Nigerian
NBS: Nigerian government, states’ debt profile rise to N32.92 trillion
Nigeria’s total public debt portfolio as at December 31, 2020, stood at N32.92 trillion, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reveals. It made the revelation in its Nigerian Domestic and Foreign Debt report for Quarter Four, 2020, obtained from its website on Monday in Abuja. It added that the debt profile was for the States and the Federal Government. According to the bureau, Nigeria’s total public debt showed that N12.71 trillion or 38.60 per cent of the debt was external, while N20.21 trillion or 61.40 per cent of the debt was domestic. “Further disaggregation of Nigeria’s foreign debt showed that 17.93 billion dollars of the debt was multilateral, 4.06 billion dollars was bilateral from the African Development Bank (AfDB), Exim Bank of China, Japan International Cooperation Agency (...
NANS flays ‘commercialisation’ of tertiary institutions
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has decried an alleged clandestine move to commercialise public tertiary institutions stressing that it might deprive many the access to quality education. The NANS National President, Com Sunday Asefon, said this on Thursday at the Lagos State University (LASU), while speaking on the decadence of the Nigerian educational system. Asefon in a statement entitled : ‘Need to Perceive Education As a Social Service’ , and made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti, on Friday, said any developing nation that views education from the prism of commercialisation would fail in giving the youth the right attitude to life. The students leader described education as a veritable weapon to rid the society of ignorance, criminality, and building of future l...
Abia by-election: APC candidate urges supporters to accept result
All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the just-concluded Aba North/South Federal Constituency by-election, Hon Mascot Uzor Kalu, has urged his supporters and APC members to accept the result and remain calm. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Chimaobi Ebisike, winner of the by-election held on Saturday. In a statement, Hon Kalu said the by-elect1ion was over and appealed to APC members to accept the outcome of the elections in good faith while appreciating them for making the party stronger in Abia. He said while the PDP wanted the election at all cost , “we chose life over bloodshed and therefore won lives and lost the polls. To us, that was a m victory.” Hon Kalu said the level of thuggery, violen...
NSCDC arrests 16 for ‘illegal’ oil bunkering
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has reported the arrest of 16 persons including a 45-year old mother of four in Abia State for allegedly engaging in illegal oil bunkering. The state commandant of the corps, Mr Vincent Ogu, stated this while briefing newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Umuahia, the capital on some of its recent achievements. He explained that, “The suspects were arrested at different locations across the state for offences bordering on oil bunkering and illegal dealings in petroleum products.” He said Babangida Saleh, Abubakar Ibrahim, Bukar Ali, and Mohammed Mohammed were arrested, while conveying about 30,000 litres of suspected petroleum products in a truck with Reg. No. GYA611XA. “Lawrence Ahmed, Johnson Akinrinola and Ofo-Obong Francis were ar...
CDS hailed over free medical treatment in Kano
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Leo Irabor, has received commendation for the recently concluded two-day free medical treatment in Bichi Local Government Area of Kano State. About 1000 persons benefitted from the programme which had as theme: “The Role of Diet in the Management of Hypertension and Diabetes.” Commending the CDS for the Initiative, the Nigeria Youth Alliance (NYA), said the programme was designed to sensitise communities on preventive and curative measures of the diseases. The CDS who was represented by Col. Vincent Abu, the Commandant, Armed Forces Specialist Hospital, Kano, at the inauguration of the programme, said that the exercise was aimed at improving the health status of people at the grassroots. NYA in a press release signed by the President, Atanda Mojeed and Secr...
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...
Biafra group threatens violence, orders oil companies out of Bakassi peninsula
FIle Photo The militia wing of the Biafra Nations League (BNL) has issued a quit notice to companies operating under Nigeria in the Bakassi peninsula. The group alleged that Nigeria gets 60 percent of the oil in the region and uses the money to “sponsor” the Nigerian military against secessionist. A BNL commander alias ‘Aso Rock’ accused the federal government of “killing armless pro-Biafra supporters in Imo State and Rivers State”. The native of Bakassi stated that Nigeria no longer had rights over the area since its territorial ownership was ceded to Cameroon. “We have asked the oil companies paying tax to the Nigerian government to evacuate, no deadline was given as we can chase them away anytime. “They cannot be drilling our oil to be developing the north and sponsoring military operat...
NCAC boss: Promoting Nigerian food culture is collective responsibility
The Director General of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, has said the promotion of Nigerian food culture was a collective responsibility as it encourages healthy living, create employment opportunities for our teeming unemployed youths and open up business opportunities at the micro and macro levels. Runsewe, who disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, said the media parley was intended to draw attention of Nigerians to the need to patronise made-in-Nigeria food, promote the Nigerian food culture and discourage the consumption of foreign foods most of which he said were preserved with chemicals that had long time negative effects on our human body. He added that all nations of the world were devising various strategies of mitigating the effects of ...
IOM sensitizes 25,500 Nigerian migrants on irregular migration, trafficking
United Nations migration agency, the International Organization on Migration, IOM, said it has deployed Community Dialogue and Theatre in its quest to curb irregular migration, trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants in Nigeria. The UN agency said it has through the process reached out to 25, 545 migrants on the dangers of irregular migration and the need for safe and orderly migration. IOM’s Chief of Mission, Mr Franz Celestin stated this yesterday in Abuja at the launch of a Community Dialogue and Community Theatre Manual on irregular migration, trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. Celestin who was represented by Cyprine Cheptepkeny, the Awareness Raising Officer of IOM Nigeria said the occasion marked a key milestone in contributing to the Federal Government effort...
2023: PDP panel throws presidential tickets open
File Photo Amidst thinking from many stakeholders that North-East and South-East geo-political zones that have had the shortest stints at the Presidency, should be given special consideration, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) panel has thrown open the 2023 presidential ticket. The governor of Bauchi state and Chairman, PDP 2019 election review committee, Bala Mohammed, gave this recommendation on Wednesday while submitting the report of the committee to the party leadership. The Governor said: “In line with certain unwritten conventions of the nation’s history, many people think that, for fairness and equity, the North East and South East geo-political zones that have had the shortest stints at the Presidency, should be given special consideration, in choosing the presidential flagbearer...
WTO chief: ‘Safe Schools Initiative’ to stop abduction of students
The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Wednesday expressed hope that the ‘Safe Schools Initiative’ will help stop the incessant abduction of students across Nigeria. Nigerian women on Wednesday came out en masse to welcome Okonjo-Iweala in her first homecoming since she became the director-general of WTO, during a visit to the Ministry of Women Affairs in Abuja. Addressing the crowd which included Senators and members of the National Assembly, former Ministers, wives of former governors, women in the Armed Forces, women societies, female political aspirants, Civil Society Organisations, as well as students, Okonjo-Iweala expressed deep concern about the incessant abduction of girls and boys in schools. The WTO boss who noted that it is shamef...
Alan Shearer includes Kelechi Iheanacho in Premier League Team of the Week
Legendary England and Newcastle striker Alan Shearer included hat-trick hero Kelechi Iheanacho in his Premier League Team of the Week. Shearer’s Team of the Week was published on the Premier League’s official website. Iheanacho netted his first ever hat-trick in Leicester City’s 5-0 win against Sheffield United at the weekend. It was his fifth goal in his last three games and has now scored six goals in 16 league appearances. Among other players who made the list alongside Iheanacho are Chelsea goalkeeper Edourd Mendy, Arsenal youngster Emile Smith Rowe, Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw and Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur. And in Shearer’s Team of the Week, which is in a 3-4-3 formation, Iheanacho leads the three-man forward. And commenting on the Nigerian, the Premier League winner ...
