan.
Gaemi was the strongest typhoon to hit Taiwan in eight years when it made landfall on Thursday, flooding parts of the island’s second-biggest city.
Typhoon Gaemi exacerbated seasonal rains in the Philippines on its path to Taiwan, triggering flooding and landslides that killed 30 people, according to police figures on Friday.
A tanker carrying 1.4 million litres of oil sank off Manila on Thursday, with authorities racing to offload the cargo and avoid an environmental catastrophe.
It had weakened by the time it made landfall in China’s eastern Fujian province shortly before 8:00 pm local time (1200 GMT) on Thursday, state media said.
China is enduring a summer of extreme weather, with heavy rains across the east and south coming as much of the north has sweltered under successive heatwaves.
The country is by far the world’s largest emitter of the greenhouse gases scientists say are driving climate change and making extreme weather more frequent and intense.
– Heavy rains –
Chinese authorities warned Typhoon Gaemi was bringing with it torrential rains that could cause flooding.
They have relocated more than 290,000 people in Fujian and shut down public transport, offices, schools and markets in some cities.
In neighbouring Zhejiang province, footage aired by state broadcaster CCTV Friday showed streets turned into rivers, trees strewn over roads and bikes struggling through knee-high waters.
The province’s Wenzhou city — home to nine million people — has issued its highest warning for rainstorms and evacuated nearly 7,000 people, CCTV said.
The typhoon will also bring heavy rainfall to central Jiangxi and Henan, state media said.
Guangdong, China’s most populous province, on Friday suspended some passenger train services ahead of the typhoon’s expected arrival, CCTV said.
Citing the official China Weather Network, the broadcaster said the typhoon was moving northwestward at about 20 kilometres per hour.
It will “gradually weaken” as it makes its way to Jiangxi on Friday late afternoon, it said.
No deaths or injuries have yet been reported in mainland China.
The north of the country has this week also been hit by showers, with state media saying Friday that heavy rains had killed one and left three missing in the northwestern province of Gansu.
At a meeting of the country’s top leadership chaired by President Xi Jinping on Thursday, officials urged local authorities to stay “highly vigilant and proactive” as the country entered peak flooding season.
AFP
Peaceful protest is part of democracy, not destructive protests —Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday, reiterated his administration’s dedication to democratic values and the rule of law on Thursday while receiving the Letter of Credence from new US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr, at the State House, Abuja.
Tinubu, a former pro-democracy activist, reflected on his experiences participating in peaceful protests against military dictatorship during Nigeria’s transition to democracy. He emphasized the importance of maintaining 25 years of unbroken democracy while acknowledging the role of demonstrations in a democratic society.
However, the President drew a clear line, stating that his administration will not support protests aimed at wreaking destruction. Instead, he emphasized promoting peaceful expression and protecting lives and property.
Tinubu praised the US-Nigeria relationship, citing shared goals and democratic values. He expressed gratitude for the support of previous US ambassadors during Nigeria’s transition to democracy.
Read Also: Edo Deputy Gov Shaibu opens up on reals reason for fallout with Obaseki
”Our relationship with America is rich. We believe in democracy and freedom. Some of your predecessors worked hard during our transition to democracy, and we remember the likes of Ambassador Howard Jeter.
“We look forward to Nigeria and the United States continuously working to expand cooperation on shared goals and democratic values.
“During the military era, we made our voices heard against dictatorship, and I was part of the group that engaged in peaceful protests without resorting to the destruction of property.
”We have worked hard to ensure 25 years of unbroken democracy and I will continue to maintain this democracy.
In as much as we believe that demonstrations are part of democracy, we will never encourage any protests that lead to the destruction of lives and property,” the President stated.
The President’s statement comes amidst growing concerns about protests and demonstrations in Nigeria. Tinubu’s administration has vowed to strike a balance between allowing peaceful expression and preventing destructive protests that threaten lives and property.
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Nationwide protests: Nigeria cannot be copying ‘smaller countries’ like Kenya – Kalu
Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, has said that the planned nationwide protests will not only do Nigeria a disservice but africa.
Kalu said Nigeria cannot be seen to be copying the footsteps of ‘smaller countries’ like Kenya.
