Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, has urged the Federal Government to deploy a huge percentage of funds saved from fuel subsidy withdrawal to infrastructure and social development.

Speaking at the Nigerian Academy of Engineering Annual Lecture with the theme: “Financing Engineering Infrastructure,” held Thursday at the University of Lagos state, Akoka, the former Central Bank Governor of Nigeria urged the government to make this investment in the nation.

He said investing eight to 10 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product in public infrastructure yearly, for the next 10 years, will positively impact the lives of citizens.

“For the federal government to succeed in infrastructure provision, it is necessary to collaborate with state governments who understand the most priority of their needs.

“For example, in the area of road infrastructure provision, the state governments are in the best position to know the alignment of roads from one end to the other.

“Thus, it is imperative that such projects require joint collaboration for a successful and functional execution,” Soludo explained.

Also speaking at the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, who was represented at the lecture by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, stressed the need for collaboration and partnership among all stakeholders for government to achieve its goals.

“In the face of dwindling economic fortunes especially in the area of revenue generation, it becomes absolutely imperative for the government to apply innovative and creative strategies to bridge the financing gap being experienced in the country as the government alone cannot provide all the solutions,” he said.

He continued saying; “Also, there is a need to provide the necessary support for professionals in the engineering sector and other science and technology related sector.

“This will help in channeling their knowledge and expertise towards developing sustainable solutions to our local challenges.”

Hospital doctors in England on Friday announced the longest strike in the history of the state-funded National Health Service (NHS), in an ongoing row over pay.

Junior doctors — those below consultant level — will walk out for five days from 7:00 am (0600 GMT) on July 13 until the same time on July 18, the British Medical Association said.

The stoppage — just after the NHS marks its 75th anniversary — follows a 72-hour strike this month in opposition to the government’s refusal to budge on its offer of a five-per cent pay increase.

Medics say they have seen a 26-per cent pay cut in real terms in the last 15 years, as salaries have failed to keep pace with inflation.

They want pay restored to 2008-2009 levels but the government says this would mean an average pay award of about 35 per cent this year and is too costly.

Robert Laurenson and Vivek Trivedi, who jointly chair the BMA junior doctors committee, said the government seemed intent on letting the NHS “decline to the point of collapse”.

They highlighted a BMA survey that said more than half (53 per cent) of the nearly 2,000 junior doctors who responded had received offers to move abroad in the past four months.

The government of South Australia state had even paid for advertising trucks to be sent to picket lines offering better pay if doctors emigrated, they claimed.

Laurenson and Trivedi said the government was refusing to reopen talks on pay, forcing them to stage “the longest single walkout by doctors in the NHS’s history”.

The strike could be averted if the government comes up with a “credible offer” on pay restoration, they added.

A series of strikes by doctors, nurses and other medical staff over below-inflation pay rises and conditions have hit patient care, forcing the cancellation or rescheduling of appointments.

Health officials say it has disrupted services, just as the service battles to clear a huge backlog in treatment caused by years of under-funding and under-staffing, and by the Covid pandemic.

The NHS marks its 75th anniversary on July 5. Funded by general taxation, it was set up in 1948 to provide free health care “from the cradle to the grave”.

Gov Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Friday, failed to appear before the state election petition tribunal as he was ordered by the tribunal yesterday.

Justice K. M. Akano, the tribunal’s chairman, had ordered Mbah to appear before the tribunal to clarify allegations that he forged his National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate.

The order was sequel to an application made by the Peoples Redemption Party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr Chris Agu.

Agu is seeking to upturn the declaration of Mbah as the winner of the March 18 governorship election. According to him, Mbah did not qualify to contest the election, having allegedly forged his National Youths Service Corps discharge certificate.

Ozor Alex Amujiogu, counsel to the petitioner, during Friday’s proceedings, told the court to use its discretion to decide the matter. He said the soepena was from the court, hence the court should determine the implications of the governor’s failure to appear.

He said, “The court has the inherent power to determine the next line of action against him. The battle now is between the tribunal and Mbah. Our service was proper because the tribunal agreed yesterday that we serve him through his lawyer, which was done in court. He might be relying on immunity. The matter is still pending. It was adjourned to tomorrow. The matter was in court before he was sworn in. That is why the tribunal ordered his appearance. The tribunal can apply its power of sanction or use his non-appearance during the judgement, which is the last bus stop.”

Recall that Mbah failed to appear yesterday, with the petitioner telling the court that security operatives did not allow the order to be served on him. The court thereafter granted the petitioner’s request to serve Mbah through his lawyer.

