Citizens
PTAD: Implementation of pension adjustment in progress
Dr Chioma Ejikeme, Executive Secretary of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), says implementation of the pension adjustment is in progress. Ejikeme in a statement on Thursday in Abuja through Mr Gbenga Ajayi, PTAD’s Head of Corporate Communications, noted that the implementation was most likely to commence at the end of April, going by the submissions that had been made by all stakeholders. “Ejikeme held a meeting with the National Executives of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) led by Dr Abel Afolayan on March 16, where the issue of the implementation of the pension adjustment was openly discussed. “The union gave their understanding at the meeting, the executive secretary told the union that the implementation is most likely to commence at the end of April, going by ...
Akwa Ibom wins CIRDDOC 2020 best budget transparency award
In a move that gives credence and endorsement of the commitment of the Udom Emmanuel led administration in ensuring openness, transparency and accountability in budgeting and governance, the Akwa Ibom State Government has been ranked one of the best performing states in the 2020 sub-National Budget Transparency Survey. The survey which was conducted by the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC) to ascertain the level of budget performance by states of the federation revealed that Akwa Ibom and four other states topped the budget performance index for the year, 2020. The Nigerian States Budget Transparency Survey Report also revealed that Akwa Ibom and some other Nigerian States have significantly improved budget transparency and participation, and has improved the ro...
US: Chad rebels heading towards capital from north
The United States said rebel fighters in Chad appeared to be moving towards the capital N’Djamena and ordered non-essential staff to leave, warning of possible violence. A spokesman for the rebel Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) said its fighters had “liberated” the province of Kanem, some 220 km (136 miles) from the capital N’Djamena, but the government denied this. “The authors of these false statements are not even on the ground, but somewhere in Europe,” the government said in a message posted to Facebook. A day earlier the British government urged its citizens to leave Chad because of information that two rebel convoys on the move, one near the town of Faya, some 770 km (478 miles) northeast of N’Djamena, and another by the town of Mao, the provincial capital of Kanem. On S...
President Buhari condoles with Adamawa community over insurgents attack
President Muhammad Buhari has condoled with Kwapre community in Hong Local Government Area (LGA) of Adamawa over the recent Boko Haram insurgents attack. Buhari, represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said this when he visited the community on Sunday. The president expressed his deepest sympathy and condolence to the affected community. ”I am in Kwapre to see things under the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari and to symphatise and condole with the community. ”I have seen the level of destructions which is tragic of monumental dimension. ”I am deeply saddened by what I saw and am assuring the community, government will do all what is possible to protect lives and property of the citizens,” he said. He said that from information available, over 78 ...
Osun governor urges Muslims to embrace coronavirus vaccine
Gov. Ishaq Oyetola of Osun on Saturday urged Muslims to support government”s effort and embrace COVID-19 vaccination to curtail the spread of the life threatening virus. Oyetola gave the advice at the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society, Abuja Branch 26th Annual Ramadan Lecture and special prayer for the nation, held at the society’s Central Mosque at Maitama District, in Abuja. Newsmen report that the lecture has its theme: “Islamic Perspective on COVID-19 and Vaccination.” Represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Abdullah Binuyo, the governor enjoined Muslims to unite and fight COVID-19 that was threatening the life that Almighty Allah has given them to uphold and cherish. He noted that vaccination sustained life while coronavirus threatened it, saying that “as Muslims, we must rally round government...
Coronavirus: Nigeria has vaccinated over 1 million people – NPHCDA
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has announced that Nigeria had so far vaccinated over a million eligible people out of its target of 70 percent of the nation’s population. The NPHCDA disclosed this on its official Twitter handle, on Thursday. Newsmen report that for the country to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, it had set an ambitious goal of vaccinating 40 per cent of its over 200 million population before the end of 2021, and 70 per cent by the end of 2022. The country kicked off vaccination on March 5, 2021, commencing with healthcare workers who are mostly at risk to the infections, being the first responders. It noted that the vaccine roll-out would be in four phases, starting with health workers, frontline workers, COVID-19 rapid response team, l...
