The Nigerian Navy on Tuesday deployed troops on board six warships, including 60 gunboats, in a special military exercise to tackle pirates, oil smugglers and other criminalities in the nation’s waters. Rear Adm. David Adeniran, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Calabar, announced the deployment at the flag-off of the exercise in Onne, Rivers. In the operation code-named, ‘Exercise Sanga Sung,’ meaning ‘Safe Transit’ in Ibibio dialect, Adeniran said that the two-day exercise, aimed at consolidating on similar Exercises Bekan Mmon I and II, would hold on the territorial waters of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi and Rivers states,…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has urged the United Nations to spare no effort at ending racism and other forms of prejudice. Ramaphosa, who is the Chairman of the African Union, made the call in his pre-recorded video statement to the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. It is the UNGA General Debate since the death of African American, George Floyd, in police custody on May 25 sparked protests in the United States and around the world. “The year 2020 will be remembered for the massive groundswell to push back the frontiers of racism under the umbrella of…
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday night urged the international community to take strong action against illicit flows of small arms and light weapons. Addressing the virtual United Nations General Assembly through a pre-recorded video statement, Buhari said Nigeria was deeply concerned over the menace. “Nigeria remains deeply concerned over the illicit trade, transfer, and circulation of small arms and light weapons, particularly on the continent of Africa. “We urge the international community to renew efforts to stem this traffic and promote the Arms Trade Treaty. “This is to codify accountability in the on-going battle against trans-border crimes, including terrorism and acts…
U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, through Power Africa, on Tuesday awarded $2.6 million (N1.2 billion) grant to nine energy companies to electrify 288 rural health facilities without reliable access to power. The Power Africa is a U.S. Government-led initiative that brings together 12 government agencies, development partners and private sector companies, with the goal of doubling access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa. The grant, totaling $2.6 million (N1.2 billion) was launched in a virtual event which highlighted the importance of healthcare electrification for COVID-19 response and recovery. The awardees include Havenhill Synergy Ltd (Nigeria), KYA-Energy Group (Togo), Zuwa Energy (Malawi),…
The Zamfara Government has accused the administration of former governor Abdulaziz Yari of diverting N10.8 billion meant for the state university project. The State Commissioner of Finance, Alhaji Rabiu Garba, made the accusation at a press conference in Gusau on Tuesday. However, former commissioner of finance under Yari’s administration, Alhaji Mukhtar Idris dismissed the allegation as politically motivated. Garba said “based on the records available to us, the past administration in the state had diverted the sum of N10.8 billion from the N37 billion refunded to the state by the federal government for the construction of 14 federal roads. “We…
The Sokoto Hisbah Commission, has arrested Baffa Tafida, son of Special Adviser on Social Investment in the state, Alhaji Hayatu Tafida for, in 2017, allegedly luring a girl (name withheld) to a hotel, allegedly drugged her, had sex and video-recorded the act. Confirming the incident to newsmen, the Commandant of the Commission, Dr Adamu Kasarawa said that Baffa hid the recorded video and released it on social media and the supposed spouse in 2020, when the lady was about to get married. According to Kasarawa, Baffa and his partners were arrested following complaint brought before them by the mother of…
The National Food Security Council, has assured Nigerian farmers that it would reduce prices of NPK fertiliser from N5,500 to N5,000 per bag as earlier ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari in April, to boost food production in the country. Kebbi governor, Atiku Bagudu, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the Council, alongside Jigawa governor, Abubakar Badaru, briefed State House correspondents at the end of the Council’s meeting at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday. Bagudu explained that the implementation of the president’s directive was informed by the fact that production of the commodity had been normalized in the country following…
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has insisted that it would proceed with its planned nationwide protest with effect from Sept. 28 over Federal Government refusal to reverse the hikes in electricity tariff and fuel pump price. Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, said this while addressing newsmen at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the NLC on Tuesday in Abuja. The NLC’s Central Working Committee (CWC) on Sept. 17 had issued a two-weeks ultimatum to the Federal Government to reverse the hike in electricity tariff and pump price of petrol or workers would embarked on a nationwide…
The Federal Government has expressed worry over multinational companies’ usage of the nation’s underground water resources for commercial purposes without obtaining license. The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, said this in Abuja on Tuesday at a joint press conference with the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to address the controversies surrounding the National Water Resources Bill. Adamu said it was worrisome that without a law to protect the nation’s water resources sector, indiscriminate usage would not be addressed, hence the need for the passage of the National Water Resources Bill into law. According to him, Federal Government…
The Trade Union Congress (TUC), has said that eight states are yet to commence the payment of the new minimum wage and its consequential adjustments. Its President, Mr Quadri Olaleye, and Secretary General, Mr Musa-Lawal Ozigi, in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos, said that the union had written to the governors and also engaged them in dialogue, but without any success. The leaders, while expressing deep concern, said that the union had decided to collaborate with its sister union, the Nigeria Labour Congress, to carry out its planned protest formerly scheduled for Sept. 23, but now shifted to Sept.…