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Nigerian governors to meet with President Buhari to address security challenges
Governors of the thirty six states under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF have resolved to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari to address the security challenges with continued cases of armed banditry, terrorism and kidnapping across the country. The governors are meeting with President Buhari especially to discuss last week’s gruesome beheading of about 43 Farmers in Zarbamari near Maiduguri, Borno State by Boko Haram Insurgents while they were working in their farmland without any form of resistance. The decision was part of the resolutions reached at the end of the 22nd NGF teleconference meeting. In a Communique signed by the NGF Chairman and Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said, ” Members of the forum resolved to meet with Mr. President as soon as possible to ad...
INEC expresses readiness for saturday bye-elections in 11 states
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has expressed readiness for the conduct of bye-elections across 11 States this Saturday. INEC disclosed this in a statement issued Tuesday night in Abuja after a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, from the affected states. National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye, in the statement said the Resident Electoral Commissioners briefed the Commission on the level of preparations in their States and the Commission is satisfied that preparations are going on very well. “All the States have received all the non-sensitive materials, trained their staff, and received all the funds for the bye-elections. Most of the States have also had their sensitive materials deli...
VP Osinbajo: We’ll do all it takes to secure Nigeria
The Muhammadu Buhari administration will not relent but will do all it takes, including putting new ideas on the table in order to secure the country, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has said. The Vice President is on one-day official visit to Nasarawa State today and was accosted by reporters on his arrival in Lafia after he was received by Governor Abdullahi A. Sule. Below is the verbatim report of the Vice President’s response to the media: As the President said, these group of people have acted insanely in such a dastardly manner, killing innocent people, people who had gone to their farms to work. I spoke to the Governor, Governor Babagana Zulum and the former Governor, Senator Kashim Shettima to express my condolence, but more importantly, to try and think through ways of dealing with...
Joe Biden picks diverse team of top economic advisers
President-elect Joe Biden named former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen as his Treasury secretary nominee on Monday, and named three women to other top economic posts, setting the stage for a more diverse White House. While Biden’s transition to the presidency on Jan. 20 appeared to be hitting its stride, he himself was hobbling after fracturing his foot while playing with his dog on Saturday and will wear a protective boot for several weeks, his doctors said. The incoming administration has been hampered for weeks by Republican President Donald Trump, who has refused to concede to Biden, a Democrat. Trump has said without providing evidence that the Nov. 3 vote was fraudulent, claims that state and federal election officials have dismissed. Biden named leading members of an economic tea...
US sanctions Chinese, Russian firms over Iran dealings
The US on Friday announced economic sanctions on Chinese and Russian companies that Washington said had supported the development of Iran’s missile program. The four firms, accused of “transferring sensitive technology and items to Iran’s missile program,” will be subject to restrictions on US government aid and on their exports for two years, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. The sanctions, imposed Wednesday, were against two Chinese-based companies, Chengdu Best New Materials and Zibo Elim Trade, as well as Russia-based Nilco Group and Joint Stock Company Elecon. “We will continue to work to impede Iran’s missile development efforts and use our sanctions authorities to spotlight the foreign suppliers, such as these entities in the PRC (China) and Russia, that provide mi...
Alex Ferguson teams up with Marcus Rashford after making poverty pledge
Agence France-Presse Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has teamed up with Marcus Rashford to tackle child food poverty. United striker Rashford was awarded an MBE following his recent campaign which saw the government change their minds on providing free school meals for children during holidays. Now the 23-year-old has said Ferguson is set to pledge up to £2 million ($2.6 million) towards the FareShare charity for which Rashford is an ambassador. An appeal in the Times is aiming to raise funds and Rashford revealed Ferguson, alongside billionaire Michael Moritz, will match donations up to the aforementioned sum and described the news as “incredible”. Ferguson, 78, grew up in Glasgow in tough conditions and believes Rashford has done a great job in highlighting the plight faci...
