Passage
Senate passes amended AMCON bill, empowers agency to seize debtors’ assets
The Senate Wednesday passed the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria Amendment bill after considering the report of its Committee on Banking, Insurance, and Other Financial Institutions. The amendment bill passed by the upper chamber empowers the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria to, among others, take possession, manage or sell all properties traced to debtors, whether or not such assets or property is used as security/collateral for obtaining the loan in particular. It also empowers the corporation to access the Special Tribunal established by the BOFIA, 2020 for dealing with financial related matters. Presenting the report, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Uba Sani (APC, Kaduna Central) said the Committee engaged with stakeholders such as AMCON, Federal Ministry of Finance, ...
Navy’s newest offshore survey vessel begins homeward voyage to Nigeria
The Nigerian Navy (NN), says its newest offshore survey vessel, NNS LANA, has began her homeward journey to the country. This is contained in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by the Director of Information, Naval Headquarters, Commodore Suleman Dahun. He, however, said the ship will visit ports in Lisbon, Las Palmas, Banjul and Tema-Ghana, before heading to Nigeria on May 17. According to Dahun, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Awwal Gambo, had addressed the ship’s company. The CNS noted that the foremost desire of every littoral state is to have a fleet with the right mix of platforms to meet its operational objectives. Gambo acknowledged that the homebound voyage of NNS LANA was another milestone in the NN’s fleet recapitalisation efforts. He added that the induction of N...
Damasak attack: EU calls for safe passage of people caught in web of violence
The European Union (EU) has called on all parties in the ongoing North-east crisis to allow people caught in violence to move freely to safe places and facilitate unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need. A statement issued on Thursday by the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, Mr. Janez Lenarčič, on the latest terror attacks on Damasak, Borno State, said: “The EU is following with deep concern the recurrent violent attacks by non-state armed groups against the people of the town of Damasak, Northeast Nigeria.” The statement lamented that the life and security of civilians is in danger and that humanitarian premises have been destroyed with humanitarian workers deliberately targeted. It said because of the recent increase of violence in North-east Nigeria, hundreds...
CSOs threaten to occupy National Assembly over Electoral Act amendment
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations has threatened to occupy the National Assembly after Ramadan fasting, if the lawmakers fail to pass the Bill for an amendment of the Electoral Act. The CSOs which include Center For Liberty, Concerned Nigeria, The Electoral Hub, and Raising New Voices Initiative, issued the threat at a joint news conference on Thursday in Abuja. The Co-convener, Centre for Liberty, Mr Dare Ariyo-Atoye, who read the joint speech of the CSOs, said they were worried that the 9th National Assembly was yet to pass the bill. According to him the passage of the bill could have given them lasting legacies and written their names in gold. Ariyo-Atoye said that in the last 15 months, CSOs had consistently engaged lawmakers and appealed to the NASS to make the passage of a n...
Minister calls for transformation of food system
Minister of Environment, Dr. Muhammad Abubakar, has called for the transformation of the food system to aid rejuvenation of soils and forest covers. Speaking at the 14th National Council of Environment virtually held with the theme: “Managing Emerging Environmental Challenges: Need for Strategic Approach to Sustainable Development in Covid-19 Era and Beyond,” the Minister said: “There is urgent need to transform our food system which has been the major factor in the issue of loss of biodiversity, fresh water and deforestation with its attendant effects on climate change. It is therefore, expected that pertinent issues of climate smart agriculture and agro ecological practices that will aid rejuvenation of soils and forest covers, among others,are discussed during this meeting.” He noted th...
Nasarawa Assembly: No plan to impeach speaker
Nasarawa State Government The Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Monday, said there’s no plan by the lawmakers to impeach the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi. The House called on members of the public to disregard the impeachment rumour circulating on social media, even as they gave a vote of confidence on the speaker for his leadership qualities. The Majority leader of the House, Hon Umar Tanko Tunga (APC Awe North) gave the vote of confidence while speaking with newsmen in Lafia, the state capital. According to Tunga, the news circulating on social media captioned ” Tension in Nasarawa over plan to impeach Nasarawa State House of Assembly speaker” is a devilish work bent on distracting the development, obstructing progress and causing confusion in the minds of th...
