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Gani Adams: Pan-Yoruba Congress is work in progress
File Photo The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, on Wednesday, restated his beliefs in the unity and progress of the Yoruba nation, maintaining that with the success of the Pan Yoruba congress, there is no doubt that the unity of the Yoruba nation’s is a collective project and it is surely, a work in progress. Speaking at the Pan Yoruba Congress held at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, Oyo state, Iba Adams said the gathering is geared towards focusing the race’s energy and strengths in securing the Southwest against criminal race, and also strategise in bolstering southwest’s agric and economic prospects. The Yoruba generalissimo also added that Congress offered a bigger platform for all groups to meet minds and discuss the way forward for the Yoruba nation. His words: “Today’s event is a ...
Senate advocates stiffer penalties for employers involved in ill treatment of employees, child labour, others
The Senate on Tuesday, passed for second reading, a Bill which seeks to review the Labour Act to provide stiffer penalties for various offences ranging from ill treatment of workers by employers, modern slavery, child labour to discrimination against women in the work place. The legislation titled ‘A Bill for an Act to amend the labour Act Cap L1, LFN, 2004 to review labour fine and other related matters, 2021,’ is sponsored by Senator Francis Onyewuchi (Imo East). According to the draft Bill, Section 21 proposed a fine of N500,000 and N1,000,000 from the present fine of N800 and N500 for first and second offences relating to “Breach of terms and conditions of employment”, as it relates to the wage hour, nature of employment, leave and contracts of employment, among others. Section 46 also...
Petrol pump price: DPR monitors Lagos filling stations
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) says it has intensified surveillance of filling stations in Lagos State to ensure compliance with the approved pump price band for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). Mr Ayorinde Cardoso, Zonal Operations Controller, DPR, Lagos, made this known after an inspection visit to some petrol stations located in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki areas of the state. Newsmen report that the Federal Government had on March 12 denied the increment of petrol to N212 per litre and had directed marketers to revert to the old price regime. Cardoso said the seven petrol stations inspected were selling fuel to customers between N162 to N165 per litre which was the approved price band. “This surveillance visit is part of our regular function and we are coming out today to c...
FCTA assures of equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has assured of fair and equitable distribution of its 227,480 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines, stressing that every strata of the society will be adequately captured in the vaccination roll out. FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, who gave the assurance on Monday at the official flagged off of the vaccination at the Asokoro District Hospital Abuja, harped on the safety of the vaccine. The minister noted that the launching was the single largest vaccination programme ever in the FCT, to herald decisive victory over the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that Abuja being the seat of the Federal Government and melting pot of the nation has been challenged by the pandemic. “The FCTA will resolutely enforce all the National Guidelines and e...
Nigerian government’s special cash grant for rural women launched in Yobe
Federal government has on Friday Flag-off Special Cash Grant for Rural Women in Damaturu, Yobe State capital. Launching the programme, the Minister of Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq said that “we gather to provide support to citizens of our beloved country. I am delighted to have you all converge on this venue for purpose of flagging off the Federal Government’s cash grant for rural women, which is a significant social protection programme of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, aimed at uplifting the most vulnerable groups out of poverty”. According to her, since the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration in 2015, Government has paid more attention to protecting and promoting the plight of the poor and vulnerable in the country. This s...
Brazil federal prosecutor appeals decision to annul Lula da Silva’s convictions
The office of Brazil’s prosecutor general on Friday appealed a Supreme Court judge’s ruling earlier this week that annulled the criminal convictions of former leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. If successful, the appeal could close the door on the popular politician running in next year’s presidential election, which had become a reality after Monday’s surprise decision by Justice Edson Fachin. Two opinion polls published on Friday, the first since Lula’s convictions were annulled, showed that President Jair Bolsonaro is still favored to win the 2022 election but his advantage has shrunk, and one said 61% do not approve of his handling of the pandemic that has taken 270,000 lives. The survey for Exame business news magazine by pollster Ideia found that Bolsonaro would win a run-o...
