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Protest not solution to Nigeria’s challenges, says Gov. Namadi

Gov. Umar Namadi of Jigawa on Monday said that the proposed nationwide protest slated for August 1, is not the solution to Nigeria’s current challenges.

The governor voiced out his opinion at a town hall meeting with 27 groups in Dutse.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), among the groups that participated in the meeting, disassociated themselves from the planned protest.

Namadi, who acknowledged the economic hardship in the country, regretted that it had brought so many uncertainties.

“But, protest is not the solution.

“There are many ways people could express their grievances; people are at liberty to display their grievances through protest under democratic dispensation, but that isn’t the most effective way to address the problems.

“The protest alone will not provide the solutions; people should turn to God, repent, seek for forgiveness and divine intervention on the challenges.”

Namadi said that the government had been doing enough in terms of providing food items and other materials, including distribution of cash, to cushion the effect of the hardships at all levels of government.

The governor also reminded the people that the Federal Government had recently approved the importation of food items into the country for five months without import duty.

Namadi advised Nigerians to accept the hardships as a trial from God, adding that every Muslim believes in destiny whether good or bad.

The Police Commissioner in Jigawa, Mr Tijjani Abdullahi, in a remark, warned those who insisted on participating in the proposed August 1 protest to have a second thought.

“The security agencies in the state are combat-ready to deal with anyone who wants to breach public peace and order,” he said.

Similarly, Brig.-Gen. Timilere Makintosh, the Commander, of the 26 Armoured Bridge Garrison, also expressed happiness over the peaceful coexistence in Jigawa and the leadership style of the governor, which had contributed to the promotion of peace.

Retired Khadi Bashir Ahmad, who is the Chairman of the Council of Ulama in Jigawa, said that the calamities and other related problems bedevilling the country were the results of sins committed by the people.

“Sons rape mothers, a son was caught trying to kill his father. Young people are engaged in kidnappings and armed robbery all due to the influences of hard drugs and other substances.

“Citizens must quickly repent and seek God’s forgiveness and His intervention.

CAN Chairman in Jigawa, Rev. Father Maurice Hassan, urged the government to do the needful by controlling the prices of commodities in order to prevent unpatriotic traders from raising prices without justification

Hassan declared that CAN would not be part of the protest, adding that the association would support and promote peaceful coexistence among residents.

The CAN chairman also called on the government to find a lasting solution to the challenges in the country.

Also speaking, Mr Sunusi Maigatari, Chairman of the NLC in Jigawa, said that his group would not be part of the protest because the issue was not part of its agenda at the last National Working Committee meeting.

Mr Abdullahi Garba, Chairman of NANS, also disassociated students from the planned protest and assured the governor that they would not allow any group, in whichever name, to destabilise the peaceful coexistence in Jigawa.

Dr Adamu Maje, the Emir of Hadejia and Chairman of the Traditional Council of Rulers expressed concern over hardships in his remarks, insisting, however, that the protest was not the solution.

The traditional ruler said that the people in Jigawa were very peaceful and law-abiding citizens.

“If you see anyone protesting in Jigawa, that person or group of persons cannot be from the state,” he said.

Similarly, the Emir of Dutse,  Muhammad Hameem, urged Nigerians to find other ways of presenting their grievances through the rightful legal channels and not through such “undefined” protests.

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Delta approves N713m for 2024 students bursary payment — Official

Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta has approved the sum of N713 million for the 2024  bursary award for 32,028 students in tertiary institutions in the country.

The Executive Secretary of the State Bursary and Scholarship Board, Dr. Godfrey Enita, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Asaba.

According to Enita, the governor’s approval for the year 2024, the bursary award will cover students of state origin in public and private universities.

“It also covers students in polytechnics, mono-technics, colleges of education, schools of nursing science, and other tertiary schools, including military and paramilitary institutions.

He described the governor’s gesture as rare and uncommon and should be applauded.

“The governor demonstrates his magnanimity and goodwill towards the well-being of the Delta students and youths in general.

“It also underscores his commitment towards educational advancement through financial assistance to students in diverse forms and through massive infrastructural development in schools across the state.

“It is hoped, as always, that beneficiaries of the state’s financial assistance schemes will continue to be worthy ambassadors of Delta wherever they find themselves,” he said.

