The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the regulatory body governing the practice of engineering has said that Nigeria recorded 22 building collapses between January to July 2024. The President of COREN, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar made this known at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja. The news conference is themed, ’’The Incessant
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A bereaved mother identified as Blessing Onovo recalls the fond memories of her late 15-year-old son, Chidera, who died after his school building collapsed last Friday, July 12, 2024, in Jos, Plateau State.
Chidera attended Saint Academy located in the Busa Buji community, Jos North Local Government Area of the state, with his younger sister, Chisom.
In an interview with the BBC, as reported on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, the grieving mother recalled how her son, Chidera was caring for her and his siblings.
She said, “He saved up his lunch money to buy biscuits to share with his siblings and he was always the one who noticed my moods and would ask, ‘Mummy are you fine?’”
Chidera had found a passion in drawing, but unfortunately, the young boy who left home for school early Friday with his younger sister never returned.
His father, Chike, was “relieved” after Chidera’s sister was pulled out from under the rubble but at the same time, he wondered the whereabouts of his first child.
“I saw my daughter Chisom being dragged out. I was relieved, but I kept shouting ‘Where is Chidera, my son?’
“It took about an hour before an excavator came,” Chike lamented.
The boy’s body was later found in his classroom on the first floor, the BBC reports.
The school’s two-storey building collapsed at about 8:30 am, claiming 22 persons while about 154 were trapped under the rubble before they were evacuated to various hospitals.
The unfortunate incident happened while students and teachers were in their respective classes.
According to the investigative panel set up by the Federal Government, the physical observation of the building looked distressed as weak materials were used for the building.
Another parent, Victor Dennis, 43, lost his son, Emmanuel, to the incident. The boy’s lifeless body was found at a local morgue the next day, Saturday, July 13.
“My boy was a good boy. He didn’t deserve to die. They killed my son. He didn’t do anything wrong. He just went to school to learn,” Dennis stated.
The report noted that while Emmanuel was being buried, his mother remained “inconsolable” as she grieved her son’s death at home, adding that several people were involved in the rescue operation, and some others voluntarily donated blood across hospitals where the survivors were admitted.
In an interview by one of our correspondents, some of the survivors, while on their hospital beds, recounted that the building suddenly collapsed while they were having classes, stating that the loud noise that accompanied the collapse felt like the world had come to an end.
An SS1 student noted that a teacher shunned an observation raised by one of the students, saying, “I am an SS1 student. Our teacher was teaching us in the class, and he was writing on the board when the building suddenly collapsed on our heads. The noise was so loud, and it was as if the world was about to end. Everywhere was dark, and I did not know where I was as the debris covered me. I found it hard to breathe at all because the decking just covered me.
“Before the building collapsed, I heard one of the students telling a teacher that the building was shaking but he asked the student to shut up and enter the class. Shortly after sitting down, the building caved in.”
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, had ordered the closure of the collapsed school and the arrest of artisanal miners operating around residential areas in the state.
The state government also declared a three-day mourning period following the sad incident.
Also, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa called for an immediate investigation into the building collapse, noting that anyone found culpable must be brought to justice.
Presidential candidates of the Nigerian Bar Association in its forthcoming elections have outlined their plans, visions and strategies aimed at enhancing the status of in-house counsel and lawyers in general while securing the association’s future.
They spoke on Wednesday via a communique from a virtual meeting organised by Kaizen Academy Ltd to enable in-house counsel to know the candidates better toward the forthcoming NBA elections scheduled for 20th July 20.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NBA is an association of over 140,000 lawyers in the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Partner at Law Crest LLP, Mr Tobenna Erojikwe, said that his manifesto hinged on driving the essence, ideology and personality of Nigerian lawyers.
Erojikwe said that, if elected, his two-year tenure would focus on protecting the integrity of the law profession and ensuring lawyers’ adherence to the rule of law.
He also pledged to remove restrictions for in-house counsel desiring to contest for NBA offices.