Lagos government plans internship programme for young graduates
The Lagos State Government on Friday said it was planning a six-month Internship Programme for 4,000 young graduates in the state. Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu said this during the inauguration of a 28-room Administrative Block constructed by Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area. Sanwo-Olu said that the 4,000 fresh graduates would be paid a monthly stipend of N40,000 for the six months programme, adding that there was an urgent need for government at all levels to prioritise youth development, empowerment and mentoring. According to him, the recent EndSARS protest must be seen as a wakeup call for government at all levels to do more for young people who are demanding for better opportunities and engagements. ”As we prepare for a new fiscal year, let us ensure that ade...
Federal government launches portal for exited N-Power beneficiaries to apply for central bank empowerment options
The federal government has launched a portal for exited N-Power beneficiaries to apply for Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, empowerment options. Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, which announced the launch of the portal in a statement, explained that the platform was developed in collaboration with the CBN. The platform, according to the statement released, Friday, by Nneka Anibeze, Special Assistant to the Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq,” will enable exited N-Power beneficiaries to log on and apply for the various economic, empowerment and entrepreneurship options provided by the CBN.” In the statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, the Minister Sadiya Umar Farouq urged and encouraged interested exited benefici...
Bishop: Peter Obi always supportive, shows true leadership
The Bishop of Amichi Diocese, Anglican Communion, Bishop Ephraim Okechukwu Ikeakor, has described the Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, as one who has remained supportive to the growth and development of College of Nursing Sciences, Diocesan Hospital, Amichi, Enugu State. Bishop Ikeakor, who is also the proprietor of the College, was speaking when Obi visited the College on Wednesday, November 25. He said that Obi had always showed true leadership even when not occupying any political office. Bishop Ikeakor urged other political leaders to emulate the kind disposition of Obi and continue to invest positively in society. “Obi has always showed strong support, both financial and otherwise, not just to our college, but to e...
Governor Wike: Nigeria’ll be on fire if President Buhari fails to restructure
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has stated that the nation would be on fire if President Muhammadu Buhari fails to use the available opportunity to restructure the nation, urging the president to heed the clamour for fiscal federalism and restructuring to douse brewing tension in the country. The governor also advised the president to genuinely address the concerns and grievances expressed by stakeholders in the South-South and those of other geopolitical zones during the meeting with federal government delegation led by Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari. Wike, who spoke Thursday on a television interview tasked the President to use the opportunity to address pressing issues affecting the stability of the country. Wike said: “President Buhari, has an opportunit...
Coronavirus vaccine breakthrough raises hopes of rapid global rollout
A coronavirus vaccine developed by Britain’s University of Oxford and the pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca has shown successful results in early trials. If it is approved by regulators, the vaccine appears suitable for a fast rollout around the globe. Early analysis of trials involving 20,000 volunteers in Britain and Brazil show the vaccine is at least 62% effective after two doses. In volunteers given a different dosing regimen — a half dose, followed by a full dose — that figure rose to 90%. The average efficacy of the two dosing methods is 70%. None of those given the vaccine developed severe COVID-19 illness. Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said the recent successful trials of three different vaccines by Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, represent a...
Leeds boss kicks against fans returning to stadiums
Marcelo Bielsa has demanded Premier League chiefs block fans returning to grounds until all 20 top-flight clubs can reopen their turnstiles. Under the new Covid tier system, half of Premier League clubs will still not be allowed supporters from Wednesday, while the other ten can have 2,000. Leeds are in Tier 3 and must keep fans locked out – with boss Bielsa saying: “If fans are not allowed in all stadiums, then they should not be allowed until everyone can. “Clubs shouldn’t have to deal with the consequences of being in a category. It should be about trying to maintain the competition as equally as possible.” Arsenal will become the first Prem team to welcome fans back since March when they host Rapid Vienna in the Europa League on Thursday. While West Ham’s Prem clash with Manchester Uni...