The Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the appeal by the All Progressives Congress Bauchi governorship candidate, Sadique Abubakar against the election of Governor Bala Mohammed.
Following the hearing from the parties involved, a five-member panel of judges led by Justice Inyang Okoro on Thursday, December 21, reserved their decision.
Details shortly…
The Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has announced the appointment of new directors for five agencies under the ministry following the sacking of some of the directors last week.
The agencies are: the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); Nigeria Metrological Agency (NiMET); Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA); Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Nigeria Safety and Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
The government made the announcement in a statement signed by the Head, Press and Public Affairs, Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Odutayo Oluseyi on Thursday, December 21, in Abuja.
The government last week relieved heads of the affected agencies of their jobs and placed one under probe.
The statement reads: “In line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, CON, FCIArb. (U.K), has released the list of newly appointed Directors of the Agencies under the Ministry.
“All the newly appointed Directors are to get in touch with the Director, Human Resource Department of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to collect their letters of appointment as the appointment is with immediate effect.
“Also a new Directorate called the Cargo Services has been created at the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria to ameliorate issues besetting the sector.”
Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has said that blessing same-sex marriage is against God’s law, teachings of the Church, the laws of the country and the cultural sensibilities of Nigerians.
The bishops stated this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Ibadan.
NAN reports that the statement was signed by CBCN President and Secretary, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji and Most Rev. Donatus Ogun respectively and a few other executives.
The bishops assured the ‘people of God’ that the teachings of the Catholic Church on marriage remained the same.
“There is, therefore, no possibility in the church of blessing same-sex unions and activities; that will go against God’s law, the teachings of the church, the laws of our nation and the cultural sensibilities of our people.
“We thank all the priests for their accompaniment of married couples, asking them to continue in all they do to sustain the sacrament of holy matrimony and never to do anything that will detract from the sacredness of this sacrament,” CBCN said.
The bishops said following the issuance of the declaration on the pastoral meaning of blessings, “Fiducia Supplicans” (pleading with courage) by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, CBCN members recognised their duties as pastors to clarify the content of the document.
They emphasised that the declaration sought to clarify the different forms of blessings that could be given to persons and objects within the Catholic Church, including the possibility of blessing persons in irregular unions.
Such unions, the clerics said, could include, but not limited to, divorced and remarried couples whose previous marriages had not been annulled, those living in same-sex unions, those in polygamous unions and concubinage, among others.
“The declaration acknowledges and carefully distinguishes between ritual, liturgical and informal blessings.
“While ritual or liturgical blessings are imparted according to the established norms of the church, informal blessings refer to prayers over people who ask for them outside the liturgy or any formal celebration in the church.
“The declaration offers a consideration of the possibility of extending the informal blessings to all God’s children, irrespective of their moral condition, when they ask to be blessed.
“Nevertheless, the declaration insists that the blessings of persons in irregular unions – and never the union itself – can only take a non-liturgical form to avoid confusion.
“It should not be imparted during or in connection with a civil wedding ceremony or with clothing, words and signs associated with a wedding,” they said.
According to the bishops, the declaration also reiterates the Catholic Church’s perennial teaching on marriage as an “exclusive, stable and indissoluble union of a man and woman, naturally open to the generation of children.”
While stating that the church did not have the power to impart a blessing on irregular unions, they maintained that the declaration also reinforced the truth about God’s mercy.
“For one to willingly ask for a blessing demonstrates one’s trust in God and the desire to live according to God’s commandments.
“Asking for God’s blessing is not dependent on how good one is. Imperfection is the reason for seeking God’s grace.
“Therefore, those in irregular unions are invited never to lose hope but rather to ask for God’s grace and mercy while remaining open to conversion,” the bishops said.
(NAN)
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Anambra state command, has promoted its spokesperson, DSC Okadigbo Edwin to the next rank of Superintendent of Corps.
Okadigbo was decorated with his new rank alongside 200 other newly-promoted officers of the command who benefitted from the 2023 promotion recently released by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB).
Performing the decorating ceremony at the State Command Headquarters, Awka, on behalf of the Commandant General of NSCDC, Dr. Abubakar Ahmed Audi, State Commandant, Mr Edwin Osuala described their promotion as well deserved and reward for dedication and commitment to duties.
Osuala congratulated the newly promoted officers, urging them to consider their new status as a challenge to do more with a call to remain loyal, dedicated, and committed to the service of protecting people’s lives and property of citizens.
He said: “I want to congratulate you on your deserving elevation to the next rank. This is a testimony to your dedication, hard work, sacrifice and commitment to duty.
“It is said that to whom much is given, much is expected, therefore this promotion is a challenge to continue with your good work and even perform better. Please do not betray the trust and confidence reposed on you.”
The command second in charge, DCC Steve Ikeorah while praying for more career success for the promoted officers, admonished them to be good ambassadors of the Corps, be honest, straightforward and loyal to constituted authority to deserve more promotions while in service.
Responding on behalf of the promoted officers, DCC Ukaobi Prominence appreciated God in their lives to witness the memorable day.
He thanked Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) and the Management of Civil Defence Corps for finding them worthy of the new ranks.
He further appreciated family members and well-wishers who honoured them with their presence, stating the avowed commitment of the promotees to justify the responsibilities conferred on them by their new ranks optimally.
