The Senate has passed a bill seeking to abolish the dichotomy between the Higher National Diploma certificate and the University Degree holders in the country.
The piece of legislation, sponsored by Senator Ayo Akinyelure, on Wednesday, passed the third reading on the floor of the Senate at plenary.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Ahmad Kaita, presented his report and all the amended six clauses were approved by the Senate.
Details later…
…Funds Will Provide 300,000 people With Lifesaving WASH Services
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded UNICEF $9,978,800 over three years to support the Nigerian government’s initiative to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States in north-west Nigeria.
The funds will provide lifesaving WASH services to more than 300,000 people in need of assistance.
USAID’s assistance will help to build community-centered approaches to deliver, operate, and manage sustainable WASH services in rural areas, and to foster resilience in communities, in collaboration with the State governments.
It will also help rebuild dilapidated infrastructure and support community efforts to increase access to proper sanitation, adopt good hygiene practices, and improve water quality.
The Mission Director, Dr. Anne Patterson said.“USAID is dedicated to ensuring clean water for more Nigerians,” saying, This new activity with UNICEF will help reduce waterborne diseases to keep more people, especially children, healthy.”
According to the 2019 National Outcome Routine Mapping of WASH services (WASHNORM), 30 percent of Nigerians lack access to basic water services and less than 10 percent have access to safely managed water services. While 44 percent of Nigerians have access to basic sanitation services, 23 percent, or 46 million people, lack access to proper sanitation. Access to safe hygiene facilities nationwide is low, at 16 percent.
In Nigeria, Sokoto and Kebbi States have the lowest levels of access to basic water services at 38 percent and 39 percent, respectively. Access to basic sanitation is also low in Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto States, at 35 per cent, 38 percent, and 41 per cent, respectively. Only five percent of people in Sokoto and one percent in Kebbi have access to safely managed water services.
This severe shortage of clean water supply, toilets, and handwashing facilities in households across Nigeria presents a formidable challenge. Poor access to WASH services is the major cause of diarrheal morbidity and mortality in Nigeria and is associated with at least 70,000 deaths in children under five each year.
Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic have also reinforced the importance of adequate and safe water, basic sanitation, and proper hygiene practices to stem the spread of the disease, including in Nigeria.
Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria said, “We are extremely grateful for the timely and much-needed WASH support from the United States Government. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with prevailing challenges and gaps in WASH services in north-west Nigeria, is detrimental to the development of children and rural communities. This assistance is a testament to USAID’s commitment to the children and people of Nigeria”.
Christopher Dega, a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) and Special Adviser on Security to Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, has been shot dead.
Ortom’s spokesman Terver Akase confirmed to newsmen that Sega was murder in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Before his retirement from the police, Dega had served as Commissioner of Police in Borno and Edo states.
Reports said he was shot in the chest several times by gunmen on Tuesday.
He hailed from Katsina Ala Local Government Area in Benue State .
Dega’s killing occurred few days after the murder of a former political adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak.
Recall that, Gulak a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was shot dead on Saturday night by some gunmen in Owerri, Imo State.
Considering the spates of killings in Benue state, the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi on Tuesday asked Benue State Government to establish its own security outfit,
Umahi, who was in tears, stated this at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital 2, Abakaliki, on Tuesday, when he visited victims of the Sunday killings, saying the perpetrators showed some form of satanism in the dastardly acts.
According to Umahi, Benue government exhibited the height of irresponsibility when it went on air on Tuesday and announced it didn’t know whether victims of the attacks were from Ebonyi or Benue states.
According to him; “What I saw this afternoon is nothing but an act of wickedness and Satanism. I do not know for any reason why people should be raping two-year-old children, inflicting machete cuts on one-year-old little children, killing their mothers, killing their fathers. Is it for what reason?
“It is important that the people of Benue State form their own Ebube Agu to protect their own people instead of blaming Mr. President. Mr. President cannot be everywhere.”
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, on Tuesday described the revival of the Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) sector as crucial for strengthening economic recovery, boosting employment and creating wealth for Nigerians.
He made this known at a meeting in Abuja with critical stakeholders in the CTG sector also said the CBN’s intervention in the sector had led to the creation of 620,000 direct and indirect jobs since the efforts to reposition the sector began in 2019.