PDP counsel, Barr Anih, told newsmen that there was a process of summoning people to appear in court, which was not followed.

He said, “The petition has not complied with the rules of the High Court, which the tribunal is an arm of. The soepena ought to be filed alongside the originating process. They should have served the governor with the petition. You don’t serve the governor with papers. Let them go and comply with the rules, and the governor will appear. Immunity does not come in here.”

Nineteen Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have kicked against the bill seeking to regulate and set standards for the practice of Christianity in Nigeria for lack of merits.

The coalition of CSOs rose against the bill at a multi-stakeholder press conference in Lagos.

It should be recalled that Senator Binos Yaroe, representing Adamawa South Senatorial District, sponsored the bill that has passed the second reading.

The bill stated that the national centre for Christian education would resolve the country’s “inappropriate practice” of religion that has been creating issues in the country.

A human rights lawyer and representative of the CSOs, Mr. Sonnie Ekwowusi, condemned the bill.

Ekwowusi added that the lawmakers ought to set up a bill to secure the lives and properties of Nigerians.

He also argued that the bill striped Nigerians of their fundamental human rights and contradicts democracy.

He said: “Lawmakers do not own the people. Instead, they were employed to serve them.

“The nine-page bill violated Sections 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42 of our 1999 Constitution.”

He also insisted that the bill violated Articles 2, 8, 9, 17, 18, 27, 28, and 29 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification Enforcement) Act.

The lawyer cautioned that “if you impose bills like this on people, you cannot have peace.”

Ekwowusi said: “CAN is a voluntary organisation. All Nigerian Christians and citizens are not members of CAN. CAN has been hijacked and is now used by selfish politicians to satisfy their interests.”

Another lawyer, Mr. Ben Abraham, noted that the bill’s sponsors failed to understand the separation of the state and church, also known as the separation of religion and government in a presidential democracy and secular state such as Nigeria.

“The value of democracy stands or falls with the fundamental values that it embodies and promotes.

“A democratic government ought to conduct its activities in line with the will and aspirations of the people,” he added.

He also warned that any democracy that infringes “the inalienable human rights of citizens is despotism par excellence, even though it externally wears the toga of democracy.”

As the federal government searches for better funding options for the health sector, global businessman, Mr Bill Gates, has said his foundation will commit $7 billion to Africa in the next four years to support routine immunisation in Nigeria and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in Northern Nigeria.

Also, business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has said Bill Gates and himself had been partnering with both the federal and state governments for several years, supporting the efforts at eradicating polio and improving routine immunisation, nutrition and primary healthcare in Nigeria.

They spoke yesterday at a parley with some governors under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Bill Gates said, “We genuinely believe that the National Economic Council (NEC) and the decisions that you will make over the next four years will determine whether Nigeria has sound economic growth, keeps its citizens happy and achieves the sustainable development goals.”

In his remarks, the chairman of NGF, Alhaji Abdulraman Abdulrasaq and other governors who spoke at the parley lauded the philanthropic interventions of Dangote and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations in critical areas including healthcare, education, agriculture and human capital development. The governors expressed readiness to further collaborate with the Dangote and Gates Foundations in the coming years.

At the event, Vice President Kashim Shettima said, “We are going to address the concerns that surround the financing of our primary healthcare system in the country.”

He said polio is one of the major primary healthcare challenges in the country and disclosed that “the proposal is to provide timely domestic financing for the procurement of vaccines, which couldn’t have come sooner, to boosting our industrial capacity to produce vaccines.”

While acknowledging the threats facing Nigeria in the area of polio, he averred that Nigeria’s three dose pentavalent vaccine coverage has improved from 33 percent in 2016 to 57 percent in 2021.

He stated further that “the variant polio virus has declined in Nigeria by 84 percent from 2021, falling to fewer than 200 cases in 2022. He therefore commended the states that have achieved high category immunization coverage, which is between 60% and 80% of the target demographic and the number of states has expanded from 12 to 21 states in five years.”

Giving further assurance, he said, “The federal government and our respective state governments are going to put in place a transparent process and structure to undo the reality of the country as one with one of the highest proportions of non-immunized infants in the world over the last decade.”

Shettima stressed that the federal government is “committed to eradicating variant poliovirus by the end of the year ensuring that every Nigerian child is covered in the routine immunization campaigns.”

On the issue of production of vaccines for immunisation of children, he assured that “we are going to work together to ensure that these vaccines are made available even to zero-dose children, of which ours, at 2 million, are the highest in the world after India.”

