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Nigerian government reopens passport application portal
Pool Photo The Federal Government has announced the reopening of the passport application and payment portal effective from June 8, 2021 by 12 midnight, to allow eligible passport applicants apply and make payments for the various categories of passports of their choice. A statement signed by the Assistant Comptroller of Immigration Service/Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Immigrations Service, Amos Okpu, on behalf of the Comptroller General, said with the reopening of the portal, a new passport application and payment regime has commenced. The statement added that applications and payments for passport services shall be made through the service website: www.immigration.gov.ng, while applicants are expected to visit the portal to apply and upload their support documents for vetting ...
Presidency: One million Nigerians benefitting from survival fund
The Presidency yesterday said that over one million Nigerians have so far benefitted from the Survival Fund scheme under the Federal Government’s Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP). The Presidency said there are 500,000 beneficiaries from the MSMEs Payroll support track, 44,500 under the one-off General MSME Grant, and another 265,425 under the artisan support track, among others. Recall that payment to new beneficiaries of the Payroll Support track and the one-time General MSME Grant had commenced at the end of April. A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande, in Abuja last night explained that so far, under the ESP there are currently over one million beneficiaries nationwide from the various schemes...
Resident doctors extend strike ultimatum by two weeks for federal government, states to act
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has extended its strike ultimatum by two weeks to let the Federal and State governments to address the issues of welfare of their members across the country. The extension is contained in a communiqué at the end of the association’s 41st Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) which held in Nnewi/Awka, Anambra, between May 25 and May 29. The communiqué was release by Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, National President of NARD, in the company of other members of the executive. It said that the association would resume a total strike action if its demands remained unattended to at the end of the period. It said that the strike was suspended following government’s promises as entailed in the Memorandum of Actions, signed at the instance of Minister of Labour...
Ex-President Obasanjo: Education for all, way out of insecurity
Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday said if the country will get out of the present insecurity threatening the corporate existence of the nation, such as banditry, Boko Haram, kidnaping, and other criminalities, Nigeria need to go through a very long gestation period of training and educating all Nigerian children. Speaking at the commissioning of Prof. Abayomi Oluwatosin Jiboku Building, Lariken International College, Ologuneru, Ibadan, Oyo state capital, on Friday, he advised government at all levels to invest hugely in Western education to tackle insecurity. Obasanjo stated that Nigerians should reawaken their conscience and they should not be falling cheaply for pecuniary gains, which, according to him, has been fueling corruption and insecurity besetting th...
Rice millers protest ‘multiple taxation’ in Ebonyi
Rice millers in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, have protested against what they claimed to be multiple taxation in the state’s mill market. The millers, who decried alleged extortions of traders by the management of the market, called on the state government to find a lasting solution to it. They appealed to the government to review its revenue policy and reduce the increased taxes. The protesters carried placards with different inscriptions such as, “Management should not take rice mill as their father’s business”, “We are tired of the multiple and high taxes”, “We need an elected chairman and not Caretaker Committee to move development forward in the mill.” Speaking with journalists in Abakaliki on Tuesday, Chukwuma Eniokoro, the chairman of millers in the market, said they embarked on the pea...
Barcelona secure 500 million Euro loan
Barcelona have secured a €500m loan from Goldman Sachs, with €100m arriving immediately to cover unpaid wages. Like many of the clubs who had signed up to the Super League project, Barca are struggling financially in the wake of the COVID pandemic and in need of fresh funds. President Joan Laporta has seemingly found the key with a loan worth €500m from American investment bank Goldman Sachs. ESPN claim there will be €100m arriving immediately, so Barcelona can settle outstanding payments owed to players. The club’s gross debt is said to now be almost €1.2 billion. Sources told ESPN the situation with outstanding payments was so bad that the squad was preparing to take the matter to the Spanish Footballers’ Association. Barcelona agreed with the players to defer payment of their wages duri...
Oyo council polls: OYSIEC to refund nomination fees to candidates
Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), has expressed its readiness to refund the sum of N50,000 for Councillorship candidates and N250,000 for Chairmanship candidates as stated on Time-Table and guidelines released for local government council elections, coming up in the state. The Commission also released the names of screened and qualified Chairmanship and Councillorship Candidates of 17 political parties who have signified their intentions to participate in the election, slated for May 22, 2021. These were contained in a statement issued and signed by the Electoral Commissioner in charge of Voter Education, Prince Afeez Adeniyi, on behalf of the commission and made available to journalists in Ibadan . Similarly,the statement stated that the commission has resolved to refun...
VP Osinbajo: Nigerian government democratising broadband connectivity
It’s the first in sub-Saharan Africa and one of the three such cutting-edge facilities on the continent, with top prime global certifications for smart card manufacturing and it is based in Lagos, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, relished yesterday afternoon while touring SecureID company’s premises, and affirmed Nigeria’s extremely bright economic future, which he said cannot be aborted despite current challenges. According to him, “the economic future of our nation is extremely bright. Yes, we have challenges today and they may look daunting. But let me assure you that these issues will be resolved. The march of this nation to its manifest destiny as Africa’s leading economic power will not be aborted. We are more than able to overcome.” An impressed Prof. Osinbajo said the Buhari Admi...
2021 UTME: Mock examination slips ready for printing – JAMB
File Photo The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) says that mock examination slips for its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) can now be printed out in preparation for the exercise. JAMB made this known in its Weekly Bulletin of the Office of the Registrar and made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja. “Candidates who had registered for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and indicated interest to sit for the optional mock examination are to print their mock notification slips from Sunday, May 9. “This is in preparation for the mock examination scheduled for Thursday, May 20. “The optional mock notification slips can be printed from anywhere candidates find to be convenient, provided they have access to the internet. “Candidates are to visit ...
Nigerian government welcomes ECOWAS court judgment dismissing SERAP’s case
Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, on Tuesday welcomed an ECOWAS Court judgment dismissing a case filed by the trustees of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the Federal Government. Malami, in a statement by Dr Umar Gwandu, his Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, said the judgment has saved Nigeria from payment of billons of naira for bogus claims. He described the judgment as a clear vindication of the government’s efforts towards respecting human rights and international conventions. Malami, therefore renewed the commitment of his office to protecting the rights of citizens in all ramifications as well as protecting the public interest in the discharge of all constitutionally recognised mandate. Newsmen report that the judgment which...
Whistleblower petitions EFCC, justice minister over corruption in maritime academy
Pool Photo A whistleblower in the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron in Akwa Ibom State, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and prosecute the management of the institution over multiple fraud, as well as systemic and perennial corruption. In a two-page petition to EFCC by Mr. Adamu Jibrin, a staffer of the Academy dated 6th April 2021 through his Attorney, Michael Edet and Associates, and made available to newsmen in Uyo titled, “Petition of Fraud, Embezzlement, Misappropriation and Criminal Conversion of Public Funds to Personal Use by the Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron,” the petitioner alleged that millions of naira have been siphoned from the treasury of the academy. Copies of the petition to the EFCC Chairman, the Attorne...
Two persons abducted in Ogun community
Two persons have been abducted in Omu, a community near Ofada town in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of the state. The spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident on Sunday. He explained that the abducted persons – a man and a woman – were on a visit to a farm in the area on Saturday when the incident occurred. Oyeyemi noted that following the incident, the command has launched a manhunt to track the perpetrators and rescue the victims from their abductors. He, however, stressed that no ransom has so far been demanded by the abductors to release their victims. The abduction occurred three days after the police arrested some suspects in connection with the abduction of a community leader, Tajudeen Omotayo, and two students of the Olabisi Ona...
