government
Ekiti APC greets Christians, urges Nigerians to have faith in government
The All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Ekiti state has congratulated people of the state for witnessing another Christmas celebration. The party, in a statement released on Friday by its Public Relations Officer, Hon. Ade Ajayi on behalf of the Chairman, Barrister Paul Omotosho rejoiced with the people for witnessing another annual celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Describing this period as a time for sober reflection, APC equally admonished people of the state to continue to be supportive of the present administration in its bid to address past inequalities and misgovernance. It emphasised the commitment of the present administration to bringing dividends of democracy to the doorstep of the populace, stressing that democracy remains government of the people. APC further appealed ...
China to hold talks on EU investment pact at its own pace
China will conduct talks on an investment pact with the European Union at its own pace, raising doubts about whether a deal can be sealed by year-end. China’s Foreign Ministry said, on Friday, that negotiations for the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, which would grant European companies greater access to the Chinese market, have gone on for six years. An EU official said earlier that a deal was close, following a push from Germany, which holds the EU presidency until the end of the year and is the biggest European exporter to China. But the latest comments by the Chinese government suggest otherwise. China will “conduct talks at its own pace on the premise of safeguarding its security and developmental interests’’, foreign ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, told a news briefi...
Yuletide: FRSC decries violations of coronavirus protocols, speed by motorists
Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has decried high level of speed and COVID-19 violations by motorists across the country during the yuletide. Zonal Commanding Officer RS9, Enugu, Mr Owoimaha Odoma, disclosed this to newsmen on Friday in Owerri. He said the issue became worrisome as over speeding often led to road crashes, while violation of COVID-19 protocol by motorists could also escalate the dreaded virus in various communities. Udoma, who is the zonal inspection head on FRSC ‘Operation Zero Tolerance to Road Traffic Violation’, warned motorists against over speeding. “We embarked on road monitoring in the states under the zone and we have observed that violations of speed and COVID-19 guidelines were the major challenges on the road during this period. “We started this road inspection ...
CAN accuses Anambra governor of religious bigotry
File Photo Chairman, Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Anambra State, Rev. Ndubuisi John, has accused Governor Willie Obiano of marginalising the Christian body in the state. He said the marginalisation was informed by his non-Catholic disposition, describing it as religious bigotry. John who was honoured yesterday in Onitsha by the United Nations Peace and Positive Living Awareness Centre as an ‘Ambassador for World Peace’, lamented that several efforts made by the body to meet with the Governor since he assumed office as the CAN chairman had been unsuccessful. He said, “One should imagine it is religious bigotry, it depends on one’s perception, if I were to be an Anglican or Roman Catholic Bishop, he would not have treated me that way. “I think that the government should not abe...
15 people die of coronavirus in Nasarawa
The Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Dr Emmanuel Akabe, has disclosed that 15 persons have died from COVID-19 since the outbreak of the virus. He said in Lafia after a security meeting that, ” As at Tuesday December 22, the state has discharged 668 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 26 under home care and 3 in isolation. “85% of the cases are found in Karu, Keffi and Lafia local government areas, while the rest are found in the remaining 10 councils of the state.” He said. The Deputy Governor disclosed that Dr Rebecca Isaac Umaru, Former Provost of College of Education Akwanga died of the virus on Monday, December 21. He also said Dr Janet Angbazo, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism was tested positive of the virus and she is currently on isolation. Ac...
Coronavirus: Nigerian government rolls out measures for UK, South African returnees
The Federal Government has rolled out new containment measures against the importation of COVID-19 particularly from the United Kingdom and South Africa, saying returnees from both countries are required to present two documents before boarding. National Coordinator of the Presidential Taskforce PTF on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu, disclosed this during Thursday’s briefing of the Taskforce. He said; “In particular, international travellers must register with the Nigeria international travel portal. “We are concerned a out the emergence of the new variant of COVID-19 in the UK and an additional mutant in South Africa. Our protocol to ensure the safety of our citizens and prevent the importation of cases into the country is one of the most strict. “Specifically, for the UK and South Africa, the P...
