The Federal Government of Nigeria has expressed satisfaction with the level of preparation on the side of the Kogi State Government for the proposed site for the Livestock Service Centre.
The National Project Coordinator of Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES), Alh. Abubakar Sanusi made the remark while briefing journalists shortly after an assessment tour of the proposed site at the Confluence University of Science and Technology, (CUSTECH) Osara Kogi State.
He said he was impressed with the leadership quality of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, and the State L-PRES team, adding that the introduction of mechanized farming in the State was in line with the renewed hope agenda.
He said the Livestock Service Centre when completed would improve productivity and commercialisation of livestock value chain.
“Livestock Service Centre is like a mini-complex having a lot of livestock activities going on. We have a veterinary clinic, processing facilities, abattoir, market for selling livestocks, and training of livestock farmers.
“We have provisions to establish 5 Livestock Service Centres and we want to assess the states.
“Kogi has shown interest that they want to establish the Centre, making it 12 states that have shown interest. We are here in Kogi on assessment and report back,” he added.
While urging the people of the state to embrace the project, Abubakar emphasized that the L-PRES project will reduce the menace of farmers-herders clashes in the country.
The Kogi State Project Coordinator of L-PRES Dr Olufemi Bolarin said about $31.2 million had been earmarked for the development of the Livestock Service Centre.
“The Kogi Livestock Service Centre will significantly contribute to the economic development of Kogi State by creating jobs, enhancing productivity and fostering sustainable practices.
“This project will not only boost the livestock sector but also catalyze broader economic growth and development in the region,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Confluence University of Science and Technology, (CUSTECH) Osara Prof. Abdulrahman Asipita Salawu expressed delight over the location of the Centre in the Institution, stressing that it was coming at a time the National Universities Commission approved Faculty of Agriculture for the university.
FG okays Kogi govt’s Livestock Service Centre
FG okays Kogi govt’s Livestock Service Centre
Islamic scholar advises President Tinubu to address economic hardship urgently
A former Commissioner for Religious Affairs in Zamfara State, Sheikh Tukur Sani Jangebe has called on President Bola Ahamad Tunibu to find a lasting solution to the present economic hardship in the country.
Sheikh Jangebe stated this in Gusau, the State capital while fielding questions from newsmen.
According to him, the common man in the country now finds it very difficult to feed once a day.
“Leprosy and poverty are twins but the difference is that leprosy attacks the body while poverty attacks the mind.
“The economic hardship if allowed to continue the way it is may leave so many Nigerians frustrated which may result in a breakdown of law and order,” he cautioned.
The Islamic cleric advised the federal government not to treat the issue of food security and abject poverty with a mere wave of hand.
Islamic scholar advises President Tinubu to address economic hardship urgently
I stole sacred item from Pope’s apartment – Ex-Playboy playmate, Jenny McCarthy confesses
Jenny McCarthy has revealed she stole a sacred item from Pope Francis during a trip to Italy.
Fox News reports that the 51-year-old TV personality, who was raised in a devout Catholic family, made the confession during a Wednesday appearance on the “Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa” podcast,
“I stole a cross from the Vatican and gave it to my mother,” ‘the Masked Singer’ judge told host Kelly Ripa.
“My mom’s like, ‘You know, this is not okay.’” She added.
However, McCarthy went on to clarify that she didn’t “personally” steal the cross but said it was purloined by one of her girlfriends while they were visiting the Pope’s apartment in Vatican City.
McCarthy then revealed that her mother, Linda, kept the cross, which she said is prominently displayed at her home.
“She still has it on the wall, though, so I feel like it was — it’s in good hands,” McCarthy said.
I stole sacred item from Pope’s apartment – Ex-Playboy playmate, Jenny McCarthy confesses
N70,000 minimum wage: We’ll continue to fight for your rights – NLC assures workers
Following their agreement with the Nigeria Government on minimum wage, the National Executive Council, NEC, of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Friday convened an emergency meeting.
TVN reported that the NLC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa where both parties agreed to have N70,000 as the new minimum wage.
However, during their emergency meeting on Friday, the NLC said it demanded full and strict compliance to the new national minimum wage from both the national and subnational governments.
NLC further commended and applauded the doggedness of the leadership of the Congress on the courage and forthrightness with which they fought for the new minimum wage.
