Nigeria
PTF warns against neglect of virus protocols
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has warned against perceived neglect of the non-pharmaceutical protocols and other measures aimed at tackling the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country. The PTF chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, gave the warning at the daily briefing by the PTF on Monday in Abuja. He said that there was increasing disregard for basic non-pharmaceutical measures that have proven to be very successful. He said face masks have now been turned into chin masks, social distancing and gatherings are returning to the pre-COVID era. Mustapha, however, called for vigilance in order to forestall any danger of second wave of the pandemic as the countries in Europe were currently facing. According to him, th...
PPPRA: Previous administrations spent N8.9 trillion on subsidy in 10 years
The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, yesterday, disclosed that N8.9 trillion was spent on fuel subsidy by the Federal Government, mainly by previous administrations, between 2006 and 2015. According to data released to support the need for deregulation of the downstream petroleum industry, the PPPRA stated that the bulk of the sum was expended between 2011 and 2015, where N6.7 trillion, representing 74.8 per cent of the total were spent on subsidy. Giving a breakdown of the figure, the PPPRA disclosed that N257.36 billion, N271.51 billion, N630.57 billion, N409.31 billion, and N667.08 billion were spent on fuel subsidy in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, while in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, fuel subsidy gulped N2.1 trillion, N1.35 trillion, N1.32 trillion, N1.22 t...
NCC mulls new pricing regime for mobile international termination rate
Fix Africa News Magazine The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has embarked on a cost-based study to set the new pricing regime for mobile international termination rate (ITR) for inbound international voice calls in the country. The ITR is the rate paid to local operators by international operators to terminate calls in Nigeria. As part of the process for the rate determination, the Commission has organised a virtual stakeholder engagement forum with relevant industry stakeholders to intimate them with the ongoing cost-based study and the need to cooperate with Messrs Payday Advance and Support Services Limited, the consultants engaged to carry out the study. Addressing the stakeholders in Abuja recently, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said the study has b...
Cross River workers protest removal of names from payroll
Some civil servants whose names were removed from the payroll of the Cross River Government on Monday in Calabar picketed the state secretariat complex, demanding reinstatement. The protesters carried placards with various inscription such as “Ayade pay us our salaries, “No Trade Union in Cross River”, “We will protest until we are reinstated”, among others. It would be recalled that the state government in August 2019 removed the names of no fewer than 2,500 civil servants from its payroll. One of the protesting civil servants, Mr James Obeten, told newsmen that the situation had caused untold hardships in his families. “We were duly employed in 2015, and were given employment letters, it is very shocking that the government stopped our salaries since August 2019. “Without any reason, our...
ECOWAS Court set to resume from extended vacation on October 7
The ECOWAS Court will be resuming its activities on Oct. 7, after its three months vacation. This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by the media office of the justices. The court will deliver judgment in nine cases filed against eight some member states. It added that the cases were also filed against Nigeria’s Cross River State and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) and listed in the latest course list released by the Registry of the Court for the period Sept. 25 to Oct. 28. According to the court, among those listed for judgment is a case filed by Counsellor Kabineh Muhammad Ja’neh, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Liberia against the government. “The former Justice is challenging his removal from office on the grounds that i...
Survival Fund: Nigerian government releases registration schedule as portal opens Monday
As the portal for the registration of prospective beneficiaries for the Survival Fund opens on Monday, the Federal Government has released the timetable for categories of businesses to register. A statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by the Project Delivery Office stated that the portal which opens at 10 PM, will have educational institutions as the first category of beneficiaries to register. “Nigerians interested in the Payroll Support scheme are to note that the site for registration will be open from 10 pm Monday, September 21, 2020. “In order to ensure a seamless registration process, the Project Delivery Office (PDO) has designed a registration schedule. “Registration for Payroll Support will start with educational institutions on Monday and will be followed with businesses in the hos...
