The Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority (OGPDPA) has continued its periodic sensitization exercise to Community Development Areas, as part of its efforts to increase awareness about the advantages and prospects of the "Build Right" agenda.
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tpl Olatunji Odunlami, while addressing members of the Itesiwaju-Adigbe, Community Development Area (CDS), in Abeokuta, stated that enlisting grassroots engagement through regular interactions would bring governance closer to the people.
Represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Enforcement and Compliance, Babatunde Olugbewesa, the Commissioner called for collaborative efforts at ensuring that communities develop according to the plans and permits of the state government.
He disclosed further that, it was important for developing communities to first, design layout plans, which must be approved by the government and second, build accordingly, to avoid future challenges like flooding.
"Areas that do not have layout plans and landlords without planning permits, can approach any of the 22 town planning zonal offices across the state or the headquarters at Oke-Mosan Abeokuta for regularisation.
"Also, Community Development Areas (CDAs) should sensitize their members to obey setback and airspace requirements, while land sellers should avoid indiscriminate cutting of land for sale without due recourse to the future sustainability of the environment", he said.
In his address, the Acting General Manager, OGPDPA, Tpl. Idowu James, noted that the CDAs could help curtail haphazard development in the area through regular sensitisation of their members about 'Building Right' and reporting illegal structures or developments in its early stages.
James enjoined CDAs to educate landowners about the need to obtain planning permits and all necessary building authorisations, as well as the importance of building, according to the specifications of the permits granted.
Responding on behalf of the CDA, the Executive Secretary, Chief Mrs. Atinuke Balogun, appreciated the agency for the exercise, saying the question and answer session offered an opportunity for their members to clarify some issues that had been of concern to them.
In his response, Chairman of the CDA, Alhaji G. B. Bello, encouraged members to visit the town planning office in their zone for further clarification and enlightenment about building in accordance to the laws of the state.
Ogun State Government has identified roles being played by the Mass Literacy Education programmes towards promoting political, socio-cultural and economic advancement of the nation.
Speaking during the 2023 International Literacy Day, themed, "Promoting Literacy For A World In Transition Building: The Foundation For Sustainable And Peaceful Societies", the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, said to actualise lofty national ideals, the state government had embarked on various laudable initiatives, aimed at addressing literacy rate across the state, revealing that emphasis would be placed on skill development for poverty reduction.
Arigbabu, according to the Ministry's Press Officer, Ayoola Obadimu, called on relevant stakeholders to collaborate with government to train parents towards becoming literates, which to a large extent, would have multiplier effects, not only in motivating their children to attend formal school but also to influence their active participation in matters affecting their lives and society in general.
Arigbabu said, "It becomes necessary to create conditions that will help to facilitate effective popular participation in the establishment and running of Adult, Informal and Non-Formal Education Centres in the identified communities in Ogun State. This will in no small measure, help to promote community-based projects and as well harness the willingness of the people to undertake sacrifices and expend their social energies for the common good".
He applauded National Mass Education Commission (NMEC), Non-Governmental Organisations and the State Agency for Mass Education for maintaining an improved mass literacy delivery in the state, saying government’s effort was visible by the prompt payment of honoraria to Adult Literacy Centres' facilitators and establishment of more Adult Literacy Centers, as well as, resuscitation of moribund Women Education Centres across the state.
In her remarks, the Director of Education, Agency for Mass Education, Mrs. Olubunmi Oso, said literacy encompasses the capacity to acquire knowledge, access information and fully engage in social, economic and cultural activities, commending the Governor for successful hosting of the 2023 Literacy, through Economic Empowerment Strategies (LEES) for South-Western states of the country.
[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Mourns Former Anambra Governor, Chukwuemeka Ezeife
AdminPresident Bola Tinubu sympathizes with the Ezeife family, the people, and the government of Anambra State on the passing of Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, CON, former governor of the state.
Chief Ezeife, Okwadike of Igbo-Ukwu, was governor of Anambra from 1992 to 1993.
President Tinubu extols the towering influence of the former federal permanent secretary in Nigeria’s political landscape as well as his leadership credentials, describing his passing as a painful loss.