“Secondly, we will robustly go to the governance and administrative structures of the NBA, which I think are very dysfunctional, and revisit the outdated LPA.
“The NBA is an organisation that, if well-packaged and has the right reputation, can drive things,” he said.
He also pledged to enhance the empowerment of lawyers and widen their scopes of operation to shore up their contributions to Nigeria’s gross domestic product.
Erojikwe said that in-house counsel would have a place on the table, with every major structural organ of the NBA having an in-house counsel appointed to it.
“I speak as somebody who has worked both in the private and public sectors in England and Nigeria.
“I know that what most in-house counsel require from the NBA is a voice and access,” he said.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Senior Partner at Law Forte, Mazi Afam Osigwe, said it was important to engage more with in-house counsel to know their expectations and give them more sense of belonging.
Osigwe said that, if elected, his tenure would critically address the working conditions of the judiciary, work toward expanding the base and increasing the number of judges while advocating increased funding for the judiciary.
He called for a judicial system that would completely remove the human element in the process of case filing, management and allocation.
Osigwe said that his previous position as the Head of the NBA, Lagos Branch, gave him huge experience in leadership which he would deploy if elected NBA president.
“For me, leadership is about competence, vision, right values and also about managing complex relationships which I did at the Lagos branch, and it put me in a very good position to make a good president.
The SAN and Partner at ALN Nigeria, Mr Chukwuka Ikwuazom, said there was a need to elect an NBA president, a person with proven leadership ability, who would harness resources within the association to set the legal profession on the right trajectory.
Ikwuazom emphasised the importance of addressing corruption in the legal space and restoring the integrity of the profession.
He pledged support for the legal professional regulation bill that contained a proposal for legal practitioners’ privileges committees.
He also gave support for the recognition of distinguished general counsels who achieved success in the profession.
According to him, the NBA will make a proposal to institute a system of recognition for its colleagues who do not go to court and for that reason cannot become senior advocates.
“I want to be very clear that I am not opposed to a system that recognises professional excellence but I think it should be done in a way that respects everybody, recognising that people have different skills and different areas of expertise in the profession.
“When you look at my manifesto, you see that one of the priority areas I have identified in my manifesto is that the NBA, under my leadership, will focus on justice sector reform.
“The NBA under my leadership will push for enactment of the administration of the civil justice bill to address the dysfunctionality in the court system,” Ikwuazom added.
(NAN)
Senator Seriake Dickson, the Senator representing Bayelsa West in the 10th National Assembly has kicked against plans by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to tax foreign exchange proceeds realised by commercial banks nationwide in their financial statements for the purpose of funding strategic national projects.
A bill, Financial Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was initiated at the request of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the National Assembly to meet clearly defined obligations of the federal government in the 2024 fiscal year.
Debating the amendment bills on Wednesday, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele explained the intent of the proposed finance legislation, noting that it was designed “to impose a one-time windfall tax on foreign gains realized by banks in their 2024 financial statements.”
The windfall tax, according to the senate leader, will be used to fund capital infrastructure development, education, and health care access as well as public welfare initiatives to give sound and solid footing to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.
READ ALSO:Tinubu mandates Presidential Council to strengthen economy
However, in his argument, Dickson, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, opposed the bill arguing that the economy is currently too depressed to allow for more taxation.
He warned that the Senate should not pass the bill in a hurry to avoid pitfalls.
He recalled the backlash from the public over a bill he said was previously passed in a hurry, noting that legislators should avoid public ridicule in the handling of legislative activities.
Dickson said: “Let’s step down the taxation on banks for wider consultation. We cannot run our government by continuously taxing people and organisations. We should be cautious because we are managing a depressed economy, even the banks are still battling with recapitalization.”
By: Babajide Okeowo
The post Senator Dickson kicks against Tinubu’s plans to tax banks’ foreign gains appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
The Delta Government said it has enrolled more than two million persons in its contributory health insurance scheme.
The Director-General, Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Dr Isaac Akpoveta, disclosed this when he received members of the Asaba Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists on Wednesday in Asaba.
