Activities
World Forest Day: Nigeria’s forests reduced to less than 25% – environmentalists
Some environmentalists on Monday said that unwholesome human activities had reduced the nation’s forest resources to less than 25 per cent. The environment experts made the assertion during an event in Lagos State to commemorate the 2021 World Forest Day, held every March 21, to raise public consciousness on conservation of forests. Newsmen report that the theme of the 2021 edition is “Forest Recovery, a Path and Wellbeing’’. The environmentalists, who envisaged danger as a result of depletion of forests, advised Nigerians to always replenish nature, whenever their activities caused violation of nature. At the event, Executive Director, Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development, Nigeria, Dr Leslie Adogame, said “with reduced forestry resources the human habitat is under...
Ebonyi governor: South East benefited more from APC government than PDP’s 16 years
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and Chairman of South East Governors’ Forum weekend, said the South East benefitted more from the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress, APC, federal government than from Peoples Democratic Party’s sixteen years of governance. Speaking to newsmen in Lagos through his Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, Umahi said the Igbo have had a fair-play under Buhari’s administration in terms of economic and infrastructure development. According to him, the N10Billion Airport rehabilitation, the 2nd Niger Bridge, the Enugu-Port-Harcourt Expressway and other infrastructures are pointers to the benefits the South East States are getting from the Buhari administration. “These are indications that this administration is helping t...
Femi Falana: EFCC can mandate bank MDs, executives to declare assets
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is charged with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of all laws relating to economic and financial crimes, Africa’s leading human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) has said. Consequently, according to the senior advocate, the anti-graft commission is empowered to cause investigations to be conducted into the properties of any person as stipulated under Section 7 (1) (b) of the EFCC Act, 2004. Also yesterday, Transparency International (TI) argued that if the provisions of the Bank Employees, etc. (Declaration of Assets) Act, 1986 were effectively enforced, Nigeria could save between $15 billion and $18 billion illicit financial flows (IFFs) annually. Falana clarified the roles of the EFCC in a response to inquiries on whethe...
IPMAN impounds trucks transporting adulterated petrol in Bayelsa
Taskforce personnel attached to the Bayelsa State chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), have apprehended three tankers suspected to be transporting adulterated Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from an unidentified source into the state. Bayelsa State Coordinator of IPMAN, Mr. Bello Bina, who confirmed the development to journalists on Saturday, said the trucks were impounded along the Sagbama section of the East-West road. He alleged that some unidentified policemen were currently trying to frustrate the effort of the task force by insisting that the suspected adulterated products are owned by a highly influential person. He said when the effort of the policemen failed, an unidentified man called him on the phone to plead with him to take some financial g...
Police arrest 17 kidnap, robbery suspects in Sokoto
The Police Command in Sokoto State on Thursday said it arrested no fewer than 17 suspects over armed robbery, kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state. Mr Kamaldeen Okunlola, the state Commissioner of Police, disclosed this to newsmen in Sokoto. Okunlola said that the command on March 4, arrested one Jabbi Wanto, over criminal conspiracy and kidnapping of two persons in Tamba Garka village of Wurno Local Government Area of the state. “The people of the village reported that on March 4, at about 3 a.m unknown bandits in large number invaded their houses and kidnapped two persons to unknown destination. “The villagers mobilised themselves and followed the bandits where the victims were rescued and Wanto was arrested, who during investigation confessed to have conspired with one ...
Kogi criminalises hawking by children during school hours
Kogi Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Wemi Jones, says it is now an offence in the state for a child of school age not to be in school or seen hawking during school hour. Jones stated this on Thursday in Lokoja, at a stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting on the newly enacted Kogi State Education Law. According to Jones, the new law is contained in Section 9 of the Kogi Education Law. ”If any child is seen hawking or doing anything during school hour, that child shall be apprehended by the Special Marshals that will be put in place. “The parent or guardian of such child (must) come to give reasons why the child is not in school, and we are very serious about this,” he said. Jones said that the proliferation of private schools has become a source of concern and worry to t...
