States
PDP to commence e-registration for new members
The Peoples Democratic Party has announced its readiness to commence nationwide online registration for members. The Party made this known on Monday in a statement titled ‘Obaseki urges Nigerians to embrace PDP e-registration exercise’, signed by the Publicity Sub-committee Chairman of the PDP National E-Registration Committee, Kola Ologbondiyan. According to the statement, the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has urged Nigerians to participate in the exercise. The statement read, “Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has urged Nigerians to turn out enmasse and register with the Peoples Democratic Party during its nationwide online electronic registration of members which will commence in a fortnight. “Obaseki, who stated this while addressing members of the PDP e-registration committee ...
Nigeria records 186 new coronavirus cases
The Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC) has registered 186 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections from three states. The NCDC said this on its official website on Saturday morning. Newsmen report that the figure represents an increase from the 146 cases recorded on Thursday and 110 cases posted on Wednesday. It said 186 additional cases were reported from three states as of July 9. The agency noted that Lagos had the highest number of cases, which was 175, while Rivers recorded eight and Gombe had three cases. According to NCDC, compilation of the newly infected cases showed that the country now has a total of 168,442 confirmed cases. The NCDC highlighted that the total of discharged cases stood at 164,323. The agency said it also discharged eight more people from isolation ...
NEMA: Why we held simulated terror attack on Abuja stadium
The National Emergency Management Agency says the simulated terrorists attack on the Moshood Abiola National stadium, Abuja is to prepare relevant agencies for coordinated emergency response. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the exercise held on Wednesday. Mustapha Ahmed, the Director-General of NEMA said this in an interview with newsmen at the event organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) with planning and assistance from the U.S. and UK. NAN reports that the exercise code named “Idahun Kankan’’ Yoruba words meaning (Quick Response) saw a simulated bomb attack and marauding gunfire in the stadium while a match was going on. The simulated attacks left many spectators feigned maimed, wounded and others scampering for safety and escape. Following notification, ...
School feeding programme: Nigerian government to enroll 67,307 pupils in Ebonyi – NOA
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) says Federal Government will enrol 67,307 primary school pupils into the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme in Ebonyi. The Director of NOA in the state, Dr Desmond Onwo, said this on Wednesday during his visit to the Traditional Rulers Council in Abakaliki. Onwo said the programme would capture 561 public primary schools in the 13 local government areas of the state. He urged the traditional rulers to key into the programme and support NOA’s campaign to ensure that the people participated actively. “The programme is going to commence across communities in the state with an enumeration in order to identify the children. “It is going to cover from primary one to three in public primary schools. “This is not for all states in the country but Ebon...
German football gets green light for fan return next season
Bundesliga clubs and other German sports venues will be allowed to welcome up to 25,000 spectators from next month, the city of Berlin said on Tuesday after a meeting of officials from Germany’s 16 states. Most matches in Germany’s top football league were played behind closed doors last season because of the Covid-19 virus. The new Bundesliga season starts on August 13 and with infection rates having fallen sharply, sports stadiums could be at 50 percent capacity, with the total number per match or event capped at 25,000. The only exception is reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, where up to 20,000 fans will be allowed into home games at the 75,000-capacity Allianz Arena because officials in Bavaria are allowing only 35 percent of capacity. The new rules apply until September 11 a...
Yobe governor: No plan to retrench workers
Gov. Mai Mala-Buni of Yobe on Tuesday said his administration has no plan to retrench civil servants in spite of the state’s meagre resources. Mala-Buni gave the assurance in Damaturu on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed permanent secretaries and board members. He said he would continue to attract investments to Yobe from both state and non-state actors in order to meet the financial obligations of the state. “People accuse me of frequenting Abuja; the truth is, if I remain in Damaturu, we cannot pay even our salary bills. “And that means we will have to join the league of states that are retrenching workers; we don’t have such plan. “You are aware of the projects we started, including the four modern markets we are building, the ongoing 3,600 houses, the over 87...
Nigerian government set to tackle oil, gas infrastructure vandalism with skills acquisition
The Federal Government has expressed plans to create a reorientation programme aimed at engaging the youth in skills acquisition to address oil and gas infrastructure vandalism. The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, stated this at a Town Hall Meeting on “Protecting Oil and Gas Infrastructure” on Monday in Abuja. Newsmen report that the town hall meeting was organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture. Akpabio said that the programme would be targeted at the pupils and students of primary and secondary school across the nine states in Niger Delta. He explained that the Federal Government was currently meeting with stakeholders, traditional rulers, youth groups and all others from one state to the other. “We are setting up skills acquisition centres, we...
Senator Lawan: Senate to pass electoral act amendment bill in two weeks
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, says the National Assembly is working towards passing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill in the next two weeks. Lawan said this at the inauguration of Mr Abimbola Yusuf, as Chief Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) and 37 other Commissioners from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday in Abuja. He has urged Nigerians who were not comfortable with certain clauses in the ongoing amendment, to take their complaints to their representatives, for consideration before the passage of bill. “The national assembly is embarking on the amendment of the Electoral Act probably by next week or within the next two weeks. “It is very important that those who feel very strongly about any amendment that they think should be effe...
Imo council chairs petition President Buhari over ‘lopsided appointments’ in NDDC
The Oil Producing Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Imo State under the auspices of Urashi Peoples’ Congress (UPC) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse what it described as persistent lopsided appointment in the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). In an open letter addressed to the president, which was signed by the Coordinator, Mr. Reginald Uwakwe, a copy of which was made available to newsmen yesterday, the group lamented that the appointments into key positions i.e. the managing director of the NDDC, have been allegedly skewed in favour of only four states of Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa and Delta, out of the nine member states that made up the commission. It said between 2001 and 2021, the list of managing directors and their states included Dr. God...
APC states to implement Security Trust Fund to address insecurity
In a bid to fight the increasing wave of insecurity in the country, All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled states are to strengthen the legal framework for the implementation of the Security Trust Fund (STF) by member States. This decision was reached at the 12th Quarterly meeting of Secretaries to Government of APC states in conjunction with the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) in Lafia, Nasarawa State capital. The communique, jointly signed by the Nasarawa State Secretary to Government, Barr. Muhammad Ubandoma Aliyu and the Director-General of PGF, Salihu Moh. Lukman, issued at the end of the meeting and released to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday stated that States Chief scribes will continue to mobilize resources for the management of security challenges in the APC-controlled states....
#EndSARS: VP Osinbajo urges States to send judicial panels’ progress reports
As plans for next year’s budget begins to gather pace, the National Economic Council (NEC) has endorsed the 2022-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) which was presented to it at an emergency meeting of the Council today. Besides the MTEF presentation, the NEC also updated its focus on the reports of the State Judicial Panels set up across the country after last year’s #EndSARS protests. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, urged States where the panels are still sitting to also send interim reports so as to measure progress. According to the Vice President, in a statement by his media aide Laolu Akande, the reports are now being received ahead of a Council meeting where presentations would be made on them, both for States where the panels have conclude...
FRSC seeks partnership with EEDC to enhance operations in Enugu
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it will partner the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to enhance its operational capabilities within Enugu State. The FRSC Sector Commander in Enugu State, Mr Joseph Udoabba, said this when he paid a courtesy visit to the management of EEDC at its corporate headquarters in Enugu on Thursday. Udoabba said that the visit was essentially to “further fortify and cement the already existing cordial relationship’’ between the Command and EEDC. “I hope we will continue on that cordial note,’’ he said. He also commended the efforts of EEDC in ensuring effective electricity distribution in the state as well as entire South-East states. “FRSC is soliciting for support in the area of power supply to its Command headquarters, unit and licensing off...