He said that the state government, through the scheme, augments the medical bills of more than two million persons registered under the scheme across the state.
He explained that “since we started operations in January 2017 till date, we have enrolled over 35 per cent of Delta residents into the scheme.
“I can tell you also that we cover the bills of over 300 Cesarean Sections (CS) monthly at the cost of over N500,000 but it has been a silent activity of the government that people are not aware of.
“The state government has continued to ensure that children under the age of 0-5 years old receive medical care at no cost under the scheme.”
He said Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is passionate and committed to ensuring that vulnerable persons are protected.
Earlier, the Chairman, Asaba Correspondent Chapel, Mr Ifeanyi Olannye, lauded the state government for its commitment to providing quality healthcare at a subsidised cost to residents.
He said given the current economic realities of today, a fee of N7,000 for medical services for a year is gain to the enrollee.
He further lauded the extension of the enlistment of students of state-owned tertiary institutions into the scheme.
“Your passion to save lives and ensure healthy living among citizens of the state is in line with the M.O.R.E Agenda of Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration,” he added.
NAN
South Korea’s Supreme Court recognised new rights for same-sex couples Thursday, saying the state must provide health insurance for a gay man’s partner in a landmark ruling that left activists weeping for joy.
“National Health Insurance should recognise spousal insurance coverage for same-sex couples,” the court ruled, with activists breaking into cheers as the verdict was read out.
The verdict, which cannot be appealed as it comes from the country’s highest court, means common-law spouses of the same sex can now register as dependents on their partners’ health insurance.
“It is discrimination based on sexual orientation to exclude the couple just because they are same-sex,” the court ruled.
“It is a discriminatory act that violates human dignity and values, the right to pursue happiness, freedom of privacy, and the right to be equal before the law, and the degree of infringement is serious.”
The case was brought by a gay couple, So Seong-wook and Kim Yong-min, who live together and held a wedding ceremony in 2019.
It had no legal validity, however, as South Korea does not recognise same-sex marriage.
In 2021, So sued the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) because it terminated benefits for his partner — whom he had registered as a dependent — after discovering they were a gay couple.
In a landmark ruling last year, a Seoul High Court found in favour of the couple, mandating that the NHIS reinstate the dependent benefits.
The service, which grants spousal coverage benefits to common-law partners, appealed the decision, escalating the case to the Supreme Court.
• ‘Historic victory’ –
The Supreme Court ruling is a pivotal moment for the country’s LGBTQI community, and people holding rainbow umbrellas walked out of the court, wiping away tears of joy.
While the country does not recognise same-sex marriages, gay relationships are not criminalised. LGBTQ people tend to live largely under the radar.
Activists have long emphasised the need for legislation against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
A much-discussed anti-discrimination law has languished in the South Korean parliament for years, due to a lack of consensus among MPs.
Outside the court ahead of the verdict, anti-LGBTQI Christian organisations staged a protest, holding up banners saying “let us repent to the Lord”.
When the couple So Seong-wook and Kim Yong-min attempted to hold a press conference after the verdict, Christian activists disrupted it by speaking in tongues and shouting: “homosexuality is a sin!”.
Amnesty International said the ruling was “a historic victory for equality and human rights in South Korea”.
“The Court has taken a significant step towards dismantling systemic discrimination and ensuring inclusivity for all,” the rights group said in a statement.
“While this decision is a major milestone, the case itself is a sobering reminder of the lengthy judicial processes that same-sex couples must endure to secure basic rights that should be universally guaranteed.
“It is disheartening that in 2024, same-sex couples still face such significant barriers to equality.”
The Tangale community in Gombe State, is engulfed in tension following the rejection of Mallam Danladi Sanusi Maishanu as the Mai Tangale, the paramount traditional ruler.
The rejection came from various groups, including the Elders Forum, Community Development and Socio-Cultural Associations, and the Tangale Community Overseas.
The Tangale groups, in a joint press statement issued on Tuesday, claimed that Maishanu was not a true son of Tangale soil and thus cannot be their traditional ruler.
