Meeting
Remittance: It is impunity for NNPC to ignore extant laws – PDP governors
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, has said it is impunity for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) not to remit money to the federation account as stipulated by the constitution. The Forum, in a statement by its Director General, CID Maduabum, stated this in response to criticism by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu over issues raised in a communique, issued after its recent meeting in Uyo. The opposition governors accused Shehu of cerebrating the non remittance of funds by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the Federation Account because they should not “break the bank” for PDP Governors. They noted that it is the responsibility of the NNPC to remit revenues into the Federation Account, as stipulated in the constitution. “It is a demonstrat...
FAO reiterates support to Nigerian government’s efforts to tackle food insecurity
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has reiterated its commitment to support the Federal Government‘s efforts to ensure food sufficiency. FAO Country Representative, Fred Kafeero, said this at the 44th meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Rural Development (NCARD) in Abuja on Thursday. He said that the theme of the meeting, which is “Nigeria’s Agriculture and Food Security in the face of COVID-19, Floods and Insecurity, ” was timely. Kafeero, however, said that the theme was a call for action to cushion the knock-on effects of these shocks and threats on the livelihoods of a large section of the population, especially vulnerable groups. He urged the government to provide enabling environment for private participation, creating synergy, engaging other sectors, interven...
Euro 2020: Kieran Tierney ‘fit and available’ for England clash – Scotland boss
Scotland boss Steve Clarke has confirmed that Kieran Tierney is “fit and available” for their Euro 2020 clash with England. Tierney was forced to miss Scotland’s Group D opener against the Czech Republic after picking up a knock in training. The Arsenal defender saw his country suffer a damaging 2-0 loss in his absence, but Clarke is ready to welcome him back into the fold for their vital meeting with the Three Lions at Wembley on Friday. Asked for an update on Tierney’s condition at a pre-match press conference, the Scotland head coach told reporters: “Everybody fit and available, including Kieran. “It’s good news for Kieran, it’s good news for us, it’s good news for the Scottish supporters, so hopefully we can back all that up with a good result. “He’s trained fully the last two days, so...
White House considering talks between Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping
The White House will consider arranging talks between President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as the two countries spar over issues including human rights, a top U.S. official said on Thursday. Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that the two leaders are due to “take stock of where we are in the relationship.” Beijing fumed over a communique issued at Biden’s urging by the Group of Seven leaders on Sunday. It scolded the country over human rights in its Xinjiang region and Hong Kong while also demanding a full and thorough investigation of the origins of the coronavirus in China. “Soon enough we will sit down to work out the right modality for the two presidents to engage,” Sullivan told reporters on a conference call. “It could be a phone call, it cou...
Joe Biden pointedly asks Vladimir Putin about cyberattacks at summit
U.S. President Joe Biden asked Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday how he would feel if someone carried out a ransomware attack on Russian oil pipelines, a pointed question during their summit that illustrated the breadth of their disagreements. The query referred to a cyberattack that closed the Colonial Pipeline Co system for several days in May, preventing millions of barrels of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from flowing to the U.S. East Coast from the Gulf Coast. Both leaders described their first summit in a lakeside Swiss villa as professional, rather than friendly, and said they agreed to hold lower-level talks on cybersecurity and arms control and to send their ambassadors back to their capitals. But there was no hiding their differences on issues such as human rights, wh...
Commissioners urge partners to support ongoing efforts to ensure security in schools
The Commissioners of Education in the 19 Northern States have urged development partners to support the ongoing efforts to ensure security in schools. The commissioners made the call in a communique issued in Kaduna on Wednesday, at the end of a meeting on Students Exchange Programme (SEP), held in Kano. The communique was signed by the Chairman, Shehu Muhammad, who is also the Commissioner of Education, Kaduna State. The meeting was organised to discuss pressing issues affecting education in the region. The commissioners suggested that community members and education ‘stakeholders’ be part of the security architecture to ensuring security in schools in the region and the country. They appealed to the federal, state governments, development partners, parents, non-governmental organisations...
UK: Some countries are using coronavirus vaccines as a geopolitical tool
British foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Friday there was no doubt some countries were using vaccines as a diplomatic tool to secure influence but Britain did not support so-called vaccine diplomacy. Raab was speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of a G7 summit in Cornwall, southwestern England, that was likely to be dominated by the West’s attempts to reassert its influence as the world looks to rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic. Western diplomats fear Russia and China are using their vaccines to gain influence across the world, especially in poorer countries that do not have their own production or the means to buy shots on the international market. Asked whether he was concerned that China and Russia could use vaccines in exchange for influence, Raab said: “There’s no doubt there’s...
Nigerian judicial workers suspend strike
Members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) have resolved to suspend their two months old industrial action. The decision to suspend the strike was reached on Wednesday at the National Executive Commitee meeting of the union held in Abuja. Deputy President of JUSUN, Mr Emmanuel Abisoye, who spoke with newsmen shortly after the meeting said that the union was prevailed upon by the leadership of the National Judicial Council (NJC) to suspend the strike. Communiqué of the meeting is about now being put together to formally declare the strike action ended. With the latest development, courts in the country which had remained shut during the strike will now reopen. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reima...
Edo PDP factional chairman calls for unity, backs Governor Obaseki
File Photo The factional Chairman of the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Harrison Omagbon, has said that his main task is to unite the party which is currently embroiled in a leadership crisis. Omagbon became a factional chairman penultimate week, when the substantive chairman, Tony Aziegbemi was suspended over alleged misconduct, which has polarised the party. Aizegbemi, however, rejected his suspension. In a press statement issued at the end of the Omagbon’s faction’s State Working Committee meeting on Tuesday, and endorsed by the party’s state Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, the chairman harped on cooperation among members of the party while advocating for total commitment, loyalty and oneness. He said: “My task as acting chairman is to unite our party. There must be coo...
Nigerian government asks judiciary, parliamentary staff to call off strike
The Federal Government has directed members of the striking Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) to “urgently” call off their over-two-month-old strike. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, gave the directive in a statement on Tuesday, threatening that the government might be forced to invoke “sections of the Trade Disputes Acts” if the strike persisted longer. The threat is a government’s familiar warning of possible introduction of “no-work-no-pay” policy to break adamant striking workers. “The ministry will not be happy to be pushed into invoking sections of the Trade Disputes Acts capable of eroding all the gains made so far in the negotiations since May 6, 2021,” the statement signed by the ministry of Labou...
JUSUN strike: How we decongested our cells – Police
The police in Lagos say they have devised means to decongest their cells amidst the prolonged strike by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN). The police spokesperson in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that the decongestion was carried out in collaboration with the office of the Chief Judge and Attorney-General of the state. NAN reports that JUSUN, on April 6, directed its members to shut down all courts across the country, demanding the implementation of the law granting financial autonomy to the Judiciary. “The command had been managing the situation in collaboration with the office of the state chief judge,” Mr Adejobi said. He, however, did not give the number of suspects that had been granted bail. “We work with the office of the CJ an...
Tunisia president wants debate on new political system, constitutional amendment
Tunisian President Kais Saied called on Tuesday for a dialogue with political parties on creating a new political system and amending the 2014 constitution, which he described as “with locks everywhere”, in an effort to ease the ongoing political crisis. Saied’s comments could pave the way for an end to a months-long political standoff with Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, who is backed by parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, over powers and political alliances. The Tunisian constitution, approved following the 2011 revolution, has been widely praised as a modernist constitution. But many politicians admit that it includes many controversial chapters and needs amendment. “Let us enter into a credible dialogue… to a new political system and a r...