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Category: News

  • FG To Construct Super Highways On Abuja-Lagos, Port Harcourt-Lagos Roads -Minister

    FG To Construct Super Highways On Abuja-Lagos, Port Harcourt-Lagos Roads -Minister

    The Federal Government is planning two super highways across the country through a Public Private Partnership scheme.

    Minister of Work Dave Umahi disclosed this to the State House Correspondents on Sunday after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.

    He said that the highways would be from Abuja to Lagos and Port Harcourt to Lagos, adding that they would be provided with state of art facilities for the comfort of the travelling public.

    The super highways are designed for travel at high speeds, having more than one lane for each direction of traffic, a safety strip dividing the two directions.

    The minister said that the government has got commitments from stakeholders to make the project a success within reasonable period.

    Umahi also disclosed that the president was briefed on the need to seek better appropriation for the funding of road projects to avoid unnecessary variations in cost and specifications.

    He said that the National Assembly would be carried along to see the necessity of providing enough fund to road project that are beneficial to the people.

    He also said that due to inappropriate funding, he has asked the president to direct the termination of road projects that have taken more than 10 years without completion.

    The minister assured Nigerians that no project initiated by the past administration would be abandoned by government.

    He said that the Tinubu administration inherited 2,604 projects worth N14 trillion covering 18,000 kilometres of roads, adding that a commitment was got for payment of four trillion out of this amount.

    The minister added that the government was also committed to the use of reinforced concrete for road pavements across the country.

    Concrete, he said, is capable of withstanding heavy loads, such as heavy vehicles, with less deformation and serves for years without major repairs.

    Several factors affect concrete pavement performance, such as traffic, soil, environmental, economic and stress distribution factors.

    He said that the merit of these would be the use of local materials and elimination of imported items which has been the cause of contract variations in the country.

    On the structural defects on the Third Mainland bridge, Umahi said that work has started and articulated vehicles had been stopped from plying it for now.

  • NAF Destroys Over 30 Illegal Refinery Sites In Rivers

    NAF Destroys Over 30 Illegal Refinery Sites In Rivers

    The Air Component of Operation Delta Safe strikes has in the last two months destroyed more than 30 illegal oil refining sites around the Cawthorne Channel and Bille, in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers.

    The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

    Gabkwet said the air strikes ramped up efforts at denying oil thieves and operators of illegal oil refining sites the opportunity to burst pipelines, operate their illegal oil refineries sites while damaging the environment.

    He said the air strikes conducted at Cawthorne Channel on Friday, destroyed four active illegal refining sites with dug out reservoirs and surface storage tanks suspected to be containing illegal refined products.

    According to him, similar air strikes were also conducted at Bille on Saturday and early hours of Sunday which destroyed three illegal oil refining sites with storage tanks and reservoirs were destroyed.

    “In one of the sites, a Cotonou boat suspected to be siphoning crude oil from a flow station was engaged in several passes and destroyed.

    “In the last two months, Cawthorne Channel and Bille have accounted for the majority of oil theft and illegal oil refining activities in Rivers State.

    “Within this period, over 30 illegal oil refining sites in these two locations have been destroyed by the Land, Maritime and Air Components of Operation Delta Safe.

    “These efforts will be sustained in these locations and others until oil thieves and their accomplices desist from their illegal activities,” the statement added.

  • NDLEA Busts 6,600 Bottles Of Codeine, Nabs 8 Suspects

    NDLEA Busts 6,600 Bottles Of Codeine, Nabs 8 Suspects

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 6,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup and arrested six suspects in various raids across the country.

    This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja.

    Babafemi said that a 27-year-old Kingsley Chimaobi was arrested with 6,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup on September 11 along the Lokogoma-Abuja Road, FCT Abuja.

    He said that operatives of the Agency arrested two suspects: Moses Akowe, 32, and Sunday Gabriel, 31, with 227.1kgs of cannabis on Tuesday September 11 at Ikebe village, Ankpa LGA, Kogi.

    He also said that a female suspect, Bilikisu Salako, 35, was nabbed with 108kgs of same substance on Saturday Sept. 16 in Ifo area of Ogun state.

    Babafemi added that a total of 100 blocks of cannabis weighing 55kgs and 600 bottles of codeine-based syrup were seized in Abuja.

    He said the duo of Salisu Murtala and Shafi’u Dahiru were arrested on Tuesday September 11, along Abuja road in connection to the seizures.