The statement, made available to newsmen and signed by Elder Tele K. Elsa (Secretary, Tangale Elders Forum), Mr. Reuben A. Bauna (Secretary, Tangale Community Development Association), Major B. S. Uba (rtd) (Secretary, Kwagam Tangle Socio-Cultural Association), and Mr. Lamela Umaru Lakorok (Secretary, Tangale Community Overseas), strongly refuted Maishanu’s legitimacy.
The statement reads, “It has become imperative at this point in time for the Tangale nation to make it known to the world that the person, Mal. Danladi Sanusi Maishanu is not a Tangale man; he does not carry Tangale blood in him.
“Therefore, he cannot be Mai Tangle, and the Tangale people will continue to reject him.”
The groups asserted that Maishanu’s biological parents were not of Tangale origin.
The Tangale representatives accused Governor Inuwa Yahaya of manipulating the selection process to impose Maishanu as the Mai Tangale, despite him not being a true Tangale man.
They alleged that Yahaya ignored critical background information and used government officials to ensure votes for Maishanu.
The statement also criticized the Governor for using Maishanu to disrupt the Tangale Community Development Association (TCDA) and installing a set of individuals as caretaker leaders of the socio-cultural body.
However, the Tangale people have continued to support the leadership of Mr. P. T. Gambo, who conducts General Assembly meetings with TCDA branches across Nigeria.
The Tangale community has called on the Gombe State Council of Chiefs, the State Security Service, and the Nigerian Police Force to stop recognizing and supporting Maishanu as the Mai Tangale.
They have demanded the removal of Maishanu from the palace, stating their preference for Dr. Musa Idris Maiyamba, whom they believe is the rightful heir to the throne based on their culture and traditions.
The groups warned that the situation had created significant tension and chaos within the Tangale community, and urged the National Security Adviser, Mal. Nuhu Ribadu, to intervene and press the Governor to respect the cultural heritage and wishes of the Tangale people.
“No one should make a mistake; Tangale people remain resolute and unshaken on this matter. We know our history; no one can rewrite it,” the statement concluded.
Tension in Gombe as kinsmen, others reject Maishanu, Mai Tangale paramount ruler
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr, says students of higher institutions based in Nigeria’s South are not applying for loans because they doubt the viability.
Sawyerr said this when he briefed State House correspondents after the launch of the disbursement of loans to applicants by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.
He noted that more students from the North applied for the loans owing to better coordination by tertiary institutions in the region.
“In the southern part of the country, there’s growing awareness and interest. There’s been a lot of scepticism, and I think the most sceptical parts of the country are in the South; they question everything: Is it true? Is it real? Is it a scam?
“And I think what you witnessed today with us actually starting this disbursement programme is to say that ‘this is not NO FUND. This is NELFUND.’
“The zones with the highest, I can say to you that institutions in the North of the country have been very proactive at supporting and helping their students and providing their data to us,” Sawyerr said.
He assured Nigerians that the early scepticism would dissipate as more loans were disbursed.
“So, that’s where the leaning is currently. But that (high adoption in the North) is to be expected because they seem very well organised in terms of networking in the northern part of the country.
“So, I think we’ll see the scepticism that you can find mainly in the southern part begin to disappear when we start paying out,” he added.
Nonetheless, Sawyerr said NELFUND was playing its part to raise awareness in the South so students in the region would embrace the scheme when disbursements begin.
He also revealed that more university students had applied for loans than students of polytechnics and colleges of education.
He stated: “We’re trying to ensure that people know this is not a trick, it’s not a game. Mr. President has backed this with cash and we’re going to disburse that cash.
“In terms of the three levels of institutions, the universities are the ones with the highest demand for the loans, then I think it’s followed by the polytechnics and then the teacher training colleges and I think it’s probably going to remain that way, the bias is going to remain that way.”
Students of private institutions were excluded from the scheme because they charge more expensive school fees, said Sawyerr, adding that if the government funded private university students, it would be unable to meet the expectations of the initiative.
