President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau on Monday charged players of Nigeria’s U20 girls, Falconets, to be focused, attentive to the instructions of their coaches, work hard and embrace discipline to achieve success at this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals in Colombia.
Two-time runners-up Nigeria have come close but are yet to lift FIFA’s second most important trophy for the women’s game, but Gusau believes hard work, discipline and dedication can see the Falconets mount the winners’ podium this time around.
He said: “I am aware of our country’s pedigree in the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup. Your predecessors have won the silver medal on two occasions and reached the semi finals once. Now is the time for the ultimate.
“I believe that with discipline, hard work, dedication, focus and prayers for mother luck in your matches, you can emerge triumphant. These are the qualities that are necessary for success.
“The NFF will continue to provide the support and encouragement that you need to excel,” Gusau said as he spoke to the players after their morning training session at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project on Monday.
Read Also: Falconets fail to defend African Games title after loss in final
The 2024 finals in Colombia will be the first to welcome 24 teams, with Africa supplying four (Nigeria, Morocco, Cameroon and Ghana).
Matches will take place in four venues in three different cities (Bogotá, Medellín and Cali). There will be two venues in Bogotá – Estadio El Campín and Estadio El Techo.
The Estadio Atanasio Girardot in Medellín and the Estadio Pascual Guerrero in Cali are the other venues.
2022 quarter-finalists Nigeria have been drawn to play three-time winners Germany, Venezuela and Korea Republic in Group D of this year’s tournament.
The final competition, which will welcome 24 teams for the first time, will hold 31st August – 22nd September.
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NFF charges Falconets to win FIFA U-20 Women’s title
N1.5m fuel for six cars to Anambra no big deal — Minister
The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, on Monday, justified spending N1.5m to fuel six vehicles in her convoy on a trip to Anambra State.
The minister made the statement when she featured as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
The development comes five days after her heated argument with members of the House of Representatives, which wanted to know how her ministry appropriated unrelated expenditures, including N45 million for a New Year party, N20 million for sanitary pads and N1.5 million for petrol.
Speaking on the live television programme on Monday, Kennedy-Ohanenye expressed surprise that the lawmakers could quiz her for expending N1.5m on fuelling their journey, saying the amount wasn’t a big deal.
She said, “How many vehicles? I travelled with the staff in the bus, two security vehicles, one DSS and one police, my vehicle, the backup, and the other one. About six vehicles went all the way to Anambra State for a job and we came back. What is N1.5m for those cars? Everybody knows how much fuel cost since I came in.
“But when I was explaining, they (lawmakers) won’t even give you a chance to explain. They will tell you to just say a ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ How can I say yes or no without an explanation?”
The minister further explained how her predecessor approved N45m to host 33 schools in the Federal Capital Territory to a party and bought a bag worth N15,000 each for each student.
She, however, absolved herself of blame in the arrangement, reiterating that the budget had been approved before she took over the ministry.
“Let me start by saying that last year’s budget was not done while I was there. All the contracts were also not awarded while I was there. Most of them were awarded in March and the contract money was released in May before I arrived in August. When I came in, I heard about the contract and checked some of them.
“A lot of them have not done it to date. Only about four files were clear and not only that, the ministry had a lot of liabilities due to underfunding. So, those other people who didn’t do the contract were part of the people claiming their monies were not paid. Again, they talked about N45m used for a party.
“As I said, I was not there when those budgets were made. That party was held and even the chairman of Women’s Affairs came there. They invited about 33 schools and thousands of children were there. I was told they did sensitisation by going around schools. They provided transport to every school coming and gave each student a school bag that cost about N15,000 each. There were a lot of other things inside the bag. They were equally given food.
“That was how the N45m was spent. It was their way of handling things before I came. I always fought for new narratives since I came; this was partly one of the things I never would have tolerated as a minister. But my hands were tied,” she said.
Council unveils model to tackle youth unemployment
The Sector Skills Council for Building in Nigeria has announced the implementation of the ‘Recognition of Prior Learning’ initiative to boost youth employment in the country.
The council is a collaborative initiative among industry leaders, government agencies, and training providers aimed at promoting skills development and vocational training in key sectors of the economy.