The President recalls the contributions the late Chief Ezeife made in the shaping of public discourse and governance in Nigeria, as well as in laying the foundation for the advancement of his dear state.
While praying for the repose of the soul of the dearly departed, the President encourages his loved ones to take solace in his indelible legacy.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
December 15, 2023
A close aide to the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has claimed that the list of commissioners, special advisers and other key aides, as well as their portfolios, was handed over to his principal, by his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
The aide in an interview with Punch, said Fubara had no input into the appointments as his predecessor was solely responsible for their selection and appointment.
According to the source, the resignation of some of the commissioners was a confirmation that they were not appointed by Fubara.
The aide stated, “Yes, the resignation of the commissioners has shown that they were not appointed by the governor. They were never his nominees. The list of the commissioners and advisers was handed over to the governor by the former governor with instructions on portfolios and offices to occupy. Even security agents were handed over to the governor with clear instructions on where to post them.
“Is there a way the governor can appoint commissioners, advisers and others and they will be resigning this way? It is not possible. Don’t forget that we are just about seven months in office. Commissioners appointed by the governor won’t leave.”
Speaking on the claim by Wike that Fubara and all elected officials in Rivers State did not buy nomination forms from their pockets, the source said, “Yes, the former governor was correct to say he bought the forms for everyone. But pray, with which money? You know the salary of a governor and you know the cost of nomination and expression of interest forms for the Peoples Democratic Party.
“Let those who want to go leave and the governor will assemble members of his team, and not moles planted to spy on the administration.”
The World Bank, on Friday, announced that it has approved the Nigeria Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) project, which, it said, is financed by an International Development Association (IDA) credit of $750 million and will leverage over $1 billion of private capital and significant parallel financing from development partners, including $100 million from the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet and $200 million from Japan International Cooperation Agency.
According to a statement issued by the Bretton Woods institution, other development partners collaborating on the programme include the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the German Development Agency (GIZ), SEforAll, and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The statement said: “The DARES project aims to provide over 17.5 million Nigerians with new or improved access to electricity through distributed renewable energy solutions.
The DARES project will use innovative financing solutions to scale up private sector-led clean electricity provision in Nigeria.
“As of 2021, over 85 million Nigerians lacked access to electricity; businesses and households with access to the national grid have faced unreliable and insufficient supply, a gap often filled with power from petrol and diesel-run generator sets that are costly and highly polluting to people and the environment.”
It further said: “To further address the access gap, DARES will build on the achievements of the World Bank-financed Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP), which has supported the establishment of 125 mini-grids and the sale of over a million Solar Home Systems, through which more than 5.5 million Nigerians have gained access to electricity. NEP has also resulted in the creation of over 5,000 private-sector local green jobs in Nigeria.
“The DARES programme will enable the Federal Government of Nigeria to coordinate and finance all off-grid electrification efforts and will help states access technical assistance to develop institutional capacity and policy frameworks for rooftop solar.
“The programme will prioritize gender and inclusion by building on the NEP’s gender-related actions to facilitate access to electricity for disadvantaged female-headed households and women-led MSMEs, as well as actions to increase the employment of women in the energy sector.
The statement quoted World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri, as saying: “We are committed to expanding clean energy-based access in Nigeria, with the USD $750 million Nigeria DARES project being the largest ever single distributed energy project of the World Bank globally.
“It will benefit over 17.5 million unserved, underserved, rural, and remote Nigerians through the deployment of standalone solar and mini-grids and replace more than 280,000 polluting and expensive petrol and diesel generator sets, an important step for Nigeria towards achieving its energy transition targets.
“Through the DARES project, Nigeria will be able to provide up to 237,000 MSMEs with reliable and clean electricity for productive uses that will help improve their potential to generate income and create local jobs.”
It also quoted Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adebalu, as saying: “I am excited to contribute to this revolutionary movement, emphasizing innovative financial instruments like the DARES programme. These initiatives not only unlock the full potential of the off-grid sector but also fuel investments, propelling forward clean energy solutions.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has admitted that he was exhausted and slumped during his birthday colloquium on Thursday in Abuja.
He did not deny that he collapsed but advised Nigerians to drink enough water as what happened to him could happen to anyone.
