The wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, has warned parents in Abia state that starting from January 2025, it will be a crime for any child to be found hawking during school hours.

Mrs. Otti made this charge on Tuesday during the distribution of free exercise books to pupils and students in the state.

The event was a part of the interventions spearheaded by Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady of Nigeria.

The ceremony, which was sponsored by the Renewed Hope Initiative in collaboration with the Office of the Wife of the Governor and the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), saw the distribution of over 110,000 exercise books with each pupil receiving six exercise books to enhance their learning experience.

Mrs. Otti noted that the state government has prioritized education, providing significant support through infrastructure development, a 20% allocation in the state budget for education, and teacher training programs to enhance teaching and learning.

She noted that Abia State is proud to be among the 13 states on the human capacity map and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to promoting education.

“Parental support plays a vital role in shaping a child’s success, both in school and in life. I urge all parents to be actively involved in their children’s academic journey.

“Take the time to assist them with their homework, ensuring they have the guidance they need to excel.

“Provide them with nourishing meals to fuel their minds and bodies for learning. Make it a priority to visit their schools regularly, fostering a partnership with teachers and showing your children that their education truly matters,” she advised.

The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, called on traditional rulers and community leaders to ensure the protection of school properties.

He also encouraged pupils to study diligently and remain obedient, highlighting that the state government has made education free from primary to junior secondary school.

He further noted that funds have been provided to school heads to support the management of their institutions.

“These exercise books represent tools that will aid in the nurturing and development of the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and innovators.

“We trust you will continue to guide and inspire our children, helping them to reach new heights of achievement.

“May this be the beginning of new learning opportunities for you,” said Ubochi.

Speaking earlier, the Executive Chairperson of ASUBEB, Lady Lydia Onuoha, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr. Kenechukwu Nwosu, described the initiative as a demonstration of sincerity of purpose and further expressed satisfaction that the state government is leading the campaign for education reform.

… Google, X, TikTok, Facebook Deactivate 12 Million Accounts, Delete 65 million Harmful Posts

The National Information Technology Development Agency has disclosed that Google, X, Microsoft, and TikTok paid taxes of over $1.5bn or N2.55tn to the federal government in the first half of 2024.

Also, the platforms deactivated over 12 million Nigerian accounts and took down over 65 million posts.

This was according to a statement by NITDA’s Director of Corporate Communications & Media Relations, Mrs Hadiza Umar.

According to NITDA, the data is a part of the 2023 compliance report on the Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms and Internet Intermediaries.

The Code is jointly issued by NITDA, the Nigerian Communications Commission, and the National Broadcasting Commission

It stated, “The National Information Technology Development Agency has commended Google, X, Microsoft, and TikTok for their compliance with the Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries.

“The Code, which was issued jointly by the Nigerian Communications Commission, National Broadcasting Commission, and NITDA, outlines clear guidelines for promoting online safety and managing harmful content.

“The 2023 compliance report provides valuable insight into the platform’s efforts to address user safety concerns in line with the Code of Practice and the platforms’ community guidelines. The highlight of the overall statistics across all the platforms includes the following:

“Four million, one hundred and twenty-five thousand, two hundred and eighty-three (4,125,283) registered complaints.

“Sixty-five million, eight hundred and fifty-three thousand, five hundred and eighty-one (65,853,581) content takedown.

“Three hundred and seventy-nine thousand, four hundred and thirty-three (379,433) removed and re-uploaded content following an appeal by users.

“Twelve million, ninety-nine thousand, six hundred and thirty-three (12,099,633) closed and deactivated accounts.”

NITDA said that the data from the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that foreign digital companies, including social media platforms, contributed over N2.55tn (approximately $1.5bn) in taxes during the first half of 2024.

The House of Representatives has moved to investigate the circumstances that led to the mass retirement of 1,000 staff members of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The House, during its plenary on Tuesday, also resolved to ascertain the N50bn payoff earmarked for the settlement of the entitlements of the affected staff.

This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance raised by the member representing Ohaozara/Oncha/Ivo Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State, Rep Kama Nkemkama.

The apex bank is reportedly preparing to retire approximately 1,000 of its employees as part of its strategic workforce realignment.

Speaking on the motion, Nkemkama expressed concerns over the actions of the CBN, urging his colleagues to rise to the fact-finding challenge.

He called for a probe of the N50 billion payoff money for the affected staff, stressing that the House should he concerned about the sudden mass retirement, including some directors and senior management staff.

“The development raises critical questions about the criteria for selection, transparency, and adherence to due process in line with public service guidelines and labour laws.

“The disengagement of the staff members has socio-economic implications for the affected individuals, their dependants, and the broader economy, potentially leading to increased unemployment and public dissatisfaction,” he argued.

Nkemkama, who was elected on the platform of the Labour Party, said a payoff scheme amounting to N50bn may lack sufficient accountability and oversight mechanisms.

This, according to him, posed risks of mismanagement and abuse of public funds in a sector vital to the country’s financial stability.

The House agreed with his point of view and resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the matter.

The Reps also resolved to critically examine the N50bn payoff scheme to ensure transparency, accountability, and proper utilisation of funds.

Similarly, the leadership of the House resolved to engage the leadership of the CBN to evaluate the potential economic and institutional impact the mass retirement has on the country’s financial sector.

The lower legislative chamber also urged the CBN to suspend further implementation of the retirement exercise and associated payoff scheme pending the outcome of its investigation.

It called on the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to ensure that the rights of the affected staff members are protected in accordance with extant labour laws.