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Survey shows 71% of households affected by food price hike

A new survey report just released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that the most prevalent shock affecting 71 per cent of households in Nigeria is price increases on major food items in the last 12 months.

The survey, 2023/24 General Household Survey-Panel, commonly called (GHS-Panel) Wave-5, is a follow-up to the 2018/2019 GHS Wave-4.

It seeks to enhance the understanding of household living conditions and provide government and other policymakers with reliable information for effective policy decision-making in Nigeria.

It specifically collects information on household income, assets and consumption, income-generating activities, health, education as well as shocks.

The survey conducted in collaboration with the World Bank and released yesterday in Abuja said 48.8 per cent of households surveyed reported that their main mechanism for coping with the increase in the prices of food items was reducing food consumption.

The report further said that 65.8 per cent of the households indicated being unable to eat healthy, nutritious or preferred foods because of lack of money.

The report also shows that 73.0 per cent of survey household members ages 10 to 19 were enrolled in school during 2018/2019 Wave 4 survey. But by 2023/2024 Wave 5 survey, the proportion of the people who were in school had decreased to 44.8 per cent, as 34.8 per cent of those previously enrolled were now out of school.

In the area of energy access, the survey shows that only 40.4 percent of households in rural areas had access to electricity compared to 82.2 per cent of urban households.

It also reports that many households lack toilet facilities and rely on tube wells or boreholes for drinking water. It noted that waste disposal is mostly informal, with 45.6 per cent using bushes or streets.

In his address during the launch of the report, the Statistician General of the Federation (SGF), Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, said the survey is a multi-topic data collection exercise that serves as an essential tool for capturing the dynamics of Nigerian households, providing invaluable insights into their economic activities, well-being, and resilience.

He said it is a longitudinal survey, meaning that it tracks and interviews the same respondents over time. “In the 5th Wave of the survey, approximately the same 5000 households have been followed and interviewed across five waves,” he said.

“This includes Wave One conducted in 2010/11, Wave Two in 2012/13, Wave Three in 2015/16, Wave Four in 2018/19, and now Wave Five conducted in 2023/24.”

He said available records indicate that, over the last five years, the survey findings have been used to design several projects and intervention programmes worth approximately $8.9 billion across many sectors which include Agriculture and Food, Education, Water, Social Protection and Jobs, Governance, and several others.

In his goodwill message, the World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, Dr Ndiame Diop, said the survey was important in understanding how Nigerian households responded to policy changes, crises and shocks.

Diop, who was represented by Vinay Vutukuru, Programme Leader, Sustainable Development, Nigeria, however, said the key thing was how the data would be used by ministries and stakeholders for effective policy formulation to achieve economic and sustainable growth.

He pledged the bank’s continuous support in working with the NBS to strengthen Nigeria’s statistical system.

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Reps reject bill seeking six-year single tenure for president, governors

The House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected a bill seeking a six-year single term for Nigeria’s presidency.

The bill, sponsored by Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo) and 33 others failed to pass second reading on Thursday during a debate on its general principles.

The bill also canvasses the rotation of the presidency among the six geopolitical zones of the country.

35 legislators had in June under the auspices of Reformed-minded Legislators, said the proposition would lead to a reduction in the cost of governance.

Ugochinyere, added that the move would unite the country and ensure a seamless transition and unprecedented development for the country.

The proposed legislation seeks to alter Sections 76, 116, 132, 136, and some others of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

According to the general principles of the bill, “these amendments was to ensure inclusive governance and to curb wastages occasioned by four year periodic elections.

“The bill among others seeks amendment of Section 132 of the Principal Act by inserting a new subsection (2), deleting the extant subsection (4) and renumbering the entire section accordingly to provide that an election to the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be rotated between the North and the South regions of the country every six years.

“Other amendments include, Section 76 of the Principal Act is altered by inserting a new subsection (3) as follows; (3) For the Purposes of Section (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.

“Section 116 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting a new a subsection (3) as follows; For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Councils shall be held simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.”

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NAFDAC alerts Nigerians on fake products

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has released a fresh warning on the risks of unregulated products, especially as the festive season approaches.

The warning came after the agency uncovered a warehouse stocked with unregistered and expired supermarket products in Oke-Afa, Okota, part of Lagos State.