“NEC-in-session concluded that this decision, though challenging and far from our initial demand, was made in the spirit of solidarity and sacrifice for Nigerian masses to avert a threatened further hike in the price of Petrol which would inflict more hardship on the already suffering masses,” a statement signed by Joseph Ajaero, its President, General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, and Treasurer, Ambali Olatunji, said.
“Once again, NEC-in-session restates the commitment of the NLC to continue to stand resolutely in its mission to defend and advance the rights of Nigerian workers and Nigerian people at all times.
“It therefore calls on all Nigerians to unite in this cause and to hold our leaders accountable to the same standards of sacrifice and service,” it added.
N70,000 minimum wage: We’ll continue to fight for your rights – NLC assures workers
Minimum wage: Benue, Osun will pay N70,000 – Govs Alia, Adeleke
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has assured workers in the state of paying the new minimum wage of N70,000.
Adeleke assured workers that he won’t default in the payment of the minimum wage because their welfare is his priority.
The governor spoke through his Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi in Osogbo, the state capital.
Adeleke said after the National Assembly might have passed the bill and finalised with every other thing on it, the state government would abide by the rule because “it has become a law”.
He said: “Our governor is a lover of workers; his first agenda is to prioritise the welfare of workers both active and non-active.
“Governor Adeleke will not be among the defaulters of the new minimum wage. Osun State will never deviate from the law on minimum wage.”
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had approved the sum of N70,000 as new national minimum wage during a meeting with the organized labour.
Labour had demanded for N250,000 but representatives of the Nigerian government opted for N60,000.
However, the president approved N70,000 for workers during the week.
Similarly, Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State assured workers in the state of his administration’s readiness to pay N70,000 new minimum wage.
Alia gave the assurance while addressing journalists in Makurdi, the state capital.
The governor said his administration has blocked all the leakages, hence can pay N70,000 minimum wage.
According to Alia: “Though with harsh economy things have been stagnated but with all the plans and measures that are in place for things to function, things are moving, even our internally generated Revenue has increased
“It’s now left for us to close all loopholes to see how much we can cash in to do other things, even to pay salary.
“We can pay (minimum wage) with our focus. With all purpose and intent, what is agreed by the Federal Government, we the sub nationals should be able to queue in today.
“Without the workforce, any government will not have any centeredness of governance. So, we need to pay our civil servants with what is approved by the Federal Government and organised labour.”
Minimum wage: Benue, Osun will pay N70,000 – Govs Alia, Adeleke
Top 10 stories from across Nigerian Newspapers, Saturday, July 20, 2024
Here are the top 10 stories making headlines across the country.
1. I did not betray Peter Obi, he was the one who betrayed Atiku —Okupe
Former Director-General of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign in the 2023 presidential election, Doyin Okupe, has responded to accusations by supporters of Peter Obi generally known as Obidients, that he betrayed his principal before and after the election.Read more
2. ‘You have become a blind defender of Tinubu’, Dele Momodu blasts Omokri
Veteran journalist and one time presidential aspirant, Dele Momodu has accused former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri of being a blind supporter of President Bola Tinubu’s policies that have plunged the country into an economic crisis.Read more
3. ‘They want to tarnish my father’s image,’ Gov Zulum’s son speaks on murder allegation (Video)
Umara Babagana Zulum, son of the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has broken his silence over an allegation that he killed a fellow student in Indian during a fight over a woman.Read more
4. Reps warn against lopsided recruitment in varsities
The House of Representatives Committee on University Education on Friday warned against lopsided recruitment in the country’s universities.Read more
5. ‘I stand by my statements on Tinubu’s interview,’ Ndume reacts to removal as Senate Chief Whip
The sacked Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, has reacted to his removal from the position.Read more
READ ALSO:Top 10 stories from across Nigerian Newspapers, Thursday, July 18, 2024
6. APC, police disagree over attack on Okpebholo, Shaibu in Edo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo has accused the state police command of complicity in the attack on its governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo, and the reinstated deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.Read more
7. Tinubu vows Nigeria will become global investment destination
President Bola Tinubu said on Friday his administration would make Nigeria a global investment destination.Read more
8. CBN finally takes over dormant accounts, to invest funds in treasury bills
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued a fresh directive to banks and financial institutions operating in Nigeria about dormant accounts.Read more
9. Police dismisses report on abduction of 11 passengers in Enugu
The Enugu State Police Command has dismissed as misleading a report on the abduction of 11 people at the Amechi-Idodo area of the Enugu/Abakaliki Expressway on Wednesday.Read more
10. Actor Chinedu Ikedieze unveils new wife
Nollywood actor Chinedu Ikedieze aka Aki has presented his new wife, Stephanie Promise, to the public.Read more
The post Top 10 stories from across Nigerian Newspapers, Saturday, July 20, 2024 appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
US election: Democrats pressure Biden to drop presidential race
More pressure mounts on President Joe Biden of the United States, US, to drop out of the presidential race.