He stated this while fielding questions on Arise Television’s News programme.
He said: “Nigeria cannot be seen to be copying the footsteps of ‘smaller countries’ like Kenya. We play the big brother role in Africa, this protest will be emulated across Africa if not discouraged. President Tinubu is only asking for patience to correct the 16 years of PDP rule in Nigeria.”
TVN reports that some Nigerians are mobilising for nationwide protest slated for August 1 to August 10, 2024.
Tagged #EndBadGovernace, organisers of the protest have lamented about widespread hunger and inflation in the country.
Nationwide protests: Nigeria cannot be copying ‘smaller countries’ like Kenya – Kalu
JUST IN: Obama endorses Kamala Harris
Former President of the United States Barrack Obama has announced his support for Kamala Harris’s presidential bid.
Obama made the announcement in a post on X on Wednesday.
“Earlier this week, Michelle and I called our friend @KamalaHarris. We told her we think she’ll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support.
“At this critical moment for our country, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure she wins in November. We hope you’ll join us,” he wrote.
More details later…
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Russian car bomb suspect extradited from Turkey
A Russian man suspected of carrying out a car bombing that wounded two people in Moscow has been extradited from Turkey, the interior ministry said Friday.
Evgeny Serebryakov, born in 1995, was detained in the Turkish city of Bodrum on Wednesday, hours after an unidentified explosive device tore apart a car in the north of the Russian capital.
“Serebryakov has been taken to Russia and handed over to investigators,” interior ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said on Friday on Telegram.
The attack reportedly injured a Russian military officer. Officials have not confirmed the victim’s identity.
Serebryakov has been charged with attempted murder and the illegal acquisition or transportation of explosives.
In a video filmed by Russia’s FSB security service and aired on state media, Serebryakov said he was acting “on the instructions of a Ukrainian security services operative”.
Several Russian military and pro-Kremlin public figures have been targeted in car bombings since Moscow launched its offensive on Ukraine in February 2022.
Ukraine typically denies responsibility but often cheers attacks on Russian officials and military personnel.
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Nigerians in Diaspora remitted $646m in five months —Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has revealed that Nigerians living abroad remitted about $646 million in the first five months of 2024 to the country.
Speaking at the 2024 National Diaspora Day Celebrations in Abuja on Thursday, with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, representing him, the president highlighted the substantial contribution of the Diaspora to Nigeria’s economy with the $646 million in remittances from January to May 2024.
He detailed the monthly remittances, stating, “The CBN has recently introduced some reforms in the sector, and the reforms are yielding fast results. In January, remittances totalled $138.56 million. We recorded $39 million in February, $104 million in March, $193 million in April, and $365 million in May 2024. The progression reflects the level of trust and the positive impacts of the mandatory reforms implemented by the Central Bank.”
Speaking further, Tinubu noted that estimates from the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, Canada, suggest approximately 200,000 to 250,000 Nigerians live in Canada, with between 10 million and 14 million Nigerians in the diaspora overall, many in other African countries. Recent data from the Nigerian Immigration Service indicated that 3.7 million Nigerians emigrated between 2022 and September 2023, while Nigeria received 1.3 million immigrants during the same period, making it the 46th country with the most immigrants globally.
Read also: Edo Deputy Gov Shaibu opens up on reals reason for fallout with Obaseki
The President, however, urged Nigerians living abroad to remember that “there is no place like home”.
Reflecting on his own experience of living and working abroad before returning to Nigeria to contribute to its development, the President said: “As someone who once lived and worked abroad, I can attest that migration can be transformative and serious. In the 1970s, I went to the United States, where I studied and worked, before returning to Nigeria to contribute to nation-building. I, therefore, urge our citizens who relocate abroad to remember that there is no place like home. We expect them to bring back their experiences to support our development agenda.”
He acknowledged the benefits of migration but emphasized the importance of not forgetting one’s homeland, saying, “As we celebrate our diaspora community, we must acknowledge the implication of this phenomenon for our collective growth. We cannot begrudge our citizens who are seeking better opportunities abroad, but we must urge them not to forget their homeland.”
