The federal government through the ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has commenced the distribution of N20,000 grant to each vulnerable persons and relief materials to those affected by the 2020 flood in Sokoto State.
The beneficiaries, who were very elated at the gesture, received food stuff, cooking ingredients, vegetable oil, cements and zinc each, and among others.
Speaking earlier, the Humanitarian Affairs minister, Sadiyya Umar Farouq confirmed that they are in Sokoto in a very important mission directed by President Muhammadu Buhari to come and commiserate with the people of the state over the flood incidents some weeks ago and also flag off the rural women cash incentives.
According to her, beneficiaries of the cash incentives are on their way out of poverty as President Muhammadu Buhari is concerned about lifting the lives of the vulnerables in Nigeria.
#EndSARS: It’s trying time, stop protests, Lawan tells youths
This is certainly a trying moment for our country and the leadership of this country.
“As the National Assembly, we believe we have critical and crucial roles in ensuring that the current situation of protests across the country is brought to an end,” he said.
According to Lawan, the protesters have expressed their legitimate rights while the government has listened. He said the essence of their meeting with the President was to review the situation and see the roles the two arms of government should play in ensuring that the demands of the protesters are properly addressed.
Where legislative intervention will be required, Lawan said federal lawmakers were ready to move in and deal with such expeditiously.
He said the lawmakers would also be watching to ensure that the executive also expedites action where executive role is expected.
Gbajabiamila joined Lawan in calling on the youth to stop the protest.
He however said they were at liberty to resume the protests if they discovered that nothing had been done after two weeks.
He urged the youth to give the President the benefit of the doubt since he was the one that scrapped SARS this time, and not the Inspector-General of Police.
He said, “I have heard the stories that ‘we have heard end SARS like four times before’. That is what people are saying. Like I said, you have never heard it from Mr President, but now, he has said so. So, let us tarry a little while. Let us sit back. We have got what we want, let us sit back and see what happens. If you like, you begin your protests again if nothing happens in two weeks. But let us not continue this thing and lose the plot. That is what I don’t want".
Gbajabiamila also explained to the youth that some of their demands are policy matters that cannot be achieved overnight, hence the need for them to exercise patience.
“Some of these things are policy matters that are not going to happen overnight. You are not going to have electricity overnight; it is not going to happen tomorrow. Free road is not going to happen tomorrow. It is a process and the important thing is that the government has heard you loud and clear. It is a continuous engagement. We will be engaging our youths in matters of policy and communicate with Mr President as well on what needs to be done".
NLC writes Buhari, rejects airports’ concession.
The Nigeria Labour Congress has written a letter to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), disagreeing with the planned concession of four of the nation’s most viable airport.
In the letter dated October 8, 2020 and signed by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, the congress warned the Federal Government that it would resist vehemently if the concession went ahead without a reconsideration of the facts.
The letter entitled, ‘The Nigeria Labour Congress rejects the plan to concession Nigeria’s major airports’, asked the government to consider other viable and sustainable ways of managing airports and attracting new capital for expansion and development.
It highlighted ideas like Green Field Concession and Corporatisation or full autonomy of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria instead of the planned concession which would end up adding no value at all to the airports being concessioned for 20 years while some private pockets were filled.
The letter read in part, “First, is the Green Field Concession where investors are invited to make fresh investments in clearly delineated areas of deficit in our airports’ infrastructure including terminal expansion, runway expansion and upgrading of critical aviation equipment and facilities. Such investments should be recouped from the additional revenue from the patronage and services accruing from the use of the upgraded facilities.
“Another alternative is to corporatise FAAN. Here, government should retain 45 per cent equity share while the remaining 55 per cent is broken down for public acquisition. This is the model adopted in such climes as South Africa in a similar situation as we. This would help build investor confidence while assuaging the concerns of labour. Another way to optimise infrastructure layout, service delivery, revenue generation and served markets is to ensure the complete autonomy of FAAN as is the case in Ethiopia. This should be void of political meddlesomeness which has been the bane of the efficient performance of Nigeria’s aviation sector".
It also argued that due process had not been followed in the concession process.
The congress said, “Your Excellency, Mr President, Organised Labour is also miffed that due process as prescribed by our Public Procurement and Concession laws and the laws governing our aviation sector has been flung to the dogs by the peddlers of this toxic pill designed to shortchange, enslave and pillage the Nigerian people. A few instances would suffice. The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission Act provides that ‘the public entity should have enabling authority to transfer its responsibility’ – enabling legislative and policy framework or an administrative order to that effect.
#EndSARS: Akeredolu condemns attack on Oyetola, calls for control of protesters.
Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has condemned, in strong terms, the attack on Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State, allegedly by #EndSARS protesters, calling on its organisers to exercise control over stakeholders involved in the protests.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Oyetola was attacked by armed thugs while addressing Nigerians, especially youths, protesting police brutality under #EndSARS, on Saturday in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
NAN reports that although the governor escaped, the hoodlums, armed with cutlasses and sticks, threw stones and damaged vehicles in his convoy.
Speaking on behalf of Akeredolu, Mr Ojo Oyewamide, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media and Publicity, said in a press statement on Sunday in Akure that the peaceful protest was hijacked by criminals and hoodlums hired by politicians.
Oyewamide stressed the need for the organisers to identify those with genuine, altruistic desires for reforms and elements who have offered themselves as mercenaries to unleash mayhem on innocent people.
According to him, Akeredolu, who is also the chairman, South West Governors’ Forum, described the attack as unwarranted, misdirected and repulsive.
“The genuine movement has already been hijacked by politicians to visit their frustrations on perceived opponents. This act is a clear act of terrorism under the guise of a civil and supposedly peaceful protest. This is more so as dangerous weapons were said to have been deployed in the ignoble act. Undoubtedly, the #EndSARS movement has had a popular and receptive attitude to it by majority of Nigerians, including policymakers, who have seen in it an opportunity to deepen concern and redirect efforts towards veritable reforms aimed at achieving positive results. All the same, the desirability or otherwise of this movement appears to have come under a curious integrity test following the misdirected anger visited on Governor Oyetola. The attack on Governor Oyetola or any other governor anywhere in the country is a clear infliction of double jeopardy. No governor is in charge of any police formation, unit or department,” Oyewamide quoted Akeredolu as saying.
The governor, therefore, called on youths to hold firm to their belief in the Nigerian project and press for whatever was desirable to make it work.
Police declare suspected cultist wanted over death of auto mechanic.
Ogun State Police command has declared a notorious cultist, terrorizing Igbesa and its environs simply known as Bobo wanted
A statement by the command spokesperson, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, which was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the State capital, said the suspect was declared wanted over the gruesome murder of an automobile mechanic, Salaudeen Lawal.
The statement added that “the deceased who was called to fix a vehicle which developed a mechanical fault was accused by Bobo and his colleagues of obstructing the road with the vehicle he was repairing and this led to an argument between them, consequent upon which the said Bobo broke a bottle and stabbed the deceased on his hand and cut one of the veins”.
The statement added that “distress call was made to the police at Igbesa divisional headquarters and the DPO SP Abayomi Adeniji quickly led his men to the scene and rescued the victim to the hospital where he gave up the ghost while receiving treatment”.
“The suspect, having realized what he did took to flight immediately but one of his accomplice has been arrested and he is helping the police in their investigation”.
“Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, Edward Awolowo Ajogun has ordered a massive manhunt for the suspect".
He also directed that the case be taken over by the homicide section of the state criminal investigation and intelligence department for discreet investigation. The CP also appealed to residents of the area to remain calm as the command will do everything possible to apprehend the fleeing suspect who is neither a student of the only tertiary institution in the town nor an indigene of the town.
Bayelsa govt commends Buhari for reimbursing states for funds spent on Federal projects.
Bayelsa Government has commended President Mohammadu Buhari for his efforts to reimburse some state governments for funds used in executing various federal projects in their states.
Gov. Douye Diri gave the commendation when he received members of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Local and Foreign Debts in Government House, Yenagoa, at the weekend.
Diri, represented by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, noted that the gesture will enable state governments to redouble their collaborative efforts in addressing the infrastructural deficit in the country.
These were contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Deputy Governor, Mr Doubara Atasi, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Yenagoa.
According to the statement, most state governments are discouraged from deploying their scarce resources to fixing dilapidated federal projects located in their areas due to Federal Government’s reluctance towards repayment.
While thanking the joint Committee for the visit, the governor urged the executive and judicial arms of government to accord the legislature its pride of place in the scheme of democratic governance. According to him, democracy cannot survive without the legislative arm performing its core functions of law-making, oversight and representation in society.
“The National Assembly is a very important institution which has not been given due attention and respect in this country because they see us as new entrants into the Nigerian hemisphere of governance. But they should not forget that if there is no law-making, no oversight and no representation, then there will be no democracy. It is on these three pillars that democracy actually stands".
“The delegation, which is made up of members of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Foreign and Local Debts, came to ascertain the veracity of our claims on the execution of federal projects in the state. We thank the Federal Government and the National Assembly for this effort, which we believe will facilitate the release of funds due our state, which can be used in developing other critical sectors,” he said.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Senator Clifford Odia, and his House of Representatives counterpart, Hon. Safana Dayyabu, said the visit was to confirm that these federal projects were actually executed. According to them, the mission is aimed at facilitating the release of funds due the state on account of such projects.
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GUEST_LMgj2RlxM·4h
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U think the youth are fools. Or may be you think we are joking. why should we stop d protest before u start doing something. Start doing those things now
GUEST_qyJzAGK4p·1h
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for the record... the people that attacked Governor Oyetola are not #EndSars protesters.they are political thugs. and for Lawan and Gbajabiamila to say protesters should stop bcos this is trying time. I want to believe this is a joke. Buhari is number 1 citizen.,what will it cost Buhari to address the protesters himself,why does he like to always set up committee¿ abi na so baba clueless reach
GUEST_DlrDv6g2l·1h
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Just because it is north, it has become a necessity, but if it would have been the southeast, nobody will say anything about it ,what a useless country we are in
GUEST_loW2gnEPe·21min
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Bag of rice in katsina state is #23000 while in east.a bag of rice is #33000 and we are one Nigeria.pls, the politicians should address this issue.
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