The decoration, witnessed by management team, promotees spouses, friends and well-wishers, saw the Command’s management team members, congratulate and further encouraged the newly promoted officers to rededicate themselves to duty and live up to expectations.
Scholars under the aegis of ‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) Group on Thursday, December 21, lauded the Commander-in-Chief over his simple reformist policies in the education sector.
They noted that the steps can tackle intractable challenges, particularly in the higher education sub-sector, in the last few months.
In their letter to the President by the group signed by its Convener, Prof. Yemi Oke of the University of Lagos, and its Education and Training Committee Chairman, Prof. Olusegun Awonusi, thry hailed the resuscitation of the ‘Education Loan’ for students.
According to the group, “The establishment of the Education Loan Bank or Board for needy and poor students will create access for them to get the much-needed fund to finance their tertiary education.
It added: “It will assist the public universities and other higher institutions to charge fees commensurate with quality education and also help the institutions’ financial base to discharge their responsibilities.”
The group also praised President Tinubu over the removal of higher institutions from IPPIS, recalling that it negatively impacted the performance and growth of universities.
It stressed: “With the abrogation of the policy, staff that go on sabbaticals can find avenues for collaborative research and lectureship in sister universities. Universities too can promptly attend to the needs of staff and students which need urgent attention, without sacrificing transparency. This will have a salutary effect on the evolving university autonomy plans.”
On the decision to pay Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members part of the outstanding salary arrears during the prolonged strike, the group said the move will motivate the lecturers to double their efforts in teaching and research, and bring succor to their families.
The scholars urged the Federal Government to direct the universities to pay the four-month outstanding salaries to the lecturerd.
The gtoup added: “We wish to appeal that although the four months arrears of the withheld salaries have not been paid despite having been approved for payment by Mr. President, it may be politically expedient to direct the Governing Council of the respective public universities to pay them now that they are off the controversial IPPIS.
“It will be a gift laden with massive goodwill for us your diehard academics.
,”We assure Your Excellency of our continuous support and relentless efforts as a hub of conscientious, patriotic Nigerian intellectuals and professionals volunteering time, skills, and intellects toward actualizing your 8-point Renewed Hope Agenda and a Nigeria of endless possibilities under your leadership.”
Founder of One Love Family, Satguru Maharaj Ji, has described the President Bola Tinubu-led administration as government of unity and stability owing to some interventionist policies it has implemented so far.
Maharaj Ji stated this at a news conference to mark his 76th birthday on Thursday in Ibadan.
According to him, the present administration’s policy interventions on agriculture, education and economy, among others have shown that Tinubu is truly a nationalist.
Maharaj Ji, however, urged Tinubu to take more practical steps in the areas of education and agriculture.
He particularly urged the president to ensure that the incentives being given to farmers got to real farmers in order for the country to attain food sufficiency in no distant time.
“Those given incentives should also be effectively monitored to achieve result, and I am sure doing so will encourage more people to go into farming.
“I believe government has taken bold steps and he (Tinubu) needs prayers of all Nigerians for us to be out of the mess we have found ourselves,” he said.
Maharaj Ji said that it was too early for Nigerians to expect things to come to normal within seven months of assumption of office of Tinubu, based on the situation he met the country.
“I think it is too early to assess the performance of President Tinubu’s administration in the last seven months of coming to power, considering the situation we found ourselves before his administration came on board.
“You can see now that we have a leader we can trust. Let us, therefore, give the president a chance for things to work well,” he said.
The spiritual leader called on Tinubu to investigate the sale of some national assets, including Nigerian Airways, Ikoyi Hotel and Ajaokuta Steel Company as well as individuals who had embezzled the country’s funds to serve as deterrent to others.
He also noted that Nigeria’s constitution was not working as expected because those saddled with the implementation were sentimental in carrying out the assignment.
Maharaj Ji called on Nigerians to constantly monitor the executive, legislature and the judiciary so as to put them on their toes, for things to work out effectively in the country.
He said that the problem currently facing Nigeria was that money approved and budgeted for were oftentimes not being monitored and judiciously utilised.
Maharaj Ji, however, expressed the hope for a better Nigeria in 2024.
“I pray and believe that something good will happen in Nigeria in 2024,” he said.
The spiritual leader expressed joy and happiness for clocking 76, saying that some were not lucky to attain the age while some were not blessed with such good health. (NAN)
Following its reintroduction on Thursday, December 21, President Bola Tinubu has directed that the school feeding programme be transferred from the Humanitarian Ministry to the Education Ministry.
During a one-day workshop on incremental improvements in the middle ministerial targets between 2023 and 2027, Prof. Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education, revealed this information.
The Nation reported that the President claims that the relaunch would assist in addressing the issues that out-of- school children are facing, saying that it will also help curb the learning crisis.
Mamman, speaking on the retreat, stated that its objective is to develop all of the policies to address the problems and to hold different organisations responsible for addressing the issue of out-of-school.
Recall that the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari halted the school feeding programme..
Nigerians have commended President Bola Tinubu for approving the 50 percent reduction in inter-state transport fares and free train rides for those travelling between December 21, 2023, and January 4, 2024.
The Nation reports Federal Government, through the Chairman, Inter-ministerial Committee on the Presidential Intervention on Public Transportation, Dele Alake, had announced plans to subsidise all luxury buses for ease of transportation for citizens willing to travel during the festive holidays.
The announcement has continued to elicit flurry of reactions among social media users.
While many praised President Tinubu