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Senator Ndume mobilising youths in my LG against me – Bwala cries out
Former lawmaker, Senator Daniel Bwala has alleged that Senator Ali Ndume has mobilised some youths from his local government to go all out against him.
Bwala said the youths following the plan have set out to hold a press conference against him.
In a post on his X handle on Friday, the former lawmaker said the development is because he had called Ndume’s hypocrisy out for his grandstanding and fanning the embers of violent protest.
He said: “This morning I was awakened by a credible intelligence that Senator Ali Ndume allegedly mobilized some youth from my local government to go all out against me for calling his hypocrisy out.
“They allegedly crafted strategies, one of which is to first do a press conference against me.
“It seems he believes he can call out the president, but he cannot be called out.
“This planned press conference is actually a follow up to their death threats of last week.
“For the records, I called him out because of his grandstanding and also fanning the embers of violent protest.”
Senator Ndume mobilising youths in my LG against me – Bwala cries out
NNPC set to recruit new staff
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited is set to hire more workers.
The NNPC spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, confirmed this in a statement on Friday.
Soneye said the recruitment would be for various positions across various departments within the energy company.
He directed interested applicants to visit the NNPC careers page for application instructions.
“NNPC Ltd is pleased to announce that we are currently hiring for multiple positions across various departments. We are seeking talented and dedicated individuals to join our team. Visit our careers page for application instructions,” Soneye stated.
In an update, Soneye disclosed that due to unprecedented traffic to the NNPC Ltd career page from applicants applying for vacancies, the site is currently experiencing slow load times.
“Our techs are working diligently to rectify the problem.
“Please be assured that the application process deadline remains Aug 20, 2024,” he disclosed.
According Online reports that this may be the major recruitment exercise since the NNPC fully transformed into a limited company in 2022.
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Ogun Muslim leaders condemn planned hunger protest
The Consultant to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Islamic Affairs and the Wakeel Muslimeen of Yoruba Land, Edo and Delta State, Sheik Iskeel Sugar, on Thursday alongside other Muslim leaders in Ogun State condemned the planned national protest scheduled for August 1 by #EndbadgovernanceinNigeria movement
Speaking at an engagement held with the League of Alfas and Imams as well as security agencies at Kobiti Central Mosque, Abeokuta, Lawal said the planned protest was needless and an avenue to destabilise the country.
The Muslim leader, according to a statement on Friday, said that it was quite important the Muslims in the state are properly briefed and enlightened over the antics of those promoting this protest, hence his office organised this stakeholder’s engagement to ensure that no stone is left unturned.
Lawal explained, ”The reasons why the faceless protesters said they want to protest is not only peculiar to Nigeria, it is all over the world and we should endure. Our leaders, President Bola Tinubu and the governors too are not working round the clock to make life better for us all.
“We must not support any rash decision to destroy this only one country that we have and by the mercy of Almighty Allah, all of these challenges will soon become history”.
Speaking at the engagement, representatives of the Department of State Services, Kolawole Sikirulai admonished Muslims to stand as one and brief their families on the danger of engaging in the planned protest as those behind it are faceless and enemies of the nation.
Sikirulai said, “The problem we are facing is not limited to Nigeria like it has rightly been pointed out, it’s across the globe but elements of bad character in our society will make it look as if it is limited to Nigeria alone. It is a worldwide phenomenon, things have gone up, and what we have seen is that the solution to the high cost of living does not start and end with demonstrations.”
Similarly, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Haruna Adamu, Ogun State police command also urged the people to warn their wards from being willing tools and should therefore stay away from any activity that can jeopardise the peace of the state and the nation at large.
Adamu said, “We should learn how to live together, we should learn how to support the government, we should learn how to table our grievances before the government, the president is a listening person, he can listen to you.
“The police are assuring you that, we are going to do our best, with your cooperation, we have mapped out strategies on how to go around to ensure that the relative peace we are enjoying in Ogun State is not allowed to be compromised under whatever guise”.
The Secretary to the Ogun State League of Imams and Alfas, Tajudeen Adewunmi, said that they are totally against the protest and have sensitised their members not to be part of it.
Among those present at the engagement were the Chief Imam of Egba, Yewa, Ijebu and Remo and other Muslim leaders and Association representatives.