Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, has challenged the All Progressives Congress, APC, to disclosed the name of the northwest governor it claimed is behind acts of escalating banditry in the zone. The APC on Thursday alleged, in a statement by its acting spokesperson, Yekini Nabena, that a serving northwest governor, whose name it did not mention, was behind the rising cases of banditry in the region. However, Tambuwal in a statement he personally signed and made made available to ASHENEWS Friday morning, said failure to mention the alleged governor’s name, the security agencies should invite him to disclose such. According…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The Court of Appeal has set aside indictments against the former National Security Adviser, NSA, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki. It also nullified the conviction by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja, of the former spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh, for money laundering. A three-man panel led by Justice Stephen Adah held in a unanimous judgment on Wednesday, that the lower court made damaging comments against Dasuki without giving him a fair hearing. Justice Adah held that the comments made against Dasuki, who was not being charged as a co-defendant in the case…
The Director of Development and Delivery Office of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr. Alfred Dixon, has been named among the top 20 most influential plant breeders in Africa. He was named alongside two other IITA scientists – Abebe Menkir and John Derera. The Southern African Plant Breeders’ Association (SAPBA) recently published the list which has 20 internationally renowned plant breeders working in various agricultural research and science development institutions in Africa. Fondly referred to as “Dr. Cassava” by his peers, Dr Dixon, who manages and coordinates interdisciplinary research on cassava improvement in sub-Saharan Africa, is recognized for developing over 400…
The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has formally validated its National Biosafety Guidelines on Gene Editing and has presented it to the public. The Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the NBMA, Dr Rufus Ebegba while speaking during the validation exercise in Abuja on Wednesday, said the Federal government is poised to drive the economy and the livelihood of the people He also assured that Nigeria had keyed into science and technology as major drivers of the economy globally, and the need for the Agency to ensure that these technologies were safe and does not have adverse impact on human health…
The Champions of the Earth award is the UN’s highest environmental honour, annually recognizing outstanding leaders from government, civil society and the private sector The Champions of the Earth inspire, defend, mobilize and act to tackle the greatest environmental challenges of our time This year’s awards recognise laureates in the categories of Lifetime Achievement, Inspiration and Action, Policy Leadership, Entrepreneurial Vision and Science and Innovation. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on Thursday, announced six laureates of the 2020 Champions of the Earth award, the UN’s highest environmental honour. A statement by Keishamaza Rukikaire, Head of News and Media, made available…
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto on Thursday, presented the 2021 Appropriation Bill of ₦176,685,535,633.47 to the House of Assembly. Tagged “Budget of Consolidation and Economic Emancipation”, the governor said government would lay emphasis on legacy projects, dry season farming, irrigation and reconstruction of flood-ravaged infrastructure, in order to safeguard and solidify our achievements.” According to him, the budget is in consonance with the existing budgetary standing and prevailing fiscal projection, which would be serviced through an existing opening balance of N11,340,879,478.80; statutory allocation of ₦48,773,903,980.42; VAT of ₦17,052,170,179.01 and independent revenue ₦30,012,222,271.24. Others are Aids Grants ₦10,345,759,754.00; Direct Receipts ₦10,345,000,000.00; Direct…
…As SOSG submits bills on Fiscal Probity to Assembly As the people of Sokoto await the 2021 budget, the state Commissioner for Finance, Abdussamad Dasuki has assured that the estimates would be one of fortification against the vagaries of economic meltdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and other natural factors. Dasuki disclosed this at a joint press briefing shortly after a three day marathon meeting of the state executive council on the adaptation of the 2021 budget and other fiscal probity bills that the council has passed and will submit to the state House of Assembly (SOHA) on Thursday. Other…
A group of concerned Nigerians has is an indictment of the government for which President Muhammadu Buhari must take responsibility as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. This is contained in a statement by Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, Bishop Matthew Kukah, Mrs Funke Adekoya, Malam Kabir Yusuf and 37 others on behalf of concerned Nigerians, a copy of which was made available to ASHENEWS on Wednesday. According to the statement, there is evident “incompetence in governance demonstrated by a lack of ideas on how to tackle insecurity, a poor understanding of the situation and a clear failure in…
The Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, and Transparency International Nigeria, Auwal Rafsanjani has said that the country needs anti-corruption action rather than rhetoric. He stated this at the occasion of the celebration of the 2020 Anti-Corruption day celebration with a theme: “United against Corruption.” According to him, “the pandemic has further exposed governance weaknesses in Nigeria,” specially in the areas of “poor governance, corruption, weak institutions and insecurity, which have worsened because of the pandemic and its economic consequences.” Read the statement below: It has been a uniquely challenging year and the COVID-19 pandemic has…
By Abubakar Shekara In Sokoto state, the requirements for genuine democracy are fulfilled: an Executive elected through the most contested polls in the history of the state, a Legislature that numerically gives the opposition the upper hand and a Judiciary that is equipped and free, while the Fourth Estate of the Realm functions without hindrance. Yet, there’s harmony: a symbiosis inspired by cross cutting selfless desire to discharge mandates in the service of the people. And the masses are much the better for the state of affairs, as they reap one dividend of democracy to another. Just yesterday, the Sokoto…