The vice president expressed the appreciation of the federal government to partners such as Dangote Foundation and Bill Gates Foundation, whose empathy shone through that uncertain period in our history.

The Head of Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan has approved the compulsory examination for public servants in the Federal Public Service.

Naija News reports the examination is for newly appointed Administrative Officers, Foreign Affairs Officers, Executive Officers, Police Officers, Para Military, and other Professionals in the public service.

The Permanent Secretary, Management Career Service, in the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, stated this in a circular issued on Thursday.

Ogunbiyi said any officer who fails to pass the examination after three consecutive attempts shall be required to resign or withdraw from the Service in accordance with Public Service Rules.

The circular reads: The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has approved the conduct/management of the year 2023 Compulsory Confirmation/Promotion Examination for newly appointed Administrative Officers, Foreign Affairs Officers, Executive Officers, Police Officers, Para Military and other Professionals in the Federal Public Service.

“The Examination which is conducted by the Career Management Office of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, is a statutory requirement for the career progression of all staff in the Public Service.

“The Examination has been scheduled to take place throughout the Federation from Tuesday 19– Friday 22 September 2023. B. Any officer who fails to pass the examinations after three consecutive attempts shall be required to resign or withdraw from the Service in accordance with Public Service Rules 060203 and 060204 as stated below: (i) 060203.

“The Permanent Secretary/Head of Extra-Ministerial Office shall ensure strict compliance and enforcement. (i) 060204 – “An officer who fails to take the Confirmation Examination after 3 years of his/her first appointment shall be required to resign from Service”. 4. The categories of officers eligible to sit for the examinations are: (a) Administrative Officers/Professionals (Doctors, Engineers, Teachers, Nurses etc) appointed directly into the Federal Public Service on first appointment; (b) Administrative ~ Officers/Professionals (Doctors, Engineers, Teachers, Nurses etc) promoted from junior posts, who are yet to be confirmed; (c) Administrative Officers/Professionals transferred from other Scheduled Services who at the date of transfer are under the age of 40 years and have not satisfied conditions for confirmation; (d) All unconfirmed Professionals e.g Doctors, Engineers, Architects, Surveyors that are in Government employment; (e) Officers appointed on first appointment as Executive Officers; (f) Executive Officers transferred from other Scheduled Services who at the date of transfer are under the age of 40 years and have not satisfied conditions for confirmation; and (8) Unconfirmed Assistant Executive Officers promoted from junior posts. 5. The registration will be done online via the COMPRO Portal on woww.ohcsf.gov.ng while the examination will be done by Computer Based Test (CBT).

“The candidate(s)’ Head of Department must countersign their printed slip generated from the portal. Slips that are not endorsed by the Director of Human Resources/Administration will not be acceptable during accreditation at the Examination Centre. The letter of First Appointment supporting the candidate’s application should be uploaded while filling out the online Form.”

French President Emmanuel Macron and his Nigerian counterpart, Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, exchanged hugs at the opening ceremony of the Global Financial Pact Summit in Paris, France.

Naija News reports that President Tinubu, who is traveling abroad for the first time as President, arrived in Paris on Tuesday for the two-day Summit.

The Nigerian leader, who was welcomed to the summit by President Emanuel Macron and his wife, share hugs with his host. President Tinubu also posed for photos with the French leader and his wife before the start of the event.

The summit, a two-day event taking place at Palais Brongniart in Paris, is designed to explore efficient ways to combat poverty and the negative impacts of climate change on the global financial system.

See the video below.

• Uber Nigeria confirms fare increase to support drivers facing new living standards due to inflation.
• Fares were updated between June 3rd to June 6th in response to the fuel hike in Nigeria.
• Uber aims to provide better earning opportunities for drivers and maintain an affordable service for riders.

Uber Nigeria has announced an increase in fares between June 3rd and June 6th, aimed at assisting drivers who are grappling with the challenges posed by inflation and the recent fuel price hike.

The company’s decision reflects its commitment to providing better earning opportunities for drivers while maintaining an affordable service for riders.

According to Uber, the fare adjustment is designed to help drivers cover rising operating costs and is part of their ongoing efforts to support their driver community.

In a statement attributed to Tope Akinwumi, Country Manager for Uber in Nigeria, he said:

• “Drivers are at the heart of everything we do, and we continue to work on initiatives and engage with drivers to help make Uber the app of choice for drivers while maintaining an affordable service for riders.
• “Following an in-depth review of the current fuel subsidy removal, Uber updated fares on the 3rd and 9th June on the app to reflect existing economic conditions.
• “We believe these changes have helped better support drivers in increasing their earning opportunities. Furthermore, we lowered the service fee in February 2022 from 25% to 20% to help enable better-earning opportunities for drivers.
• “We want the best for drivers who operate on the Uber platform and frequently engage with them directly through roundtables, surveys, phone, and in-app channels to better understand and receive feedback on the realities they face in their businesses.”