The apex bank has disbursed a total of N44 billion between 2019 and 2020 across the CTG value chain while monitoring recovery over the period.
Emefiele, while listing other gains from CBN’s intervention programme in the sector, said nine ginneries had been resuscitated while cotton had been ginned all-year- round for the first time in 10 years.
He said the bank financed over 278,500 hectares in 2019 and 2020, adding that over 90,000 Metric Tonnes (MT) of cotton seed was harvested while industry capacity of ginneries increased from an average of 19 per cent to 51 per cent.
He said the textile sector got 100 per cent of its major raw materials (cotton lint) at a CBN- subsidised rate of N440,000 as against the market price of N593,000, adding that the industry has an increase in production of over 10 million meters of yarn materials.
At the meeting, which was convened to among other things, deliberate on the current state of the industry as well as chart the way forward, Emefiele told stakeholders that the uniformed services had started to patronise locally-made textiles for their uniforms while the garment industry received orders for production of uniforms and cotton hand bags.
He stated that the CBN’s engagement with uniformed services has further resulted in no fewer than five agencies partnering with local textile manufacturers.
Emefiele, who was represented by CBN Deputy Governor, Corporate Services Directorate, Mr. Edward Adamu, stated that the bank is currently collaborating with some private stakeholders towards improving the quality of seeds to guarantee high yields.
He added that textile companies have been supported in the last two to three years, leading to the revival of some previously moribund ones.
Emefiele, however, said for the 2021 wet season, plans were underway with the involvement of ginneries to integrate backwards by cultivating an average of 53,100 hectares with an estimated output of 106,200 metric tonnes at two metric tonnes per hectare.
According to him, the CBN is also working with prime anchors for 10,000 hectares of land with estimated output of 20,000 metric tons.
He stated that the bank would be working with associations to cultivate about 80,000 hectares with an average output of 120,000 metric tonnes at 15 metric tonnes per hectare.
He, however, said while some progress had been recorded, more work needed to be done as opportunities for higher capacity utilisation in textile and garment companies as well as ginneries abound.
He explained that the main objective of the engagement was to “effectively engage with all stakeholders to identify the pain points inhibiting the realisation of the major potentials of the CTG sector intervention and develop strategies to achieve the desired impact of the intervention.”
Emefiele added that the CBN remained committed to ensuring the successful implementation of the CTG policy, adding that it will dedicate appropriate resources to drive its implementation.
Earlier, CBN Director, Development Finance Department, Mr. Yila Yusuf, said the bank had disbursed a total of N44 billion between 2019 and 2020 across the CTG value chain while monitoring recovery over the period.
He stated that the main targets of the CBN intervention in the sector were to close the seed cotton gap of 450,000 metric tonnes by 2022 as well as increase the capacity utilisation of ginneries from less than 30 per cent to 80 per cent within same timeline.
He said the CBN also sought to reduce smuggling and dumping of textile by at least 40 per cent by the end of 2022.
Yusuf, represented by Head, Retail Contact, Division, CBN, Mr. Chika Nwanja, said the CBN had also financed over 200,000 cotton farmers, cultivating 291,761 hectares of land with an output of 94,787 metric tonnes of cotton seed.
He added that this has led to improvement in the household income of each farmer by an average of N240,000.
He said the bank had also financed 19 ginneries, four textile companies and three garment manufacturers under the textile intervention facility, resulting in an increase in the number of active ginneries from 13 in 2019 to 21 as at June 2021.
However, the stakeholders unanimously lauded the CBN’s intervention programme in the sector, describing it as unprecedented.
President, National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN), Mr. Anibe Achimugu, said the progress so far achieved would have been impossible without the apex bank’s drive.
According to him, the Anchor Borrower’s Programme (ABP) remains one of the best agricultural interventions programmes of the CBN.
The President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mansur Ahmed, said the CTG industry could resolve the country’s unemployment challenges, adding that the federal government and the CBN have done a great deal to revive the industry.
The Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III has advocated the use of Hijab by Muslim women, without restrictions and in total observance of the freedom of religion in the country.
The Sultan, who is also the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), stated this in Birnin Kebbi, on Tuesday, at the North West Zonal Public Hearing on the Constitution Review organised by the House of Representatives for Stakeholders from Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara.