Youths should be drivers of innovation, creativity for a better Nigeria – don
Prof. Isaac Adeyemi, the former Vice Chancellor, Bells University of Technology, Ogun, has charged Nigerian youths to harnessy their knowledge via the internet to be drivers of innovation and creativity for a better Nigeria. Adeyemi gave the charge at the Mentoring and Capacity Building Summit of Shining Star Initiative International (SSII), an NGO, in Ibadan on Sunday. According to him, the outbreak of COVID-19 is a game changer; it has changed everything and as such one should think of post COVID-19 activities and actions that will enable one to stay afloat. “The youths are the most vulnerable to the post COVID-19 events, including the educational system. “To position themselves for a successful career, the youths being exposed to technology should take the initiative to see to it that t...
Ebonyi relaxes restrictions on worship centres, drinking parlours, schools
Following reduction in the number of COVID-19 cases Ebonyi state government has relaxed restrictions on events and gathering of persons in the state. The state government directed that all private and public schools, tertiary institutions could reopen on 5th of October 2020. A press statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Barr. Uchenna Orji, stated that “All restrictions in respect of movement order on public burials/ wake keeps, weddings, conferences, meetings, festivals, religious services/gatherings, etc are hereby lifted”. “That all closures of public places such as event centres, bars, places of worship, educational institutions, public parks, night clubs, cinemas, viewing centres and other such public places are hereby lifted”, he added. The docume...
Edo election: We are satisfied with voting process – Governor Wike
The governor of Rivers State and the Edo Guber Election Campaign Council Chairman, Nyesom Wike, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (APC) is satisfied with the voting process in Edo State so far. Wike through his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, via his twitter handle and Facebook page posted; “there was minimal violence recorded because of the proactive measures deployed by the security agencies”. According to him; “there was need for both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to ensure that nothing scuttles the remaining stages. “Like I have said before, election is not only about voting, the votes should be counted, then you proceed to collation stages; ward, local and state government levels. The collation stag...
Governor Wike: Edo election may likely be the best in Nigeria history
The governor of Rivers State and the Edo Guber Election Campaign Council Chairman, Nyesom Wike, has said considering the voting process and methodology employed in Edo State 2020 Guber election, the poll may likely be the best in the history of Nigeria. Wike through his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, via his twitter handle and Facebook page posted; “there was minimal violence recorded because of the proactive measures deployed by the security agencies”. “This may likely be the best election ever conducted in the history of Nigeria. But they must allow the process to continue to the end. Otherwise, they will destroy it. “If it is APC that has won, let it be so. If it is PDP that has won, let it also be so. But I must tell that we are happy with what we hav...
Sultan turbans 15 district heads in Sokoto
The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Saturday turbaned 15 new District Heads in Sokoto State. Newsmen report that the ceremony followed the demise of the District Heads of the respective areas. Mr Abubakar congratulated the newly turbaned Heads and urged them to ensure the best representation for their communities in the Sultanate Council. “Your turbanning is an added responsibility and opportunity to serve the society, as such I urge all of you to remain focused in ensuring sustainable development to the people. “You are all expected to continue to work closely with your community in ensuring sustainable peace and unity in the state,” he said. The Sultan further prayed for the new district heads and for peace and prosperity in the country. Newsmen report that those turbaned includ...
Edo election: Votes sold for N1,000 to N15,000 – CDD
The Centre for Democracy and Development on Saturday condemned the high incidence of vote-trading recorded in the Edo State governorship election. The organisation said reports from its observers on the field showed that politicians, in an attempt to circumvent the electoral process, used young girls as their contact with the voters for the trading. It lamented that votes were traded for cash gifts from N1,000 to N15,000. The Director of CDD, Idayat Hassan, who said these during a press briefing on the preliminary report on the election said it was quite worrisome that “young girls were used for indirect vote-buying during the election.” She said, “We saw largely vote-buying in the Edo election, the most worrisome trend in this election is the level of sophistication at which politicians e...