The council’s President, Dr Samson Opaluwah, disclosed this at a press briefing to mark the World Youth Skills Day held in Abuja on Monday.
The Recognition of Prior Learning programme aims to recognise and certify the skills and competencies acquired by individuals through informal means, such as apprenticeships and on-the-job training.
“Skills form the foundation of economic growth and development, unlocking new opportunities, enhancing employability and driving innovation,” he said.
The RPL initiative is expected to revolutionise the informal sector by recognising the immense potentials and skills capacities that are currently not fully captured by the formal economy.
He noted that the implementation of RPL is a crucial step towards addressing the pressing issues of youth unemployment, skills gap, and skills mismatch in Nigeria.
The programme will provide opportunities for out-of-school young people and adults to acquire skills and certifications, enhancing their employability and productivity.
The United Nations Children Fund recently stated that the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria reached 18.3 million.
It noted that this alarming figure positions Nigeria as the country with the highest number of out-of-school children globally
Opaluwah called on the federal, state governments, and industry partners to collaborate in providing support for the implementation of RPL.
He added that the council is also working to establish job opportunities and mentoring initiatives to equip young individuals with essential skills, knowledge, and mindset required to thrive in the building industry.
“The future of humanity and our planet depends on young people. But it also depends on ensuring that they have the skills to tackle today’s challenges and shape a more peaceful tomorrow,” he added.
The implementation of RPL in Nigeria is a step towards ensuring that young people have the skills required to succeed and shape a better tomorrow
Nigeria to be net exporter of petroleum in December — NNPC
The Group Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, has said that based on emerging indicators in the energy and gas sector, Nigeria will be a net exporter of petroleum by December.
Kyari made this known on Monday at the National Assembly when stakeholders of the nation’s economy including the Ministers of Finance, Wale Edun; Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu; Minister of State Petroleum, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; and the Governor of the Central Bank, Olayemi Cardoso, met with the Senate Committee on Finance led by Senator Sani Musa ( APC Niger East).
The stakeholders further gave assurance that the ailing economy is getting revitalised based on emerging indicators.
The indicators, according to Kyari, are the Port Harcourt Refinery which will start production early next month, which will be followed by the one in Warri months after, and the Kaduna refinery latest by December this year.
He added that in a few months, the oil production level for the country will hit 2 million barrels per day as all enablement towards that has already been put in place.
He said, “Mr. Chairman and members of the Joint Committee. Let me just confirm that NNPCL and the oil and gas industry are very critical in bringing a turnaround in our current economic situation, and we understand the importance of this. We are taking every step that is practical for us to achieve this..
“We have already seen growth in our oil and gas production because of certain actions that Mr. President personally took, and also the very mere truth that we have also declared war on production activities, and this is yielding the required results.
“The combination of these two has now seen us restoring production in our country, and we believe that, as the Honorable Minister has said, we will soon hit the target of 2 million barrels of oil production per day.”
He added, “I’m aware that there are several comments in the public space around refining business and domestic production, including production that will come from the commissioned Dangote refinery.
“Yes, this country, as we have said, will be a net exporter of petroleum products by the end of this year.
“We’re very optimistic that by December, this country will be a net exporter. That means a combination of production coming from us, and also from Dangote refinery and other smaller producing companies that we know are in line to do this.”
Kyari stressed further, “So I can confirm to you, Mr. Chairman, that by the end of the year, this country will be a net exporter of petroleum products.
“Specific to NNPC refinery. We have spoken to a number of your committees, and it is impossible to have the Kaduna refinery come into operation before December, it will get to December. Both Warri and Kaduna but that of Portharcourt, will commence production early August this year.”
In his submission, the CBN governor represented by Deputy Governor (Economic Policy), Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, said the triple challenges of rising inflation, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, and food inflation, would take a downward trend soonest as indicators to that effect are already emerging.
Earlier in his submission, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, said the 2024 budget is already being implemented and that there is an ongoing negotiation with Labour Leaders on Minimum wage to ensure that there are no further disruptions to the economy.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Committee appealed to Nigerians to persevere as the government is working around the clock to stabilise the economy.
Musa said, “Our critical interactive session with you as managers of the economy, is about economic growth. It’s about how we can get our policies to work. How we will support Nigerians.
