Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to instruct the Director-General and Board of the National Pension Commission to use their statutory powers to stop the 36 state governors from borrowing or withdrawing N17 trillion from the pension funds purportedly for ‘infrastructural development.” The organisation said this in a letter dated December 5, 2020, and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare. The organisation said, “Allowing the governors to borrow from pension funds would be detrimental to the interest of the beneficiaries of the funds, especially given the vulnerability of pension funds to…
Author: YemieFash
The Lagos State Government has ordered the removal of unapproved street gates in communities to ease traffic. This was contained in a statement by the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, titled ‘LASG issues 7-day removal notice to communities with unapproved street gates’. The commissioner explained that the gates and structures installed without prior approval from the Ministry of Transportation contravened the provisions of the State Traffic Laws and Regulations. Oladeinde stressed that the ministry, in conjunction with Local Government and Community Affairs, has the regulatory authority on the installation of gates towards enhancing traffic management on the inner roads…
The Federal Government has lamented the low enrollment of students into technical and vocational education courses despite the rising unemployment in the country. Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said it was unfortunate that many Nigerians, after graduation, remained either unemployed or underemployed with little or no skills to contribute to the economic development of the country. He stated that this skill gap was meant to be addressed by technical and vocational education. Adamu spoke while declaring open a workshop on “Developing a proper institutional strategic plans,” organised by the National Board For Technical Education (NBTE) in collaboration with Paceset Associates.…
A Federal High Court in Abuja has given its nod for the prosecution of a suit seeking to compel the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and its Governor, Godwin Emefiele to make public details of some of the bank’s recent dealings. Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, in a ruling, granted leave for an application for “judicial review vide an order of mandamus, compelling the 1st and 2nd respondents (the CBN Governor and the bank) to furnish all information” on its expenditure as sought by a group, the Incorporated Trustees of Advocacy for Societal Rights Advancement and Development Initiative (ASRADI). Justice Ojukwu ordered…
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Lagos east senatorial bye-election, Tokunbo Abiru, has been declared winner. According to the results announced by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abiru polled a total of 89,204 votes while Babatunde Gbadamosi, his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival, secured 11,257 votes. Abiru defeated his opponent by a wide margin in all the five local government areas in the senatorial district. Below are the results in all LGAs: Shomolu APC: 17,728 PDP: 2,067 Epe APC: 22,213 PDP: 1,826 Ibeju Lekki APC: 16,336 PDP: 937 Ikorodu APC: 19,204 PDP: 3,766 Kosofe APC: 13,723…
Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to decline by $173-236billion and the continent’s economic growth rate may further plunge by 3.4% at the end of the year, no thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Thirty million jobs are also to be lost within the same period, according to African Development Bank Group President, Akinwunmi Adesina. Adesina, in a keynote address at the Virtual 2020 International Forum on African Leadership in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, however, said building back African economies with resilience would require addressing its high debt levels. He spoke on the theme “Rethinking Global Partnerships and Africa’s Economic Resurgence.” The…
A call has gone to the Lagos State Government to adequately compensate families of people killed or injured during the recent #EndSARS protests, while business owners who incurred losses should also be assisted by the government. The call was made on Friday in Lagos by the Chairman of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, Snr. Supt. Apostle Joseph Adagba, while delivering the sermon at the Christmas Outreach 2020 with the theme, ‘Peace Be Still’, organised in collaboration with the Lagos State Public Service Christian Fellowship and the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa,Lagos. Governor Babajide…
Some governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are initiating series of meetings with party stalwarts, including former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, with a view to thrashing out the issue of the party’s 2023 presidential ticket. The initiative is coming amidst growing agitation among PDP chieftains across the country for and against the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket. The governors’ decision to approach concerned stakeholders for clarifications and suggestions, The Nation gathered, may not be unconnected with recent reservations expressed by prominent PDP leaders, especially from the southern part of the country, over what…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as laughable the claims by Babatunde Gbadamosi, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Saturday’s bye election for Lagos East senatorial district was rigged in favour of Tokunbo Abiru. Reacting to Gbadamosi’s claim, Seye Oladejo, the APC’s Publicity Secretary said the outcome of the election has put a lie to the fictitious opinion poll by the PDP which predicted victory for Gbadamosi. According to him, it is not surprised at the PDP candidate’s outburst having lost massively to APC in his ancestral hometown. While expressing confidence that Abiru will emerge victorious, he…
President Muhammadu Buhari has warned that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) must not abuse the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. The trade deal commences January 1, 2021. Buhari spoke at the 13th Extra-Ordinary Summit of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government held virtually on Saturday. Represented by Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, Buhari expressed excitement about the start of the agreement. The Nigerian leader said it was a fulfillment of the collective dreams of Africa’s founding fathers. He stressed that any violation of the rule could affect trade relations, cause disorder,…