Why did Uber increase fares?

According to Uber, the June 2023 fare increases are designed to help drivers cover the recent increase in fuel costs, not the entire cost of fuel.

The company also said that it is constantly monitoring local dynamics to see what changes can be implemented and when.

Uber also said that its service fee ensures the running of the Uber App and helps it maintain and make continuous investments to enhance its technology designed to meet the needs of riders and drivers.

The company claimed that drivers on its platform earn more than other ride-hailing platforms in Nigeria.

Uber is one of the leading ride-hailing platforms in Nigeria, offering services such as UberX, Uber Comfort, Uber Greenlight Hubs, and Uber Cash. The company has faced competition from other players such as Bolt, InDrive and Gokada.

Backstory

Last year, 2022- the ride-hailing company had several fare increases to help drivers with the spike in operating costs. Following the hike in fuel price at N500/L, inflation of 22.41%, the news fares is a reflection of the current macroeconomic reality in Nigeria.

[Nairametrics]

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party during the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has reacted to the news of a Nigerian lady, Ifeoma Amuche, emerging as the best-graduating student at South West University in China.

In a congratulatory message via his Twitter page on Friday morning, Obi commended Amuche, saying it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to achieve such academic height.

The former Governor of Anambra State also acknowledged that Amuche had brought honour to Nigeria and established herself on the global state through her remarkable academic performance.

“I congratulate Miss Ifeoma Amuche, a Nigerian student who recently emerged as the Best Graduating Student at South West University, China. It takes immeasurable hard work and dedication to achieve such an academic feat and stand out from the crowd.

“You have, by your outstanding academic results, brought honour to our nation and established yourself on the global stage. As a firm believer in education, I know there are no limits to how far one can go by taking their education seriously.

“Every Nigerian youth will be able to attain their full potential if we make the right investments in education. Your outstanding achievement shows clearly that we must spare no effort in the education of the girl child knowing that excellence is no respecter of gender,” Obi wrote on Twitter.

He urged Amuche to remain hardworking, remain of good character, and focus on building a more productive and impactful life.

“Keep the flag flying,” the Labour Party presidential candidate ended his tweet.

[NaijaNews]

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday said that noodles produced in the country did not contain ethylene oxide or its metabolism.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this at a media briefing organised to present the outcome of its investigation on whether noodles produced in the country contained ethylene oxide.

Mrs Adeyeye said the investigation was occasioned by the recall of Indomie Instant Noodles Special Chicken Flavour by Malaysia and Taiwan, on account of the alleged presence of ethylene oxide, a compound associated with an increased risk of cancer.

She said: “At the time of my initial press release on the issue, I assured the public that a thorough investigation of the products would be conducted both at the factory and market levels and that our findings would be communicated.

“As soon as we received the news of the product recalls in Malaysia and Taiwan, immediately I requested the Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition to carry out investigation and random sampling of Indomie instant noodles from the production facilities.

“And extend the investigation to other brands of instant noodles offered for sale to Nigerians.

“Imported noodles are not expected to be sold in Nigeria because NAFDAC does not register imported noodles as a result of the ban by the Nigerian government many years ago to foster local production.

“Samples of chicken-flavoured instant noodles of various brands and the seasonings were drawn from the production facilities across the country to ensure robust investigation.

“A total of one hundred and fourteen (114) samples of instant noodles and the seasonings were received, while samples were also collected from Lagos, Abuja and Kano.”

According to Mr Adeyeye, findings show that ethylene oxide or its derivative was not found in any of the instant noodles produced in Nigeria and their seasonings.

Mrs Adeyeye said: “The compound of interest, ethylene oxide, is a colourless, odourless gas that is used to sterilise medical devices and has been implicated as a cancer-causing chemical.

“We did not only analyse for ethylene oxide and its derivative 2-chloroethanol in the noodles and seasonings, we also analysed for other contaminants such as mycotoxins and heavy metals in the samples.”

The D-G explained that the delay in the analytical activities in the laboratory was not deliberate.

She noted that the agency placed orders for the procurement and supply of certified reference materials (standards), reagents and chemicals from overseas.

She reassured Nigerians that the agency would continue to remain proactive and committed to its responsibilities of protecting the public’s health.

(NAN)