The Department of State Services (DSS) has allegedly the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in charge of economic policy, Kingsley Obiora.

According to Peoples Gazette, the CBN deputy governor has spent four nights in the custody of the DSS.

It was gathered that the secret police is looking into allegations of financial mismanagement under Godwin Emefiele, the suspended apex bank governor.

A source familiar with the arrest said he was being targeted as a principal witness against his boss.

Another top CBN official, Abbas Masanawa, was arrested recently and held in custody as officials seek to determine the steepness of Emefiele’s alleged corruption.

The publication did not promptly hear back from the SSS and CBN about Obiora’s detention, which officials said was not entirely unexpected given his knowledge of CBN’s policy decisions.

Obiora, born March 6, 1976, was a policy chief at the International Monetary Fund and advised former finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. He was also an adviser to Emefiele until March 2, 2020, when he was confirmed to his current position as one of CBN’s four deputy governors.

Recall that Emefiele, who was first appointed as CBN governor in June 2014, has been in SSS since June 10, 2023, a day after he was controversially removed from office by President Bola Tinubu.

Abia State Governor Dr Alex Otti has terminated the employment of all civil servants who were employed into the state civil service from December 2022 to date.

The sack, which took effect from August 31, 2023, was announced in a circular signed by the state Head of Service, Lady Joy Maduka.

The circular, which was addressed to the Secretary to the State Government, all Commissioners, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, the Deputy Chief of Staff, and all heads of agencies, said the decision was taken in order to “streamline the civil service and make it more efficient.”

The affected workers are said to be about 10,000 in number.

According to the circular “Following the ongoing reorganization in the Abia State Public Service and in line with the provision of the Abia State Service Rules nos. 02801 and 02803. I write to inform you that the Executive Governor of Abia state has directed the disengagement of all the staff employed into the Abia State Public Service from December 2022, till date.

“However, any further directives of His Excellency on this matter shall be communicated in due course.

“Please take appropriate steps to implement immediately and according to His Execellency directives.

The governor of Niger State, Muhammad Umar Bago has declared a three-day public holiday for the distribution of palliatives to the various wards and units across the 25 local government areas of the state.

The three days declared are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next week.

The governor announced the development at a press briefing in Minna on the modality adoption for the distribution of the palliatives.

He explained that to ensure proper distribution of the palliatives, civil servants in Niger State would shut down governance for three days in the state.

He also directed all political appointees, including permanent secretaries and local government council chairmen who are members of standing committees set up by the state government, to return to their wards and units for the distribution of palliatives.

Bago, however, warned that anyone caught diverting palliatives meant for the people would be jailed to serve as a deterrent to others.

He further announced that so far, the sum of N2bn with five trucks of rice have already been received from the federal government, while 40 bags of maize and additional N2b are being awaited.

According to him, “The sum of N3.2bn will be disbursed to the 25 LGs as palliatives next Monday, and N5.2bn will be injected into local markets next week to boast economic activities in the state.”

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President Bola Tinubu, on Friday in Abuja, declared his unwavering support for a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health’s National Eye Health Programme and the Peek Vision Foundation to provide more than 5 million pairs of eyeglasses to Nigerians with sight impairments.

The President recounted how close to home his first intervention in eye health was as he made a pledge on behalf of the Federal Government during a courtesy visit by the Founder and CEO of Peek Vision Foundation and Co-Founder of the Vision Catalyst Fund, Prof. Andrew Bastawrous.

"My first experience was with my mother of blessed memory. She was ill and she could not recognise me. When I intervened, she was treated and given a pair of glasses. The next question she asked me was: I have you, and you are able to do this for me. What about those other women and their children who may not have somebody like you to intervene for them?

"So I made a promise to her that I will pursue the mass provision of eye care vigorously and that I would provide free eye screenings and surgeries to people because of that question my mother asked me and because of her passion to see others healed. We eventually impacted the eye health of millions of people in Lagos, and you could see their joy over the immediate sight enhancements when they were given a pair of glasses," the President fondly recalled.

Highlighting the pressing need for improved eye health services in Nigeria, President Tinubu expressed concern about the more than 24 million Nigerians grappling with varying degrees of vision impairments.

"We must act now because sight and vision is critical to economic development and growth," the President said, recalling his visionary "Jigi Bola" programme, which was initiated during his tenure as the Executive Governor of Lagos State in 2001 and provided free eye screenings and surgeries to Lagosians while setting a new precedent for proactive eye care initiatives in West Africa.

"I am in support of this initiative, and I will encourage the mobilisation of further commitment to see this through and to reach vulnerable people all across our country. Some parents may not pay attention to this, but I will, because I am touched," the President concluded.

Expressing his commitment to the cause, Prof. Bastawrous said:

"Good vision unlocks human potential. It improves earning, learning, and wellness for individuals, communities, and countries."

