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LATEST ARTICLES
Brick-Hall School Closed for one week over death of four-year-old
The Brickhall School, Abuja Wednesday announced that it has decided to mourn the memory of its late four-year-old pupil, Miguel Ovoke by closing down the school for one week.Ovoke was declared dead by Excel Specialist Hospital, Abuja.
The medical report, signed by Dr. Akinwande Ajayi, on behalf of the medical director, indicated that he was brought in, due to choking on meat while feeding at school.The report indicated that all efforts of the medical team to resuscitate him failed.
Meanwhile, the school, in a statement released on Wednesday and signed by its management, said it was greatly saddened that the life of the pupil could not be saved despite the timely response of its trained nurse and the eventual decision to rush him to a hospital.
While noting the decision to mourn the late pupil by closing the school for one week, the school respectfully urged everyone connected to the tragedy to respect Miguel’s memory with dignity and peace while allowing medical professionals and law enforcement agencies to conclude with the autopsy.
More details to follow…….
Illegal Builders To Pay for Demolition – Commissioner
The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab has revealed that the government may ask illegal builders whose houses are demolished to pay for the demolition.
Wahab disclosed this on Tuesday while replying to a comment calling out the Lagos State Government for demolishing their buildings in Mende estate at Kosofe Local Government Area of the state
Wahab noted that the era of what he described as ‘anyhowness’ in the state is now over, adding, “We cannot be complaining about a problem and still complain about the solution.
Recently, the Lagos State Government commenced demolition of some buildings at Arowojogbe in Mende estate.
The demolition sparked outrage from residents and netizens, who accused them of lack of prior notice. The commissioner added that the demolished structures were built on System 1 drainage right of way to the Odo Iya Alaro River.
Air Peace to Revive Regional Carrier LIAT with Caribbean Governments
Private Nigerian airline, Air Peace, and the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, and St Vincent and the Grenadines have concluded plans to revive a longtime regional carrier, Leeward Islands Air Transportation LIAT Limited, which is currently in comatose.
According to an AOI report on Wednesday, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Brown announced the revitalization of LIAT 2020, which is set to commence operations soon after undergoing testing.
The inter-Caribbean Airline founded in 1956, faced financial challenges and declared bankruptcy in 2020 due to debt and mismanagement, despite being owned by 11 Caribbean islands.
Reps Ask TCN To Restore North East To National Grid
The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, passed a resolution, calling on the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to restore the North East region to the national grid.
This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance by Rep Ahmadu Usman Jahar (Borno, APC).
Jahar in his motion noted that the North East region has been experiencing power challenges due to the activities of insurgents which had led to the destruction of power infrastructures in the region.
He said the current state of transmission conductors in the NorthEast region is insufficient, urging the TCN to upgrade transmission conductors in the region.
The House while adopting the motion urged the federal government to allocate adequate resources to the TCN to enable it to upgrade transmission conductors and improve power supply in the region.
17 Arrested For Allegedly Operating Illegal Bureau De Change
The police have arrested 17 suspected forex hawkers for illegal operation of Bureau de Change in the Wapa area of Fagge Local Government Area of Kano state.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Usaini Gumel, told the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in an interview on Wednesday.
The operation which was led by the Police Command was carried out in Wapa Bureau De Change, Fagge with combined personnel of the Department of Security Services (DSS).
The commissioner commended the combined operatives for their commitment and cooperation in ensuring the success of the operation. He said they recovered 68,000 CFA, and 30 Rupees (Indian Currency) from them.
All the suspects confessed to the offence and will be charged in court.
Jigawa State Approves Establishment of Three New Agencies
The Jigawa State Executive-council has approved the establishment of three new agencies. The Commissioner for Information, Youth Support and Culture, Sagir Musa Ahmad disclosed this to newsmen.
He said the resolution was reached at the state executive council meeting presided over by Governor Umar Namadi.
Ha said the newly proposed agencies include the Jigawa State Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency (JISITDEA), Jigawa State Residents Identity Management Agency (JISRIMA), and Jigawa State Tsangaya Education Board (JISSEB).
Ahmad noted that these proposals will be forwarded to the State House Assembly for legislative approval, following which they will become law.
States, LGs to get 90% VAT revenue – Tinubu panel
The Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms has proposed reviewing states’ and local governments’ share of the Value Added Tax revenue to 90 percent, and reducing the Federal Government’s share from 15 to 10 percent.
The panel also recommended an upward review of the current 7.5 percent rates charged to customers.
The Chairman of the committee, Taiwo Oyedele, disclosed this at a stakeholder’s exposure and impact assessment session organized to discuss some of the major proposals in the National Tax Policy in Abuja.
The Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms has proposed significant changes to the distribution of Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue in Nigeria. The key proposals are:
- Reducing the Federal Government’s share of VAT revenue from 15% to 10%.
- Increasing the states’ share to 90%, which they would then share with local governments.
- Reviewing the current 7.5% VAT rate charged to customers, with a proposal to increase it.
UN General Assembly declares May 25 as World Football Day
May 25 each year has now been declared World Football Day. This follows a United Nations General Assembly resolution to allow football fans to celebrate the most popular sport in the world.
The day marks the 100th anniversary of the first international soccer tournament in history with the representation of all regions which took place on May 25, 1924, during the summer Olympic games held in Paris, according to the resolution.
The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution by consensus with a bang of the gavel by its president, Dennis Francis, to applause from diplomats in the assembly chamber. It was co-sponsored by more than 160 countries.
Libya’s U.N. Ambassador Taher El-Sonni proposed the resolution establishing World Football Day. El-Sonni underlined that football is more than simply a game; it is a “universal language” that transcends national, cultural, and social boundaries, with a global reach and influence on trade, peace, and diplomacy.
The resolution recognizes FIFA and other soccer regulatory bodies’ critical role in promoting the game and urges all countries to embrace football and other sports as a weapon for peace, development, and empowering women and girls.
On May 25, the resolution asks all states, U.N. authorities, international organizations, academia, civil society, and the commercial sector to commemorate World Football Day in accordance with national priorities and to raise awareness of football’s benefits.
ECOWAS To Fund Regional Counter-Terrorism force
The Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS has announced that Heads of State of its member states have agreed to raise $2.4 billion to establish a standby counter-terrorism force to address security threats within the sub-region.
Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, Commissioner of Political Affairs, Peace, and Security of ECOWAS, disclosed this during the opening of a three-day consultative meeting of commandants from the three designated ECOWAS Training Centres of Excellence.
Musah claimed that ECOWAS has already devised the operational protocols and idea for the force, which will be a rapid response battalion that can assault terrorist bases.
The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State has directed member nations to contribute $1 billion to launch the standby force. Ministers of Defense and Finance will meet to finalize financial arrangements.
Musah applauded Nigeria’s efforts to degrade the Boko Haram terrorist group, claiming they no longer pose a threat to the country’s peace and security. Mali, which hosts one of the ECOWAS training centers, was absent from the conference, possibly due to its recent decision to leave the regional bloc.
The counter-terrorism standby force was established after ECOWAS leaders, particularly Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, requested a rapid deployment mechanism to address the growing terrorist threat in West Africa.
Reps Deny Demanding Bribe From Binance
Binance, a global cryptocurrency platform, has accused top Nigerian government officials of requesting a $150 million payment in crypto to settle criminal charges against the company.
The House of Representatives has denied soliciting a bribe from Binance, a famous cryptocurrency company. On Tuesday, the cryptocurrency giant stated that some unknown individuals in Nigeria wanted large payments in digital currency to make their “problems in the country go away”.
Binance.Ltd, a trading platform largely used for exchange trade, has accused the Federal Government of Nigeria of asking for bribes to release their staff arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on February 28 based on accusations of illegal exchange rate manipulation. Binance Chief Executive Officer Richard Teng said the Nigerian government is demanding for Two Hundred Billion Naira to make their money laundering case “GO AWAY’ Richard said this happened in a meeting held by both parties in Abuja.
Reacting to the Bribe allegation labeled against the Federal government by Binance, the Special assistant to the president on social media Dada Olusegun took to his X account to call the allegation leveled by Binance as Bullcrap, saying patriotic citizens should not believe the trading platforms allegation.
The federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the trial to May 13. The court also adjourned the tax evasion trial against Binance and the two executives to May 17 after the matter was stalled because the exchange had not been formally served with the charges.
Meanwhile, the wife of one of the charged Binance executives has accused the Nigerian government of keeping her husband in Kuje prison with dreaded Boko Haram terrorists, saying Gambaryan’s life is at risk and asking the United States to save her husband from the Nigerian government.
Binance’s Chief Executive officer said his organization will only engage in settlement with the Nigeria government on the following conditions.
- Binance needs to see the relevant petition and or the details of all allegations.
- Any settlement must be official, recorded in writing, and signed by all relevant parties
- Any settlement must encompass all relevant agencies and be in full and final settlement of all allegations, including any potential historic tax liabilities, if applicable, with guarantees.
- while the agreement might be done in private, they must be published publicly for the sake of fairness.
- there should be no public hearing before the committee.