Recall the former Akwa Ibom State governor continued his birthday celebration in Abuja on Thursday after a stupendous birthday bash at the Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo over the weekend.
The celebration which received knocks for being too extravagant at a time Nigerians are groaning under difficult economic situations was attended by over 103 senators, wife of the president, Oluremi Tinubu among others with people brought from all the local governments in the state donning different uniforms.
Akpabio was seen jogging across the stadium to a rousing welcome while receiving cheers from people who filled the stadium.
The final phase of the celebration was the colloquium in his honour which had President Bola Tinubu in attendance in Abuja on Thursday.
However, it did not go as planned as Akpabio said he passed out due to exhaustion.
“What eventually happened after the event was a show of humanity,” Akpabio tried to explain his ordeal.
He said, “I went home and I called my doctors, and I was assured that I have malaria, mingled with stress, which could also be described in another way as exhaustion.
“In fact, anybody could be exhausted. Please drink water regularly so that you don’t get exhausted,” he added.
He said he’s unshaken adding, “This is to say that the work goes on. I want to assure Nigerians that the National Assembly is intact and we are still going on with our duty and our appropriation.
“We will resume on December 20. But before then, the various committees must have finished their work to enable us to meet the target of passing the budget before the end of the year for the president to append his signature,” Akpabio who has courted controversy since he assumed office as senate president added.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has appealed to the National Assembly to approve the N17bn appropriated for the FCT Administration in the 2024 budget.
Wike made the appeal when he appeared before the joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on FCT, in Abuja on Friday.
He explained that N17.1bn was allocated to the FCT Administration, adding that the amount was allocated to complete abandoned projects and sustain the implementation of critical projects.
He said that of the amount, N5bn was allocated as counterpart funding for the Greater Abuja Water Supply project and N4.5bn for the design and construction of Nigeria Cultural Centre and Millennium Tower.
Delta Police ban sale, use of fireworks, others at Christmas, New Year celebrations
He also said that N3bn was allocated for the rehabilitation of the federal secretariat, while N4bn was allocated for the completion of the Vice President’s residence.
The minister added that N609.7m was budgeted for the settlement of residential and office accommodation for international organisations in the FCT.
“The money is just N17.1bn, so what can I say other than to say, please help us pass it,” the minister told the lawmakers.
On the performance of the 2023 budget, Wike said N15.5bn was appropriated for infrastructural development, adding, however, that only N8bn was released, representing 52 per cent.
The member representing the Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro federal constituency in Rivers State at the House of Representatives, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, has said 27 lawmakers from the state who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) had become former members.
Naija News reports that Abiante made this known during an interview on Channels TV on Friday evening.
He said the Supreme Court’s decision is evident on the issue, and the lawmakers have lost their seats, adding they decided to leave constitutional duties assigned to them.
He stated, “Some members have decided to leave the constitutional duties assigned to them. The Supreme Court had made a decision on that, that if you leave the political party on the platform of which you were elected, when there is no division, you lose your seat.
“As it stands today, we had members who are former members of the House of Assembly. On their volition, they decided to leave and they are gone. They should be courageous enough to stand up to the choice they have made.”
Speaking on the demolition of the Assembly complex on Wednesday, which some lawmakers had described as the height of recklessness, Abiante said there was no sinister motive behind it by the government of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Abiante said the immediate past governor of the state and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, currently at loggerheads with his successor, was aware that the Assembly complex had become defective.
He added that the Assembly complex should not be seen differently if some other public buildings had been demolished and rebuilt in the past.
He stated, “On the demolition of the chamber, even before the exit of the immediate past governor, on the day he commissioned the residential quarters of the speaker, he brought the attention of all of us that the chamber indeed could not stand the test of time. It had leakages all over and there had been a recent incident, whether it was burnt or there was explosion, it failed an integrity test.
“Nobody would want to expose themselves to that danger. Is there a history of having to rebuild public asset? The answer is yes. The Mile One market has been brought down and reconstructed; the Fruit Garden has been brought down and reconstructed; the Assembly Quarters has been brought down and reconstructed, so what is the difference? They were all public assets and had to be rebuilt, and in rebuilding them, you had to bring down the previous structures.”