“The National Assembly is very concerned because we are the representatives of the people. And we are obliged to ask what is happening. And this is the reason for the meeting. And we have heard from you. At least you have given us preambles of the activities going on. On how our economy can get back on track.
“You are all aware of the obstructions our economy has had in the previous years. And it’s not going to be easy that overnight, in 365 days or in one year of the coming administration, things will change. It will be gradual.
“And I believe that Nigerians will persevere. This is the only time we can all come together as Nigerians to give His Excellency the President, all the needed support. To get us out of all the trouble we have been.”
He added, “The indicators are showing that the economy is doing well. The only thing is that things are a bit difficult because it’s not easy for inflation that has gone up to go down like that. It takes time.”
Biden orders Secret Service protection for independent candidate, Kennedy Jr
US President Joe Biden has ordered Secret Service protection for independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the homeland security chief said Monday.
“In light of this weekend’s events, the president has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection to Robert Kennedy Jr,” United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, told journalists.
Kennedy, the scion of America’s most famous political clan, is an environmental lawyer and long-time vaccine sceptic who has no chance of winning in November, but whose candidacy could potentially sway close contests in key swing states.
Trump called earlier in the day for Secret Service protection to be extended to Kennedy.
“In light of what is going on in the world today, I believe it is imperative that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receive Secret Service protection — immediately. Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!” Trump posted on social media.
The 78-year-old former president was injured but survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, a brazen attack that shocked a nation already deeply polarized ahead of the November election.
AFP
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Enigie vs Oba of Benin: Police deny palace chiefs access to court
As the suit between the suspended Enigie (dukes) and the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, came up for hearing on Monday before a Benin High Court, security operatives barred some palace chiefs and functionaries from accessing the court premises.
TVN reports that the court witnessed a heavy presence of security personnel made up of operatives of the Edo State Police Command and the Department of State Security, DSS.
TVN recalls that the state government had on Sunday vowed to deploy security personnel to the court premises to forestall any possible attack on judges, lawyers and judicial officers, as well as disruption of the court proceedings by suspected political hoodlums.
Commissioner for Communication and Orientation Chris Nehikhare, who spoke for the state government, urged youths not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to cause crises in the state.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, July 15, security operatives closed one side of the busy Benin-Sapele Road during the court proceeding while the other side was opened for motorists.
The development, however, created gridlock on the ever-busy road.
The presence of security personnel did not, however, prevent members of the Benin Royal family, palace chiefs, priests, and priestesses, as well as royal fans, from thronging the court.
They also defied the heavy downpour to attend the court proceedings in solidarity with the Benin monarch.
Justice Asemota, who took over the case from Justice Peter Akhihiero, said the matter had been adjourned until October 17, 2024, as a result of the forthcoming annual judicial vacation.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the adjournment, Dr Samson Osagie, one of the counsels to the Oba of Benin, said the case has been assigned to a new judge.
Osagie, who appeared for the royal father along with Prof. Edoba Omoregie and Kingsley Obamogie, said the new presiding judge said the case would start afresh because he was not the judge that previously handled the case.
According to him: “Today, Court 6, which is handling the case, has indicated that a new judge will have to start the case de novo. What that means is that the case has to start afresh because he was not the judge who handled the case previously. That is the position of the law.”
Dr Osagie Obayuwana, counsel to the claimants, the suspended Enigie, described the court procedure as normal.
“There has been a reorganisation of the courts. Judges have been moved. And then, the case was adjourned to October 17, 2024,” he said.
The Enigie of Evbuobanosa, Gregory Akenzua and Edomwonyi Ogiegbaen, Egbaen Siluko Dukedom, instituted the legal suit on behalf of others over their suspension from office by the Oba of Benin.
Enigie vs Oba of Benin: Police deny palace chiefs access to court
LP warns NLC against meddling, affirms Obi, Abure as leaders
The Labour Party (LP), on Monday, issued a stern warning to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) cautioning it against involving the party and its leadership in political maneuvers aimed at satisfying their purported sponsors.