Five more House Democrats on Friday joined the growing number of congressional lawmakers who asked Biden to drop out of the 2024 election.
The lawmakers are Reps. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., Marc Veasey, D-Texas, Chuy Garcia, D-Illinois and Marc Pocan, D-Wisc.
In a joint statement, they urged Biden to “pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders.”
According to the lawmakers, “Mr. President, with great admiration for you personally, sincere respect for your decades of public service and patriotic leadership, and deep appreciation for everything we have accomplished together during your presidency, it is now time for you to pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders.
“We must defeat Donald Trump to save our democracy, protect our alliances and the rules-based international order, and continue building on the strong foundation you have established over the past four years.
“At this point, however, we must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardizing what should be a winning campaign.
“These perceptions may not be fair, but they have hardened in the aftermath of last month’s debate and are now unlikely to change.
“We believe the most responsible and patriotic thing you can do at this moment is to step aside as our nominee while continuing to lead our party from the White House.”
Another House Democrat, Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois, separately urged Biden to drop out of the race.
“It’s time for Joe Biden to pass the torch,” Casten wrote.
“Politics, like life, isn’t fair. And as long as this election is instead litigated over which candidate is more likely to be held accountable for public gaffes and ‘senior moments,’ I believe that Biden is not only going to lose but is also uniquely incapable of shifting that conversation.”
US election: Democrats pressure Biden to drop presidential race
US election: I’ll defeat Trump – Biden boasts amid pressure to step down
President Joe Biden of the United States, US, has vowed to defeat his Republican rival, Donald Trump in the November presidential election.
Biden urged members of his party, Democrats, to rally around him to defeat Trump.
This is coming amid pressure by lawmakers for him to step down from the presidential race.
On Friday, five lawmakers of the Democrats joined the growing number of those asking Biden to drop out of the 2024 election.
The lawmakers are Reps. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., Marc Veasey, D-Texas, Chuy Garcia, D-Illinois and Marc Pocan, D-Wisc.
In a joint statement, they urged Biden to “pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders.”
However, Associated Press, AP, quoted Biden as saying: “Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box.
“The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win.”
US election: I’ll defeat Trump – Biden boasts amid pressure to step down
Endless attacks, humiliation of Nigerians abroad raise concerns
There are concerns over the incessant attacks and humiliation of Nigerians in foreign lands.
This is as citizens continue to move out of the country in droves amid the prevailing hardship in the country.
In the last few months, there have been reports of maltreatment of many Nigerians abroad, even by fellow African countries.
However, despite the cries for justice from their loved ones, they hardly get one.
Reports show that over the past seven years, more than 350 Nigerians have been murdered extrajudicially in foreign countries.
Most of them fell victim to non-state actors with no justifiable reason for their deaths.
Most recently, precisely on June 26, 2024, a wave of protests broke out outside the Republic of Benin Embassy in Abuja, as Nigerians, particularly youths, rallied to demand the release of Pastor Benjamin Egbaji.
The Nigerian cleric, who is a native of Cross River State, has been detained in Benin for over a year.
Pastor Egbaji, who heads a church, Église De Miracle Et Action Du Saint Esprit in Benin, was accused of rape by Pede Victoire, a citizen of Benin.
Egbaji has remained in detention without trial. He is said to be subjected to harsh conditions, including being chained in a hospital.
The protesters decried the prolonged detention of Pastor Egbaji without due process and the lack of a fair trial.
Recall that in response to these injustices, the previous administration under President Muhammadu Buhari established the Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), tasked with addressing the mistreatment and welfare of Nigerians abroad, with a particular focus on those unjustly imprisoned.
Chronicles of Nigerians killed in foreign lands
NiDCOM’s chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in 2022 revealed the alarming rate of killing of Nigerian students in Northern Cyprus.
According to her, over a span of six years, 13 Nigerians had been slain.
In July 2022, the murder of 39-year-old Nigerian, Alika Ogorchukwu, by an Italian man shocked the nation.
