Former National Vice Chairman, Northwest, of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Salihu Lukman, says Senate President Godswill Akpabio has reduced the Nigerian Senate to a parastatal under the President Bola Tinubu APC-led administration.
Lukman’s accusation follows the sack of the Senate Whip, Mohammed Ndume by the Abdullahi Ganduje-led National Working Committee NWC of the party.
In a statement on Thursday in Abuja titled; “Fanatical Mindset”, the former APC chieftain charged all patriotic Nigerians to wake up to the responsibility of rescuing the country.
According to him, Nigerians should not allow a situation where so-called leaders of the ruling party behave like officials of military tribunals who operate with the fanatical mindset of condemning everyone accused of wrongdoing without the benefit of a fair hearing.
He said it was quite interesting that the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje could ask Ndume to honourably resign his membership of the party and join any opposition party of his choice formally.
Lukman further stated that it was not found anywhere in the constitution of the party that the National Chairman, National Secretary, or any official, or even the National Working Committee is given the powers to summarily remove any principal officer of the National Assembly.
He added that it was a shame that the APC Senate Caucus would permit such an act of illegality, stressing that by doing so, they have set a precedent that would further erode the independence of the National Assembly.
“Already, with the way Sen. Godswill Akpabio has been conducting himself almost reducing the Senate Chamber to the status of a parastatal of government, the action of the APC under the leadership of Dr Ganduje to direct removal of principal officers for criticizing President Tinubu’s government highlights the fanatical mindset undermining Nigerian democracy.
“Any democracy that cannot accommodate criticisms is no democracy. A democracy that subverts fair hearing is a dictatorship. A democracy that permits a ruling party to demobilize its organs and inadvertently expels its members is worse than a military government. All patriotic Nigerian political leaders must unite to restore Nigeria’s democracy.
“Nigerian opposition leaders must unite to build a truly strong political party to rebuild Nigerian democracy. All our opposition leaders and orphaned leaders of APC must come together and unite. Sen. Ndume being the newest APC orphan is welcome to join the efforts of political leaders in the country to restore and rebuild our democracy,” he said.
Ndume: Akpabio has reduced Nigerian Senate to parastatal – APC Chieftain, Lukman
Ndume: Akpabio has reduced Nigerian Senate to parastatal – APC Chieftain, Lukman
Tech innovation offers hope for SDGs in Nigeria, says UN official
The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, has concluded a one-week working visit to Lagos, Enugu, and Anambra states, advocating for the acceleration of Sustainable Development Goals to meet the 2030 target.
A press statement on Thursday by the National Information Officer, UN Information Centre, Oluseyi Soremekun, said the visit comes in the wake of the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024, which revealed that only 17 per cent of SDG targets are currently on track.
During his tour, Fall engaged with governors, commissioners, private sector leaders, civil society organisations, traditional rulers, and women and youth groups.
He emphasised the urgent need to accelerate SDG implementation to improve the well-being of both people and the planet.
In Enugu, Governor Peter Mbah acknowledged the alignment between his administration’s vision and the UN mandates and SDGs.
Fall praised the innovative approaches he witnessed, particularly at the Owo Smart School.
“My visit to Owo Smart School, Enugu State was an eye opener and a confirmation that with the right leadership, nothing is impossible. I saw firsthand how technology was deployed to ensure quality education, thus placing students on the path to a brighter future,” he stated.
In Anambra, Fall met with Governor Charles Soludo to discuss poverty alleviation, environmental threats, and social protection.
He also visited Eziabor village Oko, one of over 1,000 active erosion sites in the state, calling for urgent intervention, stating, “I saw a soil erosion disaster site that required interventions of the Federal Government, the State Government and all development partners, to save lives and livelihoods. Anambra state needs all the support it can get to sustainably address the challenging situation of devastating soil erosion in the state.”
In Lagos, Fall engaged with private sector leaders, including Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings, UBA, and Transcorp groups.
He emphasised the crucial role of the private sector in advancing the SDGs and praised Elumelu’s contribution to youth development.
“It is always a pleasure to engage with you and your team, always reflecting on the youth bulge in Nigeria and Africa and the inherent demographic dividend. Young people offer great opportunities for national development,” he added.
Fall further expressed optimism about the upcoming Africa Social Impact Summit, ASIS2024, stating it would help provide some insights on how best to rescue the SDGs in Nigeria and in Africa.
The Resident Coordinator was particularly impressed by the innovative solutions presented by young tech entrepreneurs.
“With so many young people embracing tech and innovation, we see a ray of hope for a brighter, better future,” he remarked at the launch of the first-ever timbuktoo FinTech in Africa by UNDP.