Abubakar wondered why the wearing of the Hijab would be a problem for others who were not using it, stressing that the other religions could also be encouraged to adopt what their religions order them to do.
According to him; “The most important issue is the issue of religion. Almighty God created us to worship Him and you must protect my rights as a Muslim, in whatever documents you are going to bring and there are no two ways about it.”
“I must have freedom to worship Allah the way Almighty says I should worship Him. So, why do people make too much noise about Shariah and its implementation?
“It is all about our lives as Muslims from the day of our birth till we die. So, look at the way to protect the interests of Muslims that constitute over 50 per cent of this nation’s population. Whether in the North, East, South or West.
“I believe Nobody should stop me from practising my religion and I must practice it to the best of my ability, without tampering with other religions or their freedom. You can pick a stone and keep it in your home; that is the problem between you and your God, not me.
“There are so many cases where young girls were denied the right to use their Hijabs in schools. Why is it that the use of the Hijab becomes a problem to those people who are not using Hijab?
“On the other hand, we should even encourage persons of other faiths to do what their religions ordered them to do. And that is how we will live in peace,” he said.
The Sultan, who also spoke on the role of traditional rulers, counseled the political class not to be afraid of assigning constitutional roles to traditional rulers because they had accepted changes that took place since the 1914 amalgamation of Nigeria and were ready to help.
“All of you knew that before 1914, there was no Nigeria; but there was Sokoto Caliphate, Kanem Borno Empire, Oyo Empire and Benin Kingdom.
“The amalgamation of all these led to Nigeria of today as they took power from the people and put it on a few civilians. Why are politicians afraid of giving power back to the people they have been living and working with closely?”
“We have accepted the change and we are ready to help; the earlier we realise we can work together, the better for us. The political class should know that we are not in any competition with them. We are here to help and we are ready to help,” he said.
Ketron Investment Limited, a Nigerian firm has completed the acquisition deal of Retail Supermarkets Nigeria Limited (RSNL), owner and operator of the Shoprite stores in Nigeria.
Ketron is owned by a group of investors led by Persianas Investment Limited, a statement from Ketron, said on Tuesday.
Tayo Amusan’s who holds 25 years of experience doing business in Nigeria is credited for building The Palms Shopping Mall in Lagos, Nigeria’s first mall of international standards that also houses a Shoprite store, back in 2004. He then replicated it in Enugu, Kwara, Ota, and Ibadan, Face2Face Africa reports.20 Apr 2021
It said the change in ownership has also received the approval of the Nigerian regulator, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
We had reported the process of Shoprite acquisition in Nigeria since last year when the South African retail giant announced it was divesting its retail outlet in the country.
Shoprite Holdings is Africa’s largest food retailer, operating 2,843 supermarkets in 15 countries and serving 35 million customers in Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands; its supply chain includes over 300 local suppliers comprising small businesses and farmers.
Speaking on the acquisition, Chairman of Ketron, Tayo Amusan said, “We are thrilled to complete the acquisition of Shoprite, ensuring the continued operations of one of the biggest retail success stories in Nigeria.”
Amusan who also owns Persianas added: “We look forward to building an even stronger company following our acquisition and are excited about the greater impact we will achieve to the benefit of our customers and other stakeholders now and well into the future”.
It was also learnt that Persianas own the major buildings that house Shoprite outlets in Lagos, Ilorin, among others.
Since its launch in Lagos in December 2005, Shoprite has expanded to 25 outlets across 11 states and Abuja, FCT.
Ketron acquired 100% ownership of Shoprite in Nigeria and will continue operations across all existing outlets, with plans to open additional stores and introduce more Nigerian-made products, the statement said.
“It is our vision to create fundamental change for the better within Nigeria,” said Amusan.
Professional services firms, KPMG Advisory Services, MBO Capital Management Limited and Banwo & Ighodalo advised Ketron on the deal. Jide Ogundare, CEO, MBO Capital, in his comment, said: “With the plans we have in place, and with the support of the larger Shoprite family in Nigeria including our staff and every Nigerian shopper that walks through our doors, we are confident of success.”
Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has concluded plans to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), multiple sources around the governor hint newsmen.