    “The suspects have been traced to two other suspects: Muntari Nasiru and Yusuf Ali who were arrested in follow up operations in Kano,” he said.

    Babafemi said that a Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday Sept. 13, sentenced a drug dealer, Segun Odeyemi to five years imprisonment for trafficking and dealing in 3,842 kilograms of skunk.

    He said that the suspect was arrested on Saturday July 1, while conveying 89 jumbo bags of the illicit substance in his truck around Eleganza area of Ajah, Lekki.

    “He was subsequently charged in suit number FHC/L/388C/2023 presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko,” he said.

    Babafemi said various commands of the agency continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), sensitisation activities in the past week taking advocacy messages to the stakeholders.

    “Instances of this include, WADA advocacy visit to the head of Kadiria Islamic Sect of Africa, Sheikh Qaribullah Nasiru Kabara in Kano.

    “WADA sensitisation lecture for men and officers of Nigerian Army, Sobi Barracks, Ilorin, and lecture for Muslim community in Kaduna.

    “WADA sensitisation lecture at Enugu State College of Health and Technology, Oji- River; advocacy lecture for members of Ram Sellers Association, Osogbo as well as officers and men of the Nigerian Navy School of Music, Ota, Ogun, among others,” he said.

  • Tinubu Names Ibrahim, Olawande As Youth Ministers

    Tinubu Names Ibrahim, Olawande As Youth Ministers

    President Bola Tinubu has nominated Dr Jamila Ibrahim and Mr Ayodele Olawande as Minister and Minister of State, Youth, pending their confirmation by the Senate.

    This is contained in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Sunday in Abuja.

    Ngelale said that Ibrahim is a young medical doctor and most recently served as the President of the Progressive Young Women Forum (PYWF).

    She has also served as the Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    He added that Olawande is a community development expert and youth leader in the All Progressives’ Congress (APC).

    He most recently served in the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Innovation from 2019 to 2023.

    He said that Tinubu charges the nominees to ensure that they consistently reflect the dynamism, innovative zeal, and unyielding productivity that are synonymous with the young people of Nigeria in the discharge their duties. 

  • NDLEA Denies Involvement In Mohbad’s Death

    NDLEA Denies Involvement In Mohbad’s Death

    *Say they never arrested or poisoned him in 2022

    Amidst the controversy surrounding the untimely death of Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as MohBad, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has refuted claims that the late musician was poisoned during his time in their custody.

    Following MohBad’s demise last Tuesday under unclear circumstances, a video surfaced depicting the 27-year-old artist in a hospital bed, where he claimed to have been forced to ingest a liquid substance and was mistreated with the butt of a gun before being released by NDLEA operatives.

    In response, NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi asserted that MohBad was never arrested or detained by their agency. He pointed out that the deceased was not among the Marlian Music artists arrested by the NDLEA in 2022, contrary to widespread speculation. This fact, he argued, makes it impossible for MohBad to have been poisoned while in their custody.

    Babafemi also shared a link from an online platform, which detailed the arrest of six individuals in February 2022, none of whom included MohBad.

    In a related development, the police authorities have announced their intention to probe the circumstances surrounding MohBad’s death.

    Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, extended condolences to the late musician’s family and friends, reassuring the public of a thorough investigation into the matter.

    The Lagos State Police Command has even considered the possibility of exhuming MohBad’s remains in response to growing public concerns and a preliminary review of the circumstances surrounding his passing.

    The Commissioner of Police for Lagos State, CP Idowu Owohunwa, has instructed the initiation of a full-scale criminal investigation into the case, urging individuals with valuable information to come forward and assist in the process while requesting that the public avoid making statements or engaging in activities that could compromise the ongoing investigation.

  • CJN To Swear In 9 New Appeal Court Justices Sept 20

    CJN To Swear In 9 New Appeal Court Justices Sept 20

     *As Justice Amina Augie Retires

    On September 20, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, will administer the oath of office to nine newly appointed Justices of the Court of Appeal.

    This inauguration ceremony will take place at the Main Court auditorium of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, as announced on Sunday in a statement by Dr. Festus Akande, the Director of Press and Information for the Supreme Court.

    The new Appellate Court Justices include Hannatu Azumi Laja-Balogun from Kaduna State, Binta Fatima Zubairu from Kaduna State, and Peter Chudi Obiora from Anambra State, among others. Each of these distinguished individuals has a substantial legal background, having served as High Court Judges for several years.