Official: One million Americans vaccinated against coronavirus
More than a million people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in the United States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Robert Redfield said Wednesday. “The United States achieved an early but important milestone today — jurisdictions have now reported that more than one million people have received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine since administration began 10 days ago,” said Redfield. In a call with reporters, Moncef Slaoui, chief advisor of the government’s Operation Warp Speed, said that the objective of immunizing 20 million people this month was “unlikely to be met.” But he said the US was still aiming for 100 million people immunized by the end of the first quarter of 2021, and another 100 million by the second quarter. Three million doses...
Governor Wike charges judiciary to demand independence
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has charged the judiciary to crave for independence to discharge their functions without intimidation and not just to control budgets. Wike said this was imperative because no government and country could make meaningful progress, if the judiciary is not allowed to carry out their functions independently. He stated this at the official presentation of 29 brand new Renault Koleos 2020 SUVS to chairmen of the Customary Courts of the Rivers State judiciary at the judiciary complex in Port Harcourt yesterday. The maintained that no one can talk about democracy without the rule of law, stressing that judiciary is pivotal in any given society where the rule of law reigns. “If Nigeria wants to move forward, if this country wants development, then, we must allow...
Why we shutdown Total E&P gas plant – Rivers community
Obite indigenes in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State have an advanced reason for shutting down a gas plant operated by Total Exploration and Producing Nigeria Limited in their domain citing alleged insensitivity of the oil multinational to their plight. The aggrieved natives, drawn from the five villages of Obite community also lamented the alleged refusal of the oil firm to honour a Supreme Court judgement that compensation is paid to the community for the land acquired in the area for its operations. Mr Daniel Clifford Uma, one of the natives, who spoke during the community protest march to the oil firm said, “What you are seeing here today is as a result of total negligence from Total E and P. This thing started 22 years ago. Some of the people that started this ma...
Lai Mohammed: My only regret as minister
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said his only regret as a minister is that some Nigerians have failed to appreciate that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is doing so much with little resources. Mr Mohammed stated this at a Special Forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. He said with dwindling resources, no government in the history of Nigeria has implemented programmes alleviating poverty among women and vulnerable groups as well as created jobs for the youth as the Buhari administration had done. The minister said his regret was that some Nigerians have failed to appreciate the efforts of the government but keep celebrating negative developments. “My regret in this government is that Nigerians have failed to appreciate that the ...
Delta community protest exclusion from creation of electoral wards
The people of Ogbe-Ijoh Community, an Ijaw ethnic group in the Warri South Local government area of Delta State, on Tuesday, protested the new electoral Wards creation by the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC). The Protesters, who alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission failed to incorporate their ethnic group into the new wards in the local council; said that their proposed ward has met all DSIEC’s requirement for ward creation in the state. They accused DSIEC and Delta state government of sidelining them in favour of the Urhobos and Itsekiris of Warri South Local government area. Earlier, the Ogbe-Ijaw Youths had in a position paper signed by Comrade Nathaniel Oronomoni, chairman Ogbe-Ijoh Concern Youths Warri Kingdom; Comrade Lot Loyibo, Coordinator ...
Bandits kidnap village head, wives, others in Katsina
Bandits on Monday night kidnapped the village head of Kaigar Malamai, Kabir Muhammed Ajiya, his two wives and 14 other peasant farmers in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina state. The bandits were said to have also ransacked the entire village, injuring six other persons and rustled unspecified cows in the village. A survivor of the attack, Umar Abdulsalam, who spoke to newsmen in a telephone interview on Tuesday, said the villagers had relocated to Dan-Musa town and other nearby villages in the local government. Newsmen report that bandits had earlier kidnapped 80 pupils of Hizburrahim Islamiyya School in Mahuta village of Dandume Local Government Area of the state but were rescued by a team of security operatives. He said, “yesterday (Monday) at about 9pm some armed Fulani people r...