According to the Agency on X (formally Twitter), a NAFDAC team acted on intelligence and raided the facility, apprehending operators offloading a 20ft container filled with unregistered carbonated drinks. “A further inspection revealed over 14 rooms packed with unregistered and expired products, some of which were contaminated by rats, indicating poor storage conditions.”

The agency said the facility is currently placed on hold for further investigation and asked the management to provide sourcing evidence such as the Global Listing for Supermarket Items (GLSI) certificate.

It then encouraged consumers to report suspicious activities to any NAFDAC office and remain vigilant by ensuring their product sources are verified, particularly during the coming festive season.

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ICPC tracks N610 billion projects in 22 states

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has kicked off phase 7 of the Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Exercise.

The tracking of the constituency and executive projects is an initiative of the Commission that began in 2019, focusing on how well money allocated to critical sectors of education, health, agriculture, water resources, and power, amongst others, by the government is utilised.

The 7th phase, involving 1500 projects with a total project value of N610 billion, commenced on Monday, November 18th, 2024, in 22 states across the 6 geopolitical zones.

The states are Kwara, Niger, Kogi, FCT, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Imo, Abia and Enugu State.

The phase 7 tracking exercise will cut across agencies of government, including intervention agencies such as North-East Development Commission (NEDC), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Rural Electrification Agency (REA), National Primary Health Care Development Authority (NPHCDA), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and Ecological Fund Office.

The objective of the exercise is to deepen adherence to due process in the execution of government projects, improve value for money, and entrench the culture of compliance with the scope and specification as contained in the contract documents.

The ICPC tracked a total of 1,900 projects valued at N500 billion naira in phase 6 of the exercise across 24 states of the nation’s 6 geopolitical zones.

The projects were tracked within the focal sectors of Education, Water Resources, Agriculture, Power, Health, Energy, and Roads.

These projects in the 6th phase were awarded to 1,355 contractors in 176 MDAs.

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FG awards contracts for Calabar, Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Abuja highways

President Bola Tinubu has approved the restructuring of his media team

The Federal Government has signed a contract with Infiouest International Limited for the construction of the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Kogi-Nasarawa-Abuja Superhighway to boost the country’s transportation ecosystem.

Speaking during the signing ceremony in Abuja, Minister of Works, David Umahi, thanked President Bola Tinubu for his inclusive leadership and the distribution of the dividends of democracy.

Umahi also explained that the Legacy Project is strategic for boosting transportation along the economic corridors of the South East and North Central, noting that it would stimulate trade along the regions and foster inter-regional cohesion, cooperation, and collaboration.

He noted that the project will create a seamless movement of goods and services between the Southeast and Northern routes of the road and further the road infrastructure revolution master plan in keeping with the tenets of inclusive leadership in the country.

According to Umahi, the Federal Ministry of Works has also signed a contract with Infiouest International Limited for the construction of Enugu/Abakaliki/Ogoja Highway (Africa Trans-Sahara route) cutting across Cross River, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa States and terminating in Apo in Abuja.

The Works Minister argued that the project will consist of the reconstruction of the existing jointed, asphalt concrete and laterite surfaced road pavements from Ndibe beach, traversing through Eke Market.

Others, Abaomege, Onueke, Achiagu, Umuoghara/Onu Nwafor, Ukwuachi, Ishieke, Odomoke before terminating at Mbeke in Ebonyi is the third Project spanning 118.85km and it is to be constructed on Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP).

He assured that the four projects are not just transformational but also critical investments that would turn around the socio-economic fortunes of the country, stimulate diversification, and enhance a more sustainable transportation ecosystem.

Umahi therefore thanked Mr. President for carrying on the execution of the inherited road projects across the 6 Geo-Political zones, including the South East, believing, Lagos – Calabar 750 kilometers sections 1 and 2, construction already are going on very well.

“Despite legal action, the project is a must. We’re supporting Mr. President to have that project accomplished. It is an investment. Very soon, we are starting 3A and 3B in Cross River and Akwa Ibom,” Umahi said.

The Minister argued, “There is Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, 1,068 kilometers. Two sections are already ongoing. The biggest of the project is the Kebbi section, 258 kilometers. It’s ongoing. We’ve flagged off, and we have paid the first mobilization fee.”

Speaking after signing the contract, the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Joseph Abou Jaounde promised to justify the confidence reposed on them, saying, “We have to carry on with this goal, and we have to prove that we trust in the right place.”

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