Yinka Odumakin: Premature departure of a bright star – Senator Tinubu
Like millions of Nigerians, I received with profound shock the news of the death early this morning of Mr. Yinka Odumakin, spokesman of Afenifere, committed fighter for democracy, dedicated civil society activist, courageous and outspoken defender of whatever ideals and principles he believed in and a patriotic citizen in every sense of the word. Ever since his student days, Odumakin had been fearless and unrelenting in speaking up in promoting the cause of justice and what he perceived as the best interest of the citizens of Nigeria. He participated actively at the forefront in the various students and youth struggles against successive military dictatorships in the 1980s and 1990s. In the process, he was arrested, harassed and even detained several times. Yet, he never allowed himself to...
Suez Canal reopens after stranded ship is freed
Traffic has resumed in Egypt’s Suez Canal after a stranded container ship blocking it for nearly a week was finally freed by salvage crews. Tug boats honked their horns in celebration as the 400m-long (1,300ft) Ever Given was dislodged on Monday with the help of dredgers. Hundreds of ships are waiting to pass through the canal which links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. It is one of the world’s busiest trade routes. Peter Berdowski, CEO of Dutch salvage company Boskalis, said the Ever Given had been refloated at 15:05 (13:05 GMT) on Monday, “thereby making free passage through the Suez Canal possible again”. Egyptian officials say the backlog of ships waiting to transit through should be cleared in around three days, but experts believe the knock-on effect on global shipping could take w...
DPR: Market forces should determine gas prices
File Photo The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has advocated that market forces should be allowed to determine gas prices to guarantee the security of supply and demand of the commodity. Mr Sarki Auwalu, the Chief Executive Officer, DPR, disclosed this while presenting keynote address at the pre-summit conference on “Decade of gas’, in Abuja, on Monday. Auwalu said that the right and market-based pricing of gas was critical, as it would assure producers of returns on their investments. He also outlined five critical levers for gas development, especially as Nigeria moves to leverage its abundant gas resources for national growth, diversification of the economy and to use gas as the fuel for economic transformation. According to him, the levers include availability, accessibility, a...
Yiaga Africa demands effective monitoring, evaluation of coronavirus vaccination
A Civil Society Organisation, CSO, Yiaga Africa, on Monday, demanded effective monitoring and evaluation of COVID-19 vaccination and also strengthening the nation’s health sector. This was stated by the Director of Programmes, Yiaga Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu, while speaking on the need for the vaccination to be guided by certain principles that would bring about the inclusion of all citizens in the process. Mbamalu said: “The conversation is important to ensure that the whole process of vaccination is guided by certain principles and every aspect of society is catered for. In the implementation of vaccines in Nigeria, we need to deploy effective monitoring and evaluation systems that will help document how well we have done, document the learning, and how we can improve on the system. “Beyon...
Conference of speakers advocates community policing
The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria on Saturday decried the spate of insecurity in Nigeria even as they advocated for community policing as a way out of the current security challenges bedeviling the country. They also commended the Federal Government on its efforts at fighting the insecurity in the country, calling on the goverment to beef up the security architecture in the country to reflect the demographic reality of Nigeria. This was contained in a communiqué issued by the Conference at the end of its general meeting held at the Hazibal Event Centre in Bauchi, the Bauchi State capital, which had representatives of the 36 states in attendance. The communique, which was signed by the chairman of the Conference, Right Honourable Suleiman Y Abubakar, who also doubl...
FIDA: Women can now serve as surety in Gombe
International Federation of Women Lawyers, Gombe Branch on Friday, hailed the state government over the Administration of Criminal Justice Law which allows women to stand as surety in bail applications. According to the chairperson of FIDA, Elizabeth Okotie, this law enhances the rights and provides justice for Women and Children, adding that, prior to now, women can’t stand as surety in a criminal case in the state. Okotie stated that this will help boost the sphere of influence, likewise the morale of an average Gombe woman. “International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Gombe Branch wishes to congratulate the government of Gombe State on the successful passing of Administration of Criminal Justice Law in the state which now forms part of the Canon of the state laws. This law enhances...