He shared his personal story and the transformative power of vision care:

"When I was 12, I was told by my teachers that I was clumsy and lazy, but the results of an eye exam explained I had very poor vision. And when I put on a pair of glasses, I saw the leaves on a tree for the first time, and my life completely changed and two weeks later, I was using my first pair of free eye glasses and I saw stars clearly for the first time. My grades improved, and the trajectory of my life completely changed, all because of a very cheap intervention that is 700 years old. Had that not happened, I would not be standing in front of you today. I would not be a professor, and I would not be involved in the work I am doing because sight gives opportunity," the Peek Foundation CEO shared.

Professor Bastawrous noted that eye care is still chronically under-resourced in many countries, adding that the estimates in Nigeria show that 0.0002 percent of the health budget is spent on eye health.

"The good news is that President Tinubu has an excellent team in the health sector, and some of them have demonstrated tremendous leadership in the sector. What we would like to offer is to bring our Peek Vision methodology and platform to Nigeria to help unlock resources from multiple sources. In the countries where we have worked, Peek in Botswana unlocked 10 million dollars for the school programme, and in Kenya, 17 million Euros. Through the Vision Catalyst Fund, we have secured a donation of 200 million pairs of glasses, and we would like a significant proportion of that to come to Nigeria,” he concluded.

At the end of the event, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate was joined by the Coordinator of the National Eye Health Programme, Dr. Oteri Okolo and the Director of Public Health, Dr. Chukuma Anyaike, as he presented a National Policy Document on Eye Health to the President.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has charged the United Nations to be more practical in supporting Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, in view of the rippling effect on global peace, displacements of people, and rising poverty.

He gave the charge in an audience with the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations Office on Counter-Terrorism, Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, at the State House.

The president noted that terrorism had consistently reversed the gains on development and increased instability in families and communities, but that UN cooperation in dealing with it had always been inconsistent and whimsical in the developing world context.

He said UN charter and not charity must undergird future partnership.

“We appreciate all that you have been doing. We know that in the face of many demands and challenges, you can still do much better. We can score you ‘A’ in collaboration but ‘B’ in physical support. You have to do more because terrorism is an effective danger to democracy; terrorism is also an effective danger to development.

“Growth and prosperity can not be achieved until we banish terrorism. We have to equally look at other sides of the issue, and I have said it is the where, how, and when of terrorism,” the President said in a statement on Friday by his spokeman, Chief Ajuri Ngelale.

President Tinubu noted that in going forward, global peace and prosperity would demand the swift and comprehensive provision of the right answers to the challenge posed by insurgencies in parts of the world, which threaten universal stability.

“We must take into account the basic needs of our people. If out of the meagre resources presently available, we have to dip our hands without the steady support from organisations like the UN, then we are in trouble,” the President asserted.

In his remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, said he had highlighted some of the conditions that promote insurgency like poverty and injustice with the UN team while noting the Nigerian government’s response.

“Nigeria continues to make significant investments in education and social security,” he said.

While commending Nigeria’s contributions toward global counter-terrorism efforts, the Under-Secretary General noted that Nigeria already had a framework on prevention, mitigation, and reconciliation, commending the efforts taken so far in tackling terrorism.

“Of course, terrorism is part of the international agenda, and we had a successful meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, discussing how to enrich our agenda on international terrorism response. I can only mention that politically, and from the point of view of capacity building on activities for counter terrorism, Nigeria is one of the leading partners,” he added.

Voronkov told the President that the UN was planning a Counter-Terrorism Summit in Abuja slated for April 2024, and it would be largely driven by African nations with an African agenda.

President Bola Tinubu, on Friday in Abuja, declared his unwavering support for a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health’s National Eye Health Programme and the Peek Vision Foundation, to provide more than five million pairs of eyeglasses to Nigerians with sight impairments.

According to a statement by Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, the President recounted how close to home his first intervention in eye health was as he made a pledge on behalf of the Federal Government during a courtesy visit by the Founder and CEO of Peek Vision Foundation and Co-Founder of the Vision Catalyst Fund, Prof. Andrew Bastawrous.

“My first experience was with my mother of blessed memory. She was ill and she could not recognise me. When I intervened, she was treated and given a pair of glasses. The next question she asked me was: ‘I have you, and you are able to do this for me. What about those other women and their children who may not have somebody like you to intervene for them?’

“So I made a promise to her that I will pursue the mass provision of eye care vigorously and that I would provide free eye screenings and surgeries to people because of that question my mother asked me and because of her passion to see others healed. We eventually impacted the eye health of millions of people in Lagos, and you could see their joy over the immediate sight enhancements when they were given a pair of glasses,” the President fondly recalled.

Highlighting the pressing need for improved eye health services in Nigeria, President Tinubu expressed concern about the more than 24 million Nigerians grappling with varying degrees of vision impairments.

“We must act now because sight and vision is critical to economic development and growth,” the President said, recalling his visionary “Jigi Bola” programme, which was initiated during his tenure as the Executive Governor of Lagos State in 2001 and provided free eye screenings and surgeries to Lagosians while setting a new precedent for proactive eye care initiatives in West Africa.

“I am in support of this initiative, and I will encourage the mobilisation of further commitment to see this through and to reach vulnerable people all across our country. Some parents may not pay attention to this, but I will, because I am touched,” the President concluded.