CDS: No disparity among security agencies
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lt. Gen. Lucky Irabor, Thursday said the insinuation that disparity exits among the security agencies in Nigeria is unfounded. The Army General said this during his visit with other Service Chiefs to the Nigerian Army 2 Division Headquarters, Ibadan. Other Service Chiefs on the trip included the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao. Irabor said the visit of the Service Chiefs to Ibadan was to demonstrate leadership by example, stating that the situation of the country demands that the armed forces work together. According to him, “The armed forces of today demands that every of the services work together given that the threat that we face requi...
NCC boss: Over $70 billion spent on telecoms infrastructure in Nigeria
Vox Media Over $70 billion have been invested in telecommunications infrastructure deployment in Nigeria since the liberalisation of the industry in 2001. The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, who made this known said the amount represented a larger chunk of local and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attracted into the sector within the period. Danbatta made the remarks on Thursday while delivering the Bullion Lecture 2021 Edition organised by the Centre for Financial Journalism (CFJ), Lagos. According to him, the investment in infrastructures has boosted the economy and provided more opportunities for more Nigerians have access to telecoms services. “Today, the number of active telephone lines being used by Nigerians has signi...
Ogun governor, others get coronavirus vaccine jab
Dapo Abiodun of Ogun has become the first governor to receive a dose of coronavirus vaccine publicly. Abiodun posted on his Twitter page he got the COVID-19 vaccine jab in Abeokuta under the Ogun state health commissioner’s supervision, Omotomilola Coker, on Tuesday. “I just had my dose of the Astra-Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The doses were delivered today in Abeokuta. It is first service to self then people, when we take the vaccine because we must silence the virus,” he tweeted using the handle, @dabiodunMFR. Abiodun, on Monday, received 50,000 out of 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines the federal government allocated to the state. After getting the jab, he said, “There is a portal that already exists, and there is a link that allows you to register or pre-register and identify...
Femi Fani-Kayode: Old man arrested is not ‘wanted’ Isikilu Wakili
A septuagenarian arrested by members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) is not the “wanted Wakili”, according to former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode. Some members of the OPC in Oyo State had, on Sunday, razed a Fulani settlement at Kajola in Ibarapa area of Oyo State before arresting the elderly blind man. In the process, newsmen gathered Wakili’s daughter-n-law was killed. In a series of tweets on Tuesday, Fani-Kayode said the old man arrested is not the prime suspect. His tweet read, “One Isikilu Wakili, a foreign terrorist who operates in the Ibarapa area, is the most notorious, dangerous and bloodthirsty terrorist in the South-West today. He killed even more people yesterday. He is even worse than Abu and the old man that is in police custody in Ibadan. “The Isikilu Wakili t...
Controversy surrounds whereabouts of OPC men who arrested Iskilu Wakili
Controversy has surrounded the whereabouts of Oodua Peoples Congress operatives who arrested suspected Fulani warlord, Iskilu Wakili. While there are media reports that the men have been transferred to Abuja, some sources in the OPC said they do not know the whereabouts of the detained operatives. The OPC members were detained on Sunday after arresting suspected Fulani warlord, Iskilu Wakili, who was later handed over to the police. It was gathered that representatives of OPC and the Investigating Police Officer in charge of the case would meet at 1 pm on Tuesday (today). According to a media report, the OPC members involved in the arrest were first transferred from Oyo Police Command to Force CID in Alagbon, Lagos, from where they were taken to Abuja. However, sources in the Lagos State P...
UNESCO scores President Buhari high in women inclusion in governance
Mr Steven Onyekwelu, Spotlight Project Manager, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), on Monday, said President Muhammadu Buhari demonstrated great inclusion of women in governance. Onyekwelu said this at the occasion of the International Women’s Day (IWD) in Abuja, with the theme of this year’s celebration “Choose to Challenge.” The project manager said UNESCO was satisfied with President Buhari’s commitment to women empowerment and equality. “We are satisfied, as a matter of fact, His Excellency the President is doing a lot to ensure that inclusion in every area, in terms of governance, education, in terms of health, women are included,” he said. The UN official, who congratulated women on the IWD, noted that UNESCO had through the spotlight project, ...