Nigerian govt announces revised Sec Sch Curriculum for Sept implementation
The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to introduce a revised curriculum for all secondary schools nationwide.
The new curriculum is expected to be implemented by September 2024.
This announcement was made by Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during the ongoing 2024 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) policy meeting in Abuja.
Read Also: NASU, SSANU protest over four-month withheld salaries
“We are working hard to ensure that a new curriculum is introduced for secondary schools by September,” Mamman said.
Mamman noted that the exercise has been on for the past year and a stakeholders meeting will be held on August 6, 2024.
“It is our plan that by September, this programme will be implemented in all schools, public and private,” the minister said.
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Oyo to provide health insurance for 10,000 pupils
The Oyo State Health Insurance Agency has reeled out plans to provide health insurance coverage for 10,000 pupils in the state.
This, according to the Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr Sola Akande, is in furtherance of Governor Seyi Makinde’s integrated approach to education in the state.
Akande made this known on Wednesday, during a courtesy visit to the Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (OyoSUBEB), Dr Nureni Aderemi Adeniran.
In his address, Dr Akande said: “This visit is very timely as the agency is ready to embark on the enrollment and validation of 10, 000 pupils who will benefit from the Oyo State health insurance policy.”
Akande added that the pupils would benefit immensely from the Agency’s insurance programme.
In his response, the Chairman, OyoSUBEB, Dr Adeniran, promised the Board would take seriously the enrollment exercise.
Adeniran said the insurance policy which is the first of its kind in the country, would be a model for other south-west states going forward.
Adeniran noted that OyoSUBEB had set up a six-man committee between the two agencies to work out the modalities for the implementation of the policy and expedite actions on it.
He also disclosed that the insurance policy would be flagged off in September when a new session would commence.
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Obi is a political jobber, he will dump LP like Okupe, Balami —Bwala
Former spokesman of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council for the 2023 presidential election, has called the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), a political jobber who will soon dump the LP.
Bwala who had earlier dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in protest to its Muslim-Muslim ticket for the election and pitched tents with Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a post on his X handle on Thursday, said Obi started his political career with the PDP before moving to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and back to the PDP before pitching tents with LP, reasoning that such regular cross-carpeting shows signs of a jobber who moves about for what he stands to gain.
Bwala was reacting to the defection of aviation expert and youth activist, Isaac Balami, who announced his defection from LP to the APC on Wednesday.
Balami who is a former National Deputy Campaign Manager for the Obi/Datti campaign organisation, while addressing journalists in Abuja, said he was returning to the APC, a party he dumped over the same Muslim-Muslim ticket.
In his post, Bwala said Obi would soon toll the path of Doyin Okupe and Balami by dumping LP.
READ ALSO:‘Peter Obi will never be president in Nigeria’, Omokri vows
“The other day was Doyin Okupe, today is my brother Isaac Balami, mark my words, tomorrow certainly it will be Kenneth Okonkwo, because of two reasons:
“As patriots, seeing the urgency to rally round our president at this difficult time as he re-directs the ship Nigeria. Labour Party is a SPV and not a political party.
“That leaves the elements called “Obidients” with one lesson; thus no matter their threats and bullies, Nigerians would exercise their rights of association as enshrined in our constitution
“@PeterObi too will leave Labour Party at some points. If you call people who exercise their rights of association as political jobbers, then your hero Peter Obi is the grandfather of political ‘jobberism’ having started from PDP to APGA to PDP to Labour and now in talks with PDP. You people are the most gullible of all time. GOAT means Gullibles Of All Time.”
If you call people who exercise their rights of association as political jibbers, then your hero peter Obi is the grandfather of political Jobnerism having started from PDP to APGA to PDP to Labour and now in talks with PDP. You people are the most gullible of all time. GOAT…
— D. H Bwala (@BwalaDaniel) July 18, 2024
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Reps to donate 50% of salaries to fight hunger
The House of Representatives at a plenary session on Thursday pledged to give up 50 per cent of their salaries for six months to address the hunger across the country.
During the session presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu amended the motion, urging his colleagues to sacrifice 50% of their salaries. He made this plea when it was his turn to speak, seeking their support for this gesture.
“This government is doing its best but one year is not enough to address the challenges of this country. I want to plead with our colleagues to sacrifice 50 per cent for a period of six months.
“Our salary is N600,000 a month. I want to plead that we let go of 50 per cent of our salary for a period of six months,” Kalu said.
With each member paying N300,000 into a common purse, the legislative chamber will be contributing N108m monthly to the Federal Government and N648m for six months.