Ogorchukwu was beaten to death on a busy street, in full view of onlookers.
In the same month, two Nigerian security guards, Tosin Amos-Arowoshegbe and Chibueze Momah, were gunned down while on duty in Vaughan, Canada.
Another citizen, Chizoba Favour Eze died in an Ethiopian prison after being brutally beaten by prison officials. Chizoba was left untreated for days, eventually succumbing to her injuries.
Nigerians in South Africa have faced relentless xenophobic attacks. Since 2016, over 200 Nigerians have been killed extrajudicially.
Others remain in jail without trial
Sadly, many Nigerians have continued to languish in various prisons abroad due to minor offenses or no offence at all.
In 2021, data published by Patriotic Citizens Initiatives, a civil society group, indicated that 170,000 Nigerians were serving terms for drugs/human trafficking and other minor offences across the world.
This reflected a sharp rise from the 16,300 recorded in 2012, out of which 6,500 were on death row.
PCI also said that as many as 8,000 Nigerians were incarcerated in Chinese prisons, 3,719 in Canadian prisons, while British jail houses were home to some 750 Nigerian inmates.
India also held about 1,000 Nigerian prisoners. Indonesia imprisoned 200 Nigerians, with 40 of the inmates on death row.5 Oct 2023.
Even in neighbouring Benin Republic, over 3,000 Nigerians are being held behind bars.
Ayobamidele Kehinde, the International Director for Dynamic Ambassadors For Social Transformation and Orientation Initiative, told TVN that the story of Benjamin Egbaji is one of many among the attacks on Nigerians in the neigbbouring West African nation.
He said, “I want the Nigerian people, the good people in Benin Republic and indeed the people of the world to rise up; this thing I am telling you is not just about Benjamin Egbaji, but Benjamin Egbaji’s case is just like a case that is opening up a can of worms that we have.
“There are thousands of Nigerians in Benin Republic prisons who have not committed any offence or committed minor offences and they are sentenced to prison just because they are Nigerians.
“I want to give you an instance; when this whole thing started, I called a prominent businessman in Benin Republic and said please one of our prominent brothers is having a case, how can you help.
“The man pleaded with me, he said ‘here, don’t just by mistake get into any trouble, they will finish you and every of your investment they will go with it’”.
Also speaking with TVN, Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun of the Media and Public Relations Unit of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, attributed most of the cases to what he described as “communication gap” and lack of respect for rules to foreign lands.
According to him, “Whenever we hear of any case, we link up with our embassy’s interesting countries.
“And then to do a total investigation. Because in most cases, like I said, we discover that some of our nationals are at fault. In some cases we discover that it is a communication gap.
“Look at the case in Dubai. There was a law that says you should not be taking pictures of the airport.
“A lady got there and saw a scene and started recording. They got her arrested and sentenced her to prison.
“They have their own law and if you get there, you have to obey.”
In the case of Pastor Benjamin Egbaji, Balogun said the Nigerian government was interested in the case and was making necessary efforts to make sure his rights were not trampled upon.
“Yes, we received a letter dated March 5, 2024, from his lawyer over the issue. We reached out to our ambassador in Benin Republic, who is also on the matter.
“The matter is already in court. But notwithstanding, we sent some lawyers there to make sure they didn’t trample on his fundamental human rights,” he revealed.
When informed that the pastor is currently being chained to bed and his health is failing, Balogun said he was just hearing that for the first time
“Well, I am just hearing that for the first time. He has a lawyer. It is when you don’t have a lawyer that you will panic.
“Apart from his lawyer, we also supported him with two lawyers,” he added.
Endless attacks, humiliation of Nigerians abroad raise concerns
Hardship: Planned protest can destroy Nigeria – Cleric cautions youths
The Chairman, Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’kamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), Katsina State, Sheikh Yakubu Musa, on Friday, called on the youths to shun the planned nationwide protest against economic hardship for peaceful coexistence in the country.
Musa believes the protest could end up destroying the nation.
The cleric made the appeal while addressing the Muslim faithful shortly after prayer at Al-Sanawiyya Mosque, Katsina.
“Like here in Katsina, we are also disturbed by insecurity.
“We should shun the planned protest. We should not be part of it, our youths should also shun from being part of it.
“Because it could destroy the nation, we have seen what happened in some countries where as a result of protest, the countries had been thrown into war and total destruction,” Musa warned.
Hardship: Planned protest can destroy Nigeria – Cleric cautions youths