He also affirmed that the loan scheme would have a positive impact on many lives in the country, saying: “The effect of providing this opportunity for the most needy Nigerians, most capable Nigerians in many ways, and the people who probably will look after us, or whose decisions will impact on us in our old age cannot be underestimated.
“These are the most important people in the country that we’re trying to affect. So, I want to give all the praise and all the recognition to the President, His Excellency Bola Tinubu, for having the vision and the courage to do what he has just done. I’m sure you’ve all heard that fortune favours the brave and this courageous move will bring fortune not just to him but to the entire nation.”
Also briefing journalists was the National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Lucky Imonife, who affirmed that the loans were accessible to all students irrespective of background.
“Nigerian students are happy that the dream has come true. It was once a dream, it has become an act and today is the presidential launch and disbursement.
“We are very proud of this. We, as Nigerian students, will call it a new dawn in the education sector.
“Whatever background you belong to, you can assess the loan. Once you apply, you will get it, irrespective of your status, your age and your class,” said Imonife.
In April 2024, President Tinubu signed into law the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2024.
In an explainer issued earlier, the Presidency said the new law replaces the repealed Student Loan Act, 2023, which, it said, had some challenges bordering on governance and management, purpose of the loans, eligibility criteria for applicants, method of application, repayment provisions and loan recovery.
The Act seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.
A group of students under the auspices of Coalition of Concerned Northern Youth and Students, has distanced themselves from the planned nationwide protest against hunger and economic hardship in Nigeria.
The decision, according to the coalition, was conveyed by Comrade Jibrin Sani Bello, Senate President of the National Association of Kano State Students (NAKS), while addressing newsmen in Kano.
According to him, the withdrawal was as a result of concerns over the unknown identity of the protest organisers.
He explained that the preparations for the protest were at an advanced stage, but upon reflection and consultations, Nigerian students should refrain from participating in the national protest due to lack of knowledge about its organisers.
He emphasised that the protests often disrupted academic activities.
Sani stressed, “We recognise the economic hardship facing Nigerians, but we believe that participating in an unknown protest could lead to unintended consequences.”
Instead of protests, he said that the students advocated for the expansion of the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to provide scholarships for eligible students pursuing education locally or internationally.
Northern students pull out of planned nationwide protest against Tinubu govt
Over 600,000 Nigerians filed for asylum in other countries between 2016 and 2023, which were years under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari was President from 2015 to 2023 and handed over to President Bola Tinubu who was sworn in on May 29, 2023, after winning in the general elections the same year.
According to a report released on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, by Statisense, a data collection organisation, of a total of 664,384 in eight years, 355,792 persons sought asylum between 2016 and 2019 while 308,592 sought asylum between 2020 and 2023.
On a year-by-year basis, 66,862 sought asylum in 2016, 91,924 in 2017, 84,624 (2018), 112,382 (2019), 73,233 (2020), 83,105 (2021), 83,402 (2022), and 68,852 in 2023.
The figures indicate a surge from the past years, as Statisense noted that within 12 years – 2004 to 2015 – only 204,791 Nigerians filed for asylum in other countries.
In total, 869,175 Nigerians filed for asylum in the last 20 years, notably from 2004 to 2023.
The report was posted on the organisation’s X.com handle @StatiSense, citing the United Nations Refugee Agency.
In another report shared by the organisation on Wednesday, it was stated that the Republic of Niger topped countries with the most Nigerian refugees in 2023 with about 200,497 Nigerians and a total of 1,268,464 Nigerian refugees between 2015 and 2023.
Niger, a border country, shares proximity with Nigeria’s north, where residents battle a spate of insecurity in the region ranging from banditry, terrorism and herdsmen-farmers crisis.
Another report also revealed that Nigerians topped the list of African countries who sought asylum in Canada in 2023 with about 10,111 asylum seekers followed by Kenya with 1,345. It stated that 1,345 Nigerians however sought asylum in the United Kingdom and 5,136 in the United States of America.