Dirisu, has over 12 years experience covering political parties, National Assembly, sports, transportation, etc, and currently works with The According
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Appeal court dismiss Sylvia’s petition, upholds Diri’s tribunal victory
A three-man panel of Justices of the Court of Appeal, Abuja division, on Thursday, dismissed the appeal of the All Progressive Congress and its governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva, seeking to set aside the Bayelsa governorship election Tribunal judgment.
The appellate court while delivering judgment in the appeal, upheld Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party re-election victory.
The court held that it found no reason to set aside the earlier judgment of the tribunal which refused to nullify the outcome of the governorship poll held in the state on November 11, 2023.
The court dismissed Sylvia’s appeal for being incompetent and lacking in merit.
The appellate court also awarded N500,000 each as a cost in favour of the respondents.
Details shortly….
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Customs intercept bulletproof jackets, drugs worth N3.6bn in Ogun
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A Ikeja said it intercepted 150 cartons of bulletproof jackets worth N1.687bn.
Addressing journalists in Ikeja on Thursday, the Customs Area Controller in charge of the unit, Kola Oladeji, said the contrabands were intercepted along the Ijebuode-Sagamu Expressway in Ogun state.
Oladeji explained that each carton contains 10 packs of the jacket, adding that these contrabands were seized in June.
He explained that under Schedule 4 of the Customs Common External Tariff, the importation of all kinds of military wares by individuals is under absolute prohibition.
“An end-user certificate is required for the importation of controlled items and products into Nigeria and it comes from the Office of the National Security Adviser,” Oladeji said.
Oladeji vowed that the unit is working on credible intelligence to get the importers of these contrabands.
“These seizures were unique because it was a breach of security, no end-user-certificate
“Because you get the certificate before you can bring your cargo and if you bring it after importation we would arrest you,” he said.
The CAC said the unit also intercepted kilograms of cannabis sativa and expired drugs within the period under review.
“Our dedicated officers also intercepted 989kilograms of cannabis sativa and 5,229 cartons of expired drugs,”
According to him, some of the interceptions took place at various times and locations within the South-Western States.
“Other items seized include, 343,750 liters of premium motor spirit, 7,150 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 32 units of used vehicles, 120 bags of sugar, 3,560 cartons of poultry products,” the CAC said.
The CAC stated that four suspects were arrested in connection with the various offenses, “including violating import/export guidelines, concealment, wrong classification, smuggling, and contravening policy directives,”
He disclosed that the cumulative duty paid value of the various intercepted goods amounts to, N3.6bn.
Oladeji said that the unit also recovered the sum of N62m as revenue for June 20024 through documentary checks and the issuance of demand notices on consignments that were found to have paid lesser amounts than the appropriate duties.
He urged Nigerians to provide the service with useful and timely information that would lead to the arrest of illegal importation of military wares, illicit drugs, and counterfeit goods.
“Importers and licensed agents are also urged to make sincere declarations, adhere to existing import and export guidelines, and avoid the risk of losing their goods,” he said.
BREAKING: Reps to slash salaries by 50% for 6 months to address hardship
The House of Representatives has resolved to support the Federal Government with N648 million for six months by slashing their salaries by 50% to support food sufficiency across the country and to address the high cost of food.
While making this resolution on Thursday, the lawmakers also begged Nigerians to exercise more patience with President Ahmed Tinubu’s led administration in addressing challenges and hardships faced by citizens.
The House further mandated its Committee on Appropriation, Humanitarian Affairs, Finance and Budget to ensure compliance.
Thus followed the adoption of a motion moved on the floor of the House by Ibrahim Isiaka, APC– Ogun State, during plenary in Abuja.
Details shortly…
BREAKING: Reps to slash salaries by 50% for 6 months to address hardship
Biden cancels $1.2bn more in student debt as vote nears
US President Joe Biden said Thursday he was extending his student loan forgiveness program by cancelling the loans of an additional 35,000 Americans as he seeks reelection.
The latest move — amounting to $1.2 billion in student debt — brings to 4.76 million the number of people “who benefitted from our various debt relief actions”, he said in a statement.
The borrowers, who will get an average of $35,000 in debt cancellation, include teachers, nurses, police officials and first responders.
The announcement came on the final day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Donald Trump will accept the Republican nomination for the November election.
Biden vowed Thursday to “never stop working to make higher education affordable –- no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stop us.”
Earlier this year Biden unveiled fresh plans to reduce student loan debt for tens of millions of Americans, in his bid to win over young voters.
That was after the conservative-dominated US Supreme Court last year struck down the Democrat’s earlier proposals to cancel several hundred billion dollars of debt.
Last month he cancelled debt owed by 160,000 people, while earlier in the year he announced student debt relief for 150,000 others.
AFP
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