Recall that, Matawalle became the governor of the state following the Supreme Court judgement on the internal squabble that rocked the APC primaries in 2019, has dissolved the state executive council ahead of the defection.
The governor, it was gathered, has been perfecting plans to join the ruling party at the centre but the stiff rivalry between him and the APC’s leader in the state, Abdulaziz Yari, has been a clog in the wheel of the plan.
Yari, Zamfara’s immediate past governor has been at daggers-drawn with Matawalle, who became an unexpected beneficiary of the APC’s wrangling.
If Matawalle joins the ruling party, he would be third governor to jump ship since President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in for a second term. The first to dump the PDP was the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi and he was recently followed by Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade.
Since February, when the two warring camps in the state chapter of the APC – Yari’s and that of Senator Kabir Garba Marafa, were reconciled, by the national caretaker committee of the party, politicking and scheming for the 2023 race in the state peaked.
While the governor is being touted to join the APC, Yari and his supporters are against it. Recently, a delegation of APC governors led by the party’s caretaker committee Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni, visited Matawalle at Government House, Gusau.
As part of the visit, we gathered, a closed-door meeting was held with the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami in attendance.
It is a battle to grab the soul of the party ahead of the 2023 elections.
A top ally of the governor revealed that barring any last minutes change, Matawalle will join APC before the end of this month.
He also disclosed that the governor had separately met and briefed members of the state House of Assembly and those of the National Assembly from the state about his planned defection.
“I’m not sure about the date but what I can assure you is that all is set for the defection. He recently met with members of the National Assembly from the state and he has done same with members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly,” he said, pleading not to be named.
Similarly, one of the sacked commissioners, while confirming the planned defection said the dissolution of the cabinet was part of the arrangements for the defection.
“The governor does not want a repeat of the Cross River State scenario, whereby after the governor decamped to APC, some of the commissioners refused to follow him. His excellency is going to join the ruling,” he said in a phone chat.
The governor had on Monday night dissolved the state executive council and principal political appointees with immediate effect. The Secretary to the State Government, the Chief of Staff and the Deputy Chief of Staff were also relieved of their appointments.
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The Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Hon. Hamisu Chidari, is among the over 200 travellers who were recently declared wanted for allegedly violating the COVID-19 health protocols.
Chidari, with passport number, B50022050, was listed as number 66 on the list of 132 violators which was released on Thursday.
The Kano Assembly Speaker had reportedly returned to Nigeria via the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, from Saudi Arabia through an Ethiopian airline on May 17, 2021.
He, was, however, said to have presented a coronavirus test result “found to be fake” by the Federal health authorities.
On May 1, 2021, the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 issued a Travel Advisory for Passengers arriving in Nigeria from Brazil, India and Turkey.
“Under the new measures, passengers arriving from/or that have visited any of these three countries within 14 days prior to the visit to Nigeria, are required to follow mandatory arrival quarantine and testing protocols in designated facilities.
“The PSC has however observed that while most of the arriving passengers dutifully observed the guidelines, some (Nigerians and Foreigners) have violated them in contravention of the provisions of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Health Regulations Protection, 2021.
“Members of the public are by this notice advised that these persons of interest constitute an immediate health hazard to the society. They must therefore transport themselves safely, to the nearest state public health departments within 48hrs of this notice for immediate evaluation and call the Port Health Services, Federal Ministry of Health on 08036134672 or 08032461990 for further directions,” Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and chairman of the committee, had said.
He added that the PSC shall in addition, take further steps to sanction these violators by disabling their travel passports for a period not less than one year.
There is controversy over the cause of the death of the registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO) Professor Godswill Obioma .
Several news portals on Tuesday, quoting online media, reported that Obioma was assassinated on Monday night.
Obioma, a professor of educational measurement and evaluation, has just returned to Minna from a trip to Abuja when he died.
“The assassins came in and killed him and left without taking anything,” Obioma’s wife Elizabeth reportedly told newsmen on phone on Tuesday.
But his son Prince Godswill Obioma said the late NECO boss died after a brief illness.
“We request that you kindly notify the Board, Management and the entire staff of the Council of this development,” the younger Obioma said in a message to Mustapha K. Abdul, NECO’s director of human resources.
Abdul thereafter issued a circular on the death of the Registrar.
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