Expressing his commitment to the cause, Prof. Bastawrous said: “Good vision unlocks human potential. It improves earning, learning, and wellness for individuals, communities, and countries.”

He shared his personal story and the transformative power of vision care thus: “When I was 12, I was told by my teachers that I was clumsy and lazy, but the results of an eye exam explained I had very poor vision. And when I put on a pair of glasses, I saw the leaves on a tree for the first time, and my life completely changed and two weeks later, I was using my first pair of free eye glasses and I saw stars clearly for the first time. My grades improved, and the trajectory of my life completely changed, all because of a very cheap intervention that is 700 years old. Had that not happened, I would not be standing in front of you today. I would not be a professor, and I would not be involved in the work I am doing because sight gives opportunity,” the Peek Foundation CEO shared.

Professor Bastawrous noted that eye care is still chronically under-resourced in many countries, adding that the estimates in Nigeria show that 0.0002 percent of the health budget is spent on eye health.

“The good news is that President Tinubu has an excellent team in the health sector, and some of them have demonstrated tremendous leadership in the sector. What we would like to offer is to bring our Peek Vision methodology and platform to Nigeria to help unlock resources from multiple sources. In the countries where we have worked, Peek in Botswana unlocked 10 million dollars for the school programme, and in Kenya, 17 million Euros. Through the Vision Catalyst Fund, we have secured a donation of 200 million pairs of glasses, and we would like a significant proportion of that to come to Nigeria,” he concluded.

At the end of the event, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, was joined by the Coordinator of the National Eye Health Programme, Dr. Oteri Okolo, and the Director of Public Health, Dr. Chukuma Anyaike, as he presented a National Policy Document on Eye Health to the President.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been named in Portugal’s squad on Friday for upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Slovakia and Luxembourg.

“A player with 200 appearances, that’s something unique,” said Portugal coach Roberto Martinez of Ronaldo, who has scored five goals in four qualifying games so far.

“I can tell you I’m very happy to have Cristiano Ronaldo in my team.”

The 38-year-old Ronaldo, who now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia, celebrated his 200th international appearance with the winner in a 1-0 victory over Iceland last time out for Portugal in June.

Martinez also included Saudi-based midfielders Otavio and Ruben Neves in his squad and called up uncapped Wolves full-back Toti.

Portugal sits top of Group J in qualifying for next year’s finals in Germany.

They face Slovakia in Bratislava next Friday before hosting Luxembourg three days later.

Portugal squad:

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto/POR), Jose Sa (Wolves/ENG), Rui Patricio (Roma/ITA)

Defenders: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United/ENG), Nelson Semedo (Wolves/ENG), Joao Cancelo (Manchester City/ENG), Danilo Pereira (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Ruben Dias (Manchester City/ENG), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting Lisbon), Toti (Wolves/ENG).

Midfielders (6): Joao Palhinha (Fulham/ENG), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal/KSA), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United/ENG), Otavio (Al-Nassr/KSA), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City/ENG).

Forwards (7): Ricardo Horta (Braga), Rafael Leao (AC Milan/ITA), Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr/KSA), Pedro Neto (Wolves/ENG), Goncalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Diogo Jota (Liverpool/ENG)

Without France’s military operations in the Sahel, “there would probably no longer be a Mali … Burkina Faso, and I’m not sure there would still be Niger”, French President Emmanuel Macron told French publication, Le Point.

Macron is referring to the former colonial power’s interventions in the mid-2000s, Operations Serval and Barkhane.

French troops were moved from Mali to Niger after its military leaders cut ties with the former colonial power.

He said the interventions were done “at the request of African states” and were “successful” as his policy is facing scrutiny in the face of losing the allyship of the last remaining ally, Niger, and increasing negative sentiment from Africans.

He went on to explain that while these operations reflect France’s “honour” and “responsibility”, France could no longer remain involved “when there is a coup d’état, and the priority of the new regimes is not to fight terrorism” even though this is “tragic for the states concerned”.

In the interview, Macron defended his administration’s policy in the Sahel as one of partnership rather than focusing on security.

France refuses to acknowledge coup leader General Abdurahman Tchiani’s announcement that all military deals between Niger and France are terminated, and more than a thousand French troops remain stationed at a military base there.

NAN

The Nigeria Labour Congress will commence a two-day warning strike on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, over what it described as the failure of the government to adequately cushion the effects of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol, The PUNCH reports.

Earlier in August, the labour centre staged a national protest over what it described as “anti-poor” policies meted out on Nigerians by the Bola Tinubu administration.

Following the removal of the subsidy on May 29, 2023, the price of PMS rose to N610 per litre. The hike in fuel eventually led to an increase in the cost of living.

Although the Tinubu administration set up committees to plan out the rollout of palliatives for workers, the labour centre noted that the committee had yet to come up with the plans.

A member of the NLC national body in a terse message said, “There will be a warning strike starting from Tuesday. The national body will issue a notice soon.”