A US judge on Monday upheld her decision to reject Elon Musk’s massive $55.8 billion compensation package at Tesla, denying an attempt to restore the pay deal through a shareholder vote.

In a court filing, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of Delaware’s Court of Chancery ruled that Tesla’s attempt to ratify Musk’s compensation package through a June shareholder vote could not override her January decision striking down the package as excessive and unfair to shareholders.

“The motion to revise is denied,” McCormick wrote.

“The large and talented group of defense firms got creative with the ratification argument, but their unprecedented theories go against multiple strains of settled law,” she added.

In a statement on Musk’s X social media platform, Tesla said it would appeal the verdict.

“Shareholders should control company votes, not judges,” said Musk, in a separate post.

The court also awarded $345 million in attorney fees, significantly less than the $5.6 billion requested by the lawyers of plaintiff Richard Tornetta, a Tesla shareholder.

While acknowledging their calculation method was technically sound under Delaware law, which bases fees on the percentage of benefit achieved, McCormick ruled that such a large award would constitute an excessive windfall.

Shareholders originally backed the Musk compensation plan in March 2018 that was specifically designed to reward the 53-year-old founder for Tesla’s significant growth.

But in a lawsuit, Tornetta accused the defendants of failing in their duties when they authorized the pay plan and alleged that Musk dictated his terms to directors, who were not sufficiently independent from their star CEO.

He also accused Musk of “unjustified enrichment” and asked for the annulment of a pay program that helped make the entrepreneur the richest man in the world.

During a trial in 2022, Musk countered that investors in Tesla were some of the “most sophisticated in the world” and able to keep tabs on his management.

He said Tesla had been the laughingstock of the auto industry, and it was only the massive success of the company’s Model 3 that turned things around.

Musk insisted that he played no role in coming up with the package nor discussed his deal with the board members, some of them close friends, who ultimately signed off on it.

The Delaware Court of Chancery has been a pillar of US capitalism for more than a century and is the jurisdiction where roughly two-thirds of American Fortune 500 companies are registered.

Musk on Monday reposted other users’ X posts calling for companies to leave Delaware.

Orji Uzor Kalu, the lawmaker representing Abia North in the Senate has spoken about how Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), called and issued threats against him for not supporting the agitation for Biafra

The former Abia state governor made this disclosure during an interview with Arise Television on Monday.

Simon Ekpa, a dual citizen of Finland and Nigeria, was arrested by Finnish police on November 21, 2024, and subsequently imprisoned by the district court of Päijät-Häme.

He faces charges of spreading terrorist propaganda via social media in 2021, allegedly inciting violence and terror in Nigeria’s southeast region.

The federal government has been pressing for Ekpa’s extradition to Nigeria to face prosecution, while the Finnish court has set May 2025 as the deadline for filing charges against him.

Kalu, who urged security agencies to enhance intelligence operations, stressed the importance of proactive measures in combating crime.

He said, “I am very strong-willed when it comes to security, and I can do anything to safeguard the lives and property of the people I rule.

“You must be a strong leader to condemn crime, and I eradicated crime. No governor should tolerate any type of crime in his state; it is not allowed.

“Igbos must have safety on their hands. The federal government and state governors should work towards that, and the army should dismantle all the roadblocks in Igboland.

“Where people will come with transport and stop on the road is no longer viable; that is no longer security. Security is about intelligence.

“Simon Ekpa was calling and threatening me that I don’t support Biafra, but I left him to his conscience.

“My conscience is that I am a democrat, an Igbo man at heart, and I believe in this country, and I believe in my tribe, where I come from, in Igbere.”

Kalu asked the south-east governors to be resolute and ruthless in dealing with the activities of non-state actors.

Mrs Rosemary Oromoni, the mother of the 12-year-old Dowen college student, Sylvester, who died in 2021 as a result of alleged bullying in the school has reportedly died after a protracted illness.

Mrs Oromoni was reported to have suffered heartbreak and trauma over the loss of her youngest child.

Two years after her son’s passing, she reportedly succumbed to health complications attributed to heartbreak and trauma.

The late Sylvester Jnr. was allegedly a victim of severe bullying by senior students in the Lagos-based school, leading to his untimely death.

The family’s ongoing fight for justice has kept their tragic story in the public eye, but the latest loss has left the family in huge shock.

“For over two years, Mrs. Oromoni endured an overwhelming burden of grief, ” a family source who confirmed her death on Sunday, said.

According to the source, the emotional toll of losing her son deeply affected her health and she reportedly died on Monday 25, November, 2024..

“Despite medical care and the unwavering support of her family, she struggled to recover. Her sorrow was described as all-consuming, with many observing her inability to eat, sleep, or resume daily life.

“As time passed, her health deteriorated further. Friends and family revealed that Mrs. Oromoni had lost the will to live, with the pain of her son’s death and the ongoing quest for justice taking a devastating toll.

“Her condition worsened until she succumbed to complications on Monday, 25th November 2024.

“Her passing has been met with an outpouring of sorrow and sympathy, with many linking her untimely demise to the unrelenting grief she carried.

“The Oromoni family now faces the daunting task of mourning not only their young son but also a devoted mother whose life was cut short by the weight of her anguish.

“The death of Mrs. Oromoni has reignited public calls for justice for Sylvester Jnr., as supporters rally around the family in their time of need.

“Many see Mrs. Oromoni as a poignant symbol of the devastating impact of unresolved grief and the urgent need to address systemic failings that allow such tragedies to occur.

“As the Oromoni family continues their quest for justice, the memory of both mother and son now stands as a sobering reminder of the profound cost of injustice”, the family source wrote.