The warning came from Marcel Ngogbehei, Director General of the LP Directorate on Mobilisation and Integration, during a statement in Abuja. Ngogbehei responded to remarks attributed to the NLC National Transition Committee, which allegedly mischaracterized Julius Abure as a former LP national chairman and advised stakeholders to boycott upcoming congresses in Anambra, Imo, Delta, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Describing the NLC’s circular as “childish, malicious, and misleading,” Ngogbehei asserted the NLC lacks authority to establish transition committees for political parties in Nigeria. He reaffirmed Peter Obi as their presidential flagbearer and Julius Abure as LP’s national chairman.
Ngogbehei criticized the NLC’s actions, accusing them of acting as a tool to undermine opposition structures and distract from critical issues affecting Nigerian workers and citizens. He urged the NLC to prioritize constructive engagement with the government to protect worker rights rather than interfering in political party affairs.
Read also: Naira sheds N14, trades N1,577/$1 at official window
“The NLC is positioning itself as a disruptive force, seemingly aligned with government efforts to dismantle opposition structures,” Ngogbehei stated. “Instead of learning from past leadership, like Oshiomhole’s, and advocating for workers’ interests, they are engaging in unwarranted political meddling.”
He concluded by advising the NLC to either respect reconciliation efforts led by Peter Obi or seek legal recourse if they have grievances, emphasizing that destructive actions only serve to benefit the current government at the expense of genuine opposition.
The LP’s stance underscores their commitment to maintaining internal integrity and resisting external interference in their party affairs.
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JUST IN: Trump picks US senator JD Vance as running mate
Republican candidate Donald Trump has selected Ohio senator JD Vance as his running mate in the 2024 US elections.
The former president made the announcement on the social media platform, Truth Social, on Monday evening.
“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump wrote
More details later…
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No fresh recruitment into Immigration Service -FG
The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has disowned an online publication on recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service.
This is contained in a statement by the board’s Secretary, Ja’afaru Ahmed, on Monday in Abuja.
Ahmed stated that the board was only currently carrying out recruitment in the Federal Fire Service and not with NIS as claimed by the online publication.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to inform the general public that the board is currently carrying out a recruitment process in the FFS only.
“It will commence the next stage of the exercise in August and will conclude the same before the end of September,” he said.
Recall that the Federal Government had on Sunday stated that the next stage of the recruitment exercise for the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Federal Fire Service would begin in August.
Ahmed in a statement added that the Board would conclude the recruitment exercise, which was billed to end on June 15, 2024, will now end before the end of September.
Ahmed said: “The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board wishes to inform the general public that it will commence the next stage of the recruitment exercise in August, and will conclude the exercise before the end of September 2024.”
He announced that all shortlisted candidates would be duly notified of the next stage of the recruitment exercise through their contact details.
The Secretary, however, apologised for the inability to complete the exercise as earlier scheduled due to manpower audits carried out by Services under the Board.
He added, “The board wishes to apologise for its inability to complete the process by 15th June 2024, as earlier intended.
“This is due to a nationwide manpower audit exercise carried out in the Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Fire Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, which was just recently concluded.
“All shortlisted candidates will be duly notified of the next stage through their phone numbers and email addresses.”
NAN
Naira sheds N14, trades N1,577/$1 at official window
The Nigerian currency, the naira started the week with a slump against the American dollar on Monday, July 15, 2024.
The domestic currency shed N14 to trade at N1,577/$1, data from the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) has shown.
This is against the rate of N1,563/$1 it traded on Friday July 12, 2024.
The intra-day high and low recorded during the day were N1,590/$1 and N1,470/$1 respectively, representing a very lean spread of N120$1.
The naira lost N5 against the dollar at the parallel section of the market to trade at N1,565|$1, as against the rate of N1,560/$1 it traded the previous trading day.
READ ALSO: Naira recovers marginally to trade N1, 554/$1 at official window
The naira crossed the N2,000 mark as it lost N10 against the British Pound to trade at N2,050£1 as against the previous trading day’s rate of N2,040£1 representing a loss of N10 for the local currency.
The Canadian dollar continues to close flat against the naira to trade at N1,200| CA$1 same as the previous trading day rate of N1,200| CA$1.
The naira lost N15 against the Euro to trade at ₦1,690/€1 as against the previous trading day’s rate of ₦1,675/€1.
By: Babajide Okeowo
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