    Additionally, it was revealed that Justice Amina Adamu Augie is set to retire from the Supreme Court’s Bench on September 21, 2023.

    This follows her attainment of the mandatory retirement age of 70 on September 3, 2023. The valedictory court session in her honour, which was originally scheduled for September 3, has been postponed due to the Court’s annual vacation.

    Justice Augie, who became a Supreme Court Justice on November 7, 2016, graduated with a Second-Class Upper Division in Law from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1977 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978.

    With Justice Augie’s retirement, the Supreme Court will be left with 11 Justices, significantly below the Constitutionally stipulated 22 Justices. This development follows the passing of Justice Centus Chima Nweze of the Supreme Court in July this year.

    The current lineup of Justices on the Apex Court bench includes Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Olukayode Ariwoola, Musa Dattijo, Kudirat Motomori Kekere-Ekun, John Inyang Okoro, Uwani Abba Aji, Garba Lawal, Helen Morenikeji Ogunwumiju, Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro, Tijjani Abubakar, and Emmanuela Akomaye Agim.

  • FG To Set Up Transit Schools For 11,000 Displaced Children

    FG To Set Up Transit Schools For 11,000 Displaced Children

    The Federal Government has announced plans to set up transit schools to cater for the educational needs of the 11,000 school children displaced by banditry and other violent crimes in Niger State.

    According to Dr Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, the project would be executed in collaboration with UNICEF and the Niger government.

    A statement by her media aide, Mr Rasheed Zubair, said the federal government would secure safer location low-cost homes for the victims.

    It said the minister was speaking when she visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.

    The statement quoted Edu as saying that her ministry would be working with the state government and UNICEF to provide transit learning centres to ensure that the affected pupils’ studies were not truncated.

    Edu described as “unacceptable”, a situation where 11,000 students are out of school owing to the continued closure of over 400 schools in Niger.

    While calling for immediate action to tackle banditry in Niger, she regretted that lack of basic education had predisposed people to poverty.

    The minister expressed optimism that peace would soon return to communities affected by banditry to enable displaced persons return to their homes.

    “Government is considering options of providing a resettlement centre in the interim where IDPs can resettle and vacate the school premises so that our children can return to their classes.

    “The current staggering figure of out-of-school children in Nigeria is not good for the country.

    “Education is the foundation; if we must fight poverty, we must return our children to school because that is the key and the beginning of ending the circle of poverty.

    “As a government, we will do all we can to tackle the problem from the root cause so that they can continue with their education,” she said.

  • UNGA: Only 15% SDGs Targets Are On Track, Says UN Scribe

    UNGA: Only 15% SDGs Targets Are On Track, Says UN Scribe

    The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, António Guterres has said that only 15 per cent of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets are on track, calling on key actors to rescue the goals.

    Guterres, at the opening of SDG Action Weekend at the UN headquarters in New York on Saturday, rallied a diverse cross section of civil society actors to use their passionate voices and energetic grassroots networks to help rescue the SDGs.

    With world leaders set to convene on Tuesday for the annual high-level opening of the General Assembly, the UN hosted an energetic range of actors.

    They include youth groups and women’s organisations, mayors, community activists and business leaders, looking to boost support for the hoals ahead of the SDG Summit.

    The summit, slated to hold on Monday and Tuesday, 18 to 19 September will mark the mid-point of the SDGs, between their 2015 launch and their 2030 deadline.

    As things stand, the goals UN member countries’ promised when they adopted the 2030 to ‘leave no one behind’ are in serious trouble: despite some progress.

    “Over the years, widespread implementation gaps had emerged across all 17 goals, which aim to tackle everything from poverty, hunger and gender equality, to access to education and clean energy.

    “Lagging public interest in achieving the goals, geopolitical friction and perhaps most critically, the global coronavirus pandemic, have left the SDGs in need of a global rescue plan.

    “Today, only 15 per cent of the targets are on track, with many going into reverse,” the secretary-general said.

    According to him, Monday’s SDG summit will be the moment for governments to come to the table with concrete plans and proposals to accelerate progress.”

    But he stressed that the SDGs were not about checking boxes.

    “They are about the hopes, dreams, rights and expectations of people and the health of our natural environment.

    “They are about righting historic wrongs, healing global divisions and putting our world on a path to lasting peace,” the UN chief said.

    According to Guterres, everyone needs to step up to help revive the Goals and ensure a better life for people and the planet.