Following the Supreme Court’s verdict mandating that Nnamdi Kanu face trial, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Paul Ananaba says the apex court had the power to grant bail to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
An appeal court had dismissed charges against the IPOB leader but the Federal Government challenged the judgement with the Supreme Court on Friday ruling that Kanu should face trial.
But speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Ananaba said the public had high hopes that Nnamdi Kanu would be released and said the apex court could have done so.
“I believe the Supreme Court had all the inherent powers to take any decision in the best interest of the country,” Ananaba said.
“My expectations would have been that, having found out that the way the arrest was done wasn’t approved by the Supreme Court, having found that the invasion of Kanu’s residence and all that wasn’t acceptable, I had expected that Nnamdi Kanu should stand his trial, but the Supreme Court also had the right and the powers to have granted him bail on some certain conditions.
“When the Supreme Court had found that that bail was wrongly revoked, I believe the Supreme Court would have made a consequential order in that order that ‘that bail be restored’.”
While recognising the Supreme Court’s assertion that Kanu should face trial at the Federal High Court, Ananaba believes that having found faults in the government’s handling of the case, the apex court could have exercised its right to grant bail under certain conditions.
“I believe the Supreme Court would have made a consequential order in that order that ‘that bail be restored’ when the Supreme Court had found that that bail was wrongly revoked,” he restated.
However, the Professor of Law urged Nigerians to respect the decisions of the Supreme Court.
The court, in its judgement, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, stated that the Court of Appeal was wrong to rule that Kanu could not be retried based on the government’s alleged illegality during his arrest and the invasion of his home.
Addressing Kanu’s absence in court during the judgement, the Supreme Court maintained that the Nigerian government’s actions, though deemed reckless and unlawful, do not strip the courts of the power to proceed with the trial for alleged criminal charges.
The proscribed IPOB leader has been in detention since June 2021 facing charges including treasonable felony and terrorism.
The Federation Account Allocation Committee has shared the sum of N1.088 trillion to the Federal Government, States and Local Government Councils.
A communique issued at the end of the FAAC, in Abuja, on Friday, indicated that the allocation came from November 2023 Federation Account revenue.
The N1.088 trillion distributable revenue comprised a distributable statutory revenue of N376.306 billion, distributable Value Added Tax revenue of N335.656 billion, Electronic Money Transfer Levy revenue of N11.952 billion and Exchange Difference revenue of N364.869 billion.
According to the communique, a total revenue of N1.620 trillion was earned in the month of November 2023.
Out of the gross revenue, deductions for cost of collection was N60.960 billion; while total transfers, interventions and refunds stood at N470.592 billion.
Gross Statutory revenue of N882.560 billion was received for the month of November 2023.
A statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Bawa Mokwa, said this amount was higher than the N660.090 billion received in the month of October 2023 by N222.470 billion.
The gross revenue available from the Value Added Tax in November 2023 was N360.455 billion.
It was also higher than the N347.343 billion available in the month of October 2023 by N13.112 billion.
The communique indicated that from the N1.088 trillion total distributable revenue, the Federal Government received a total of N402.867 billion, the State Governments received N351.697 billion, while the Local Government Councils received N258.810 billion.
A total sum of N75.410 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared with the benefiting oil-producing states as derivation revenue.
From the N376.306 billion distributable statutory revenue, the Federal Government received N174.908 billion, the state governments received N88.716 billion and the Local Government Councils received N68.396 billion.
“The sum of N44.286 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared with the benefiting states as derivation revenue.
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A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Wahab Shittu has said that the decision of the apex court on Nnamdi Kanu is in line with the law.
The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), should face trial despite a previous dismissal of charges by the Court of Appeal.
Shittu, in a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, acknowledged that the Supreme Court was correct in stating that the process of bringing Kanu back to Nigeria was flawed.
“The fact that the court has said that you have a case to answer is not conclusive on guilt. It’s saying: ‘Come and offer explanations to clear some grey areas’ in order to prove your innocence or guilt,” Shittu explained, adding that this does not detract from the fair hearing of the trial court.
“Supreme Court has today said, ‘Go back and face your seven-count trial charge in respect of the seven-count charge’. What the Supreme Court has done is consistent with the law.”
