Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the plan of both the federal and state governments on police reform will be a game-changer in ensuring an end to impunity. The plan include investigating police brutality as well as providing compensation to victims of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other police units. Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said the Vice President made the pledge on Thursday when he received at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, an American government delegation. The delegation comprised the US Assistant Secretary, Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, Bob Destro; US Assistant…
Author: Editor
The World Health Organisation (WHO), Regional Office for Africa located in Brazzaville, Congo, says there are over 1.6 million confirmed Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Africa. The UN health agency gave the update in its regional official Twitter account @WHOAFRO. WHO stated on its dashboard that there were over 1.6 million confirmed COVID-19 cases on the continent, with more than 1.3 million recoveries and 40,000 deaths cumulatively. South Africa, Ethiopia and Kenya are countries with highest number of reported cases. According to the dashboard: South Africa reported 708,359 cases and 18, 741 deaths; Ethiopia had 91,118 cases with 1,384 deaths, while…
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described as a welcome development the Thursday broadcast of President Muhammadu Buhari on the #EndSARS protests in some parts of the country. Obasanjo made the commendation during a virtual meeting between Buhari and former Nigerian leaders on Friday. Mr Femi Adesina, the president’s spokesman, confirmed this development in a statement in Abuja. “I commend the speech of last night. The nation had been waiting. You made points that I believe need to be commended. “Peaceful demonstration is part of democratic practice. The demands of the genuine protesters were accepted, and you are working on implementation.…
Governor Bello Muhammad of Zamfara, has called on the Federal government to deploy operatives of the disbanded Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, to the state in other to help fight the activities of bandits. He made the appeal while addressing newsmen after an emergency meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, which took place in Kaduna on Thursday. According to the him, the ban on SARS had brought back bandit attacks, a reason, he said, that would make him seek audience with President Muhammadu Buhari on the renewed insecurity in the state. “We need all the SARS officers from other…
A Civil Society Organisation, the Civil Liberties Organisation, has urged youths in the country to form political parties capable of winning the 2023 presidential and other levels of elections. Its Chairman, Mr Ehi Omokhuale, who made the call in an interview on Friday in Lagos, was reacting to President Muhammadu Buhari’s Oct. 22 speech. “As long as Oct. 20 is ignored by government, there may not be any lasting or constructive engagement with government. “However, because hoodlums and criminals have taken advantage of the EndSars protests, I will advise the legitimate youths to vacate the streets as they are already…
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom has extended the curfew imposed on the state to 7am, Saturday in order to ensure full return of normalcy. Emmanuel announced the extension in a statement issued on Friday in Uyo by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Ini Ememobong, and made available to newsmen. The curfew declared earlier by the governor was to elapse by midday Friday. The governor said the extension followed the unlawful activities of the #EndSARS protesters, which led to the disruption of economic activities in the state. “This extension has become necessary because of the overriding interest of the…
A spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), Seak Vichet on Friday said flash floods in Cambodia had left 39 people dead and forced evacuations of 46,216 people. Vichet said seasonal rains, exacerbated by tropical storms, had caused floods in 19 of the kingdom’s 25 cities and provinces since the beginning of the month, adding that 483,140 people had also been affected. “As of Thursday evening, the floods have killed 39 people. The worst-hit provinces included Banteay Meanchey, Pursat, Battambang and Kampong Thom as well as the southwestern suburb of Phnom Penh.” The spokesman said the floods had…
Entrepreneurial ministers and representatives of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies on Friday pledged greater support for Micro, Small, and Medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) which have been hard hit by the COVID-19 outbreak. “Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are crucial to the socioeconomic development of our economies, contributing 40 to 60 per cent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “They also employ a significant part of the workforce in APEC economies,’’ the ministers said in a joint statement issued after an APEC SME Ministerial Meeting chaired by Malaysian Entrepreneur Development and Co-operatives Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar. “The unprecedented effects of the COVID-19…
Our work in supporting elections across Africa continues to be a priority and we’ve dedicated unprecedented resources to these efforts both locally and globally, with protecting election integrity at the center of this work. This update provides an overview of our ongoing work in reducing misinformation (https://bit.ly/34gOfh8) and removing voter suppression, preventing election interference, supporting civic engagement and increasing transparency in political advertising. Here’s what you need to know about some of the steps we’re taking: Combating Misinformation and False News We’re working hard to fight the spread of misinformation on our services because we know that people want to see accurate…
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently presiding over a crucial virtual meeting with former Nigerian leaders at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja. The former leaders participating virtually from their homes include Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Goodluck Jonathan and Earnest Shonekan. Those physically present at the Council Chambers with the president include Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and National Security Adviser, retired Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno. Others are the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olanisakin, Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, Director…