    He went on to salute the courage and conviction of the activists in attendance, saying that he knew their global fight for the SDGs “comes at a risk to your safety … liberty [and] even your life.”

    “I urge you to keep going,” he said, and similarly urged members of the business community in attendance “to see that sustainable development is best business plan of all”.

    “To the women and young people joining us – keep calling out for change in your communities and fighting for your rights and a place at every table, the Secretary-General said.

    The UN chief said: “To the local authorities here – the SDGs will not be rescued in New York.

    “They will be rescued in your communities. So continue listening to the people in your communities and embedding their needs and concerns across your policies and investments.”

    Also, Dennis Francis, President of the 78th session of the General Assembly, said the international community’s mission “today, for the next week – and for the next seven years – is to mobilize; to harness the collective strength and resourcefulness of all governments and stakeholders.

    “The buzz word of the day is “Mobilisation,” which suggests a sense of urgency that we cannot ignore. It is crunch time; time to roll up our sleeves and turn our aspirations, and our promises, into reality, for the benefit of all.”

    He urged all the stakeholders to focus their energies on the goals where progress is lagging, on the countries in acute vulnerability, on the roots of inequality that persist, still today.

    “This calls for more than words; it calls for an unwavering commitment not only to mobilizing resources and investments but more importantly political will,” stated Francis.

    He also stressed that action to revive the SDGs cannot be achieved by governments alone.

    Francis said: “We need the private sector, civil society, women, youth, scientists, academics, philanthropic foundations – all stakeholders across all fields and disciplines to come forward, to lend their voices, and their hands.

    “This is to ensure a transformative process that delivers both for people and planet.”

    The challenge, the assembly’s president said, was finding “smarter, more efficient ways to involve, include and to work with you.” 

  • Bandits Kill 2, Kidnap 3 Others In Kaduna

    Bandits Kill 2, Kidnap 3 Others In Kaduna

    In a tragic incident on September 15th, suspected bandits struck a community in Kaduna State, leaving two individuals dead and three others kidnapped, according to the Kaduna State police command.

    The Acting Public Relations Officer, Mr. Mansir Hassan, confirmed this disturbing development in Kaduna on Sunday.

    According to him, the attack unfolded in the quiet enclave of Dogon Noma-Unguwan Gamu within the Kajuru Local Government Area.

    “At approximately 6:30 a.m., the bandits launched a violent incursion into the community, ruthlessly taking lives and abducting their victims,” he said.

    Amid the grief and fear that have gripped the affected community, the police spokesman, Mr. Hassan, provided a glimmer of hope by affirming that the perpetrators would not escape justice.

    He assured the public that the law enforcement authorities were determined to track down and apprehend the culprits, ensuring they face the full consequences of their heinous actions.

    The tragic incident is another grim reminder of the ongoing security challenges faced by many communities in Nigeria and highlights the urgent need for measures to address and mitigate these threats to the safety and well-being of citizens.

  • G77+China Summit: Nigeria, Cuba Sign Science, Technology Growth Pact

    G77+China Summit: Nigeria, Cuba Sign Science, Technology Growth Pact

    The Nigeria’s delegation to the G77+China Summit led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Cuba on science and technology growth.

    Mr Olusola Abiola, the Director of Information, Office of the Vice President, in a statement, said the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr Uche Nnaji, signed the MoU for the Government of Nigeria.

    The signing ceremony, which took place Saturday on the sidelines of the G77+China Summit at Hotel Palco La Habana, was the high point of Nigeria’s participation at the summit.

    Nnaji said the MoU would further enhance collaboration in the field of innovation, science and technology between the two countries.

    The minister praised President Bola Tinubu for his visionary leadership which had resulted in the signing of the agreement.

    Nnaji, who assured that Nigeria would maximise the opportunities provided by the bilateral agreement, emphasised that the implementation of the agreement would commence in earnest.

    He expressed determination to put in place the appropriate mechanism to work out the modalities for programme of action.

    Earlier, Shettima averred that Nigeria places high premium on South-South cooperation as a platform for promoting sustainable development of the global South.

    The bilateral agreement would focus on research and development.

    Other areas include human resource development which will further deepen partnership between the two countries.

    The areas of cooperation covered by the bilateral agreement include biotechnology, scientific investigation and innovation, technological development and human resources development.

    Others are specialist exchange in the area of science and technology, and technologies transfer for development areas.

    The historic event was witnessed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Adamu Lamuwa, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Cuba, Amb. Ben Okoyen and other senior government officials.