The senior lawyer commended the Supreme Court for considering all issues on record and making informed pronouncements.
He highlighted the court’s examination of the question of illegal deportation, condemning it as offensive and noting the importance of upholding the country’s image both locally and internationally.
Furthermore, Shittu pointed out the Supreme Court’s stance on the revocation of bail, stating that the trial court was not entitled to revoke bail after Kanu fled for his life following security agencies’ invasion of his premises.
“The Supreme Court is a court of law and justice. At that level, all issues on record, everything will be considered. The Supreme Court examined all the issues and made pronouncements.
“They examined the question of illegal deportation and pronounced that that is clearly offensive and that henceforth our countries should be conscious of its image locally and internationally,” he said.
“When security agencies invade the premises of a suspect who is on bail, the trial court was not entitled to revoke the bail after the man fled for his life. On all issues, the Supreme Court has done justice to the matter.”
The Court’s judgment, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, pointed out that the Court of Appeal was mistaken in ruling that Kanu could not be retried based on the alleged illegality of his arrest and the invasion of his home by the government.
Despite Kanu’s absence in court during the judgement, the Supreme Court asserted that the government’s actions, while reckless and unlawful, do not deprive the courts of the power to proceed with the trial for alleged criminal charges.
The proscribed IPOB leader has been in detention since June 2021 and is facing charges of treasonable felony and terrorism.
Northern governors have donated N180m to the victims of the Kaduna accident airstrike that killed over 80 persons and also injured scores.
The nineteen governors from the region donated the amount during their meeting on Friday in Kaduna.
“Your excellencies and colleagues, distinguished members of the press, as you can see, we are presenting our support to the victims of Tundun Biri [accident] and the Kaduna state government to further support them,” the chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum Inuwa Yahaya said
“On behalf of the Northern Governors’ Forum, we hereby make this donation so that the government of Kaduna State will use it to support the victims,” the Gombe governor said.
He prayed to God Almighty to comfort the victims and the Kaduna State Government over the loss, praying that the souls of those affected rest in peace. The governors also called for adequate compensation for the victims.
Their donation followed a similar one by lawmakers from the region weeks after the incident.
Presidential Order
The Kaduna air mishap is the latest in military accidents in the country. While there was initial confusion in the wake of the bombing, the Nigerian Navy denied involvement in the mishap that threw the nation into mourning. But the Nigerian Army claimed responsibility for it. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) visited the site on the heels of the air strike and apologised for the development, describing it as regrettable.
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Already, President Bola Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani have ordered a probe into the matter to find the causes of the incident and prevention of the same in the future.
Vice President Kashim Shettima also visited the victims of the attack at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital in the Kaduna State capital and reiterated the government’s resolve to punish anyone found culpable in the bombing.
“It is already directed by Mr President, an investigation is being conducted with a view to preventing a re-occurrence of the incident and we expect a report to be submitted in the shortest possible time,” Shettima added.
But rights organisations have faulted the incident and are calling on the country’s military to review its rules of engagement.
One hundred and eighty-four students have graduated with first-class honors from the Bauchi State University, Gadau.
The university equally graduated 3,593 students with second-class upper division, and 484 postgraduates across various programmes such as Postgraduate Diploma (119), Professional Masters (193), Academic Masters (193), and 19 Ph.D recipients.
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Fatima Tahir, disclosed this on Friday during a pre-convocation press conference ahead of the inaugural convocation slated for Saturday, 16 December.
According to him, the full academic activities in the university began in 2011/2012 session.
Tahir explained that the university was established by the Bauchi State House of Assembly Act of 2009.
Abia South Senator and former Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has said President Bola Tinubu’s administration can release Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, for the sake of national unity.
Abaribe was reacting to the Supreme Court judgment that refused to release Kanu.
He described the ruling against Kanu as unfortunate.
In a statement by his Media Adviser, Uchenna Awom, Abaribe said: “This current Federal Government will do something very fast to release Nnamdi Kanu, if for no other reason, but for national cohesion and unity of the country.
“As Leaders, we shall continue to press for a solution that will be the best in the circumstance.”
The former Senate Minority Leader also urged Igbos not to despair over what he called “the unfortunate outcome at the Supreme Court”.