Minister: Nigerian government worried about rising unemployment rate
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has said the federal government is worried over the rising unemployment rate in the country. Speaking at the 2nd Shakeholders’ Meeting on Expatriate Quota Administration organized by the Citizenship and Business Department of the Ministry of Interior, the Minister said: “Anyone that is not worried about the unemployment rate in the country is not a patriot.” He lamented that the unemployment rate of 33 per cent released by the National Bureau of Statistics was indeed worrisome and a wake up call that something urgently needed to be done to keep Nigerians employed and drastically reduce the unemployment rate. The Minister, who called on all stakeholders at the meeting to ensure quality inputs were brought to the table that will lead to the produ...
Analysts: Printing currency could hurt economy
Analysts have expressed concerns over a recent claim that the federal government resorted to printing money to augment the monthly allocation to the three tiers of government, warning that it could heighten inflationary pressure with dire consequences for the country’s exchange rate and economy. The analysts, in separate interviews with newsmen, warned that a sustained policy of printing the currency, if not well managed, would hurt the economy. The concern came on the heels of recent revelation by Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, that due to the dwindling revenue in the face of declining oil revenue arising from the growing sources of alternative sustainable energy, the federal government had to print money to augment the amount available for sharing by the federal, state and lo...
Eight killed in fresh Plateau attack
Eight people have been killed in a night attack by unidentified assailants at a mining site in Kuru, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau. The incident was said to have occurred on Friday night. Governor Simon Lalong has directed security agencies in the state to fish out the perpetrators of the act. He said the attack was another desperate attempt by criminals to destabilize the state and create fear among the people. While commiserating with the families of those killed and those who sustained injuries, Lalong reiterated his charge to security agencies to resolve such attacks as excuses of “unknown gunmen” will no longer be tolerated. Governor Lalong also advised the citizens to assist law enforcement agencies with useful intelligence, leveraging on structures such as the tradition...
Imo attacks: IGP tasks CPs, AIGs to evolve new policing strategies
The Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Usman Alkali Baba, on Friday, met with Police Strategic Commanders, Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police, Commissioners of Police, and Deputy Commissioners of Police (Operations), in the South-South and the South-Eastern States of the country and tasked them on checkmating security challenges. A statement by CP Frank Mba, Force Public Relations Officer, said the meeting, which held at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, is part of efforts by the new Police leadership to critically diagnose the security threats in the region and evolve new policing strategies and responses towards tackling the threats. The IGP, while noting that the South-East and South-South geo-political zones of the country are very critical in the socio-economic stability and ...
Nigeria police deploy SWAT officers to states
The minister of police affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi, says the officers of the special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team have been deployed to state commands. Mohammed Adamu, former inspector-general of police, had constituted the SWAT team, following the disbandment of the special anti-robbery squad in the wake of the October 2020 EndSARS protests. Speaking when he featured on a Channels Television programme on Friday, Dingyadi said the SWAT officers have concluded their training, and have been posted to the states they were drafted from. “They have ended their training, and they have been posted to the state police commands that brought them for training,” he said. “They are there with them and they are performing these functions of the SWAT.” The creation of the new tactical team had receive...
Sheikh Khalid: Politicians, religious leaders behind Nigeria’s insecurity
Renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Muhammad Nuru Khalid, on Thursday, alleged that some influential people, including religious leaders and politicians, were the real sponsors of insecurity in some parts of the country. He stated this in Abuja during the public presentation of a book titled, ‘The Infinite Light, The Pride of Humanity,’ authored by Sheikh Fathullah Gulen a spiritual leader of Hizmet. Khalid claimed that bandits, who were predominantly youths of northern extraction, had been terrorising innocent citizens because they were getting engaged by some prominent politicians and religious leaders working towards the Balkanisation of the nation. So, he urged the government to address the issues of education and unemployment as a solution to the security challenge. The Muslim scholar sa...