WTO chief warns against Nigeria’s continued reliance on oil & gas
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of World Trade Organisation (WTO), has warned of Nigeria’s continued reliance on crude oil and gas as the major source of revenue to the government. Okonjo-Iweala sounded the warning on Wednesday in Abuja at a meeting with Women Entrepreneurs in Nigeria held at the headquarters of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). She urged the government to transit from oil and gas based economy to other non-oil sectors. She pointed out that unless Nigeria diversifies her economy, it would be left behind by other countries. She said, “I have kept on harping that Nigeria should transit from oil and gas based economy to producing in other non-oil sector. “This is because of the climate change. Fossil fuels which are oil and gas, that Nigeria depends on, ...
NDLEA rues over shipment of illegal cargoes through Nigeria’s seaports
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has said some ships and their crew bring in illegal consignments from the port of origin into the country. NDLEA also hinted that the shipments are perfected by at the Nigerian end of the transaction by collaborators on arrival at the nation’s ports. Disclosing this in Lagos at the Joint Vessel Boarding Meeting held in Lagos, Assistant Area Commander, NDLEA, Mercy Thompson, noted that the recent drug seizure made at Tin-can Island Port by the Agency was also brought in the same way. She, therefore implored ship crew members to cooperate with representatives government agencies boarding vessels, while complaining that most times the ship captains and their crew refuse to come out to meet them while other times the crew are very uncooperative....
US hails Nigerian women for advancing global development
In commemoration of the 2021 Women’s History Month, the U.S. Embassy’s public affairs chief Aruna Amirthanayagam has acknowledged the importance of women in the leadership and economic growth of every country. Women’s History Month is celebrated during March in the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Australia, to mark the contributions of women to society. Mr. Amirthanayagam, in his opening remark at an event with the acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Stephen Okodudu, and the Rivers State chapter of the United States Government Exchange Alumni Association (USGEAA), said the non-inclusion of women in science advancements would lead to an unsustainable economy, a statement seen by newsmen read. “The U.S. Mission in Nigeria recognises the importance of women’s inclusion fo...
Official: Three teachers kidnapped in Kaduna school attack
Three teachers were kidnapped in the attack Monday morning by bandits on a primary school in Kaduna State. According to the state government, two pupils initially declared missing after the attack have been found. The state goverment had earlier on Monday announced the attack on the primary school in Rema, about 150 kilometres from the state capital, but said it was awaiting details on the incident. In an update he provided later, the state’s Commissioner of Internal Security and Homeland Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said only three teachers were kidnapped in the attack. He said this was according to the report provided by the school authorities and as gathered by security operatives and the state government. According to Mr Aruwan at a press conference in Kaduna, after the state government com...
Nigerian government’s special cash grant for rural women launched in Yobe
Federal government has on Friday Flag-off Special Cash Grant for Rural Women in Damaturu, Yobe State capital. Launching the programme, the Minister of Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq said that “we gather to provide support to citizens of our beloved country. I am delighted to have you all converge on this venue for purpose of flagging off the Federal Government’s cash grant for rural women, which is a significant social protection programme of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, aimed at uplifting the most vulnerable groups out of poverty”. According to her, since the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration in 2015, Government has paid more attention to protecting and promoting the plight of the poor and vulnerable in the country. This s...
Rumble in Edo as governor runs government without cabinet
Precisely 129 days into his second tenure as governor of Edo State after his election on September 20, 2020 and inauguration on November 12, 2020, Godwin Obaseki, has not formed his cabinet. This has generated some flaks from different quarters, including the opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), constitutional lawyers, political analysts, public commentators, residents among others. While others feel that Obaseki has not committed any crime or breached any law, others believe that he is running a one-man administration and must go ahead to form his cabinet. They argued that going by Section 192 of the 1999 Constitution, the governor is obliged to form a cabinet, saying this is a circumvention, which the state House of Assembly should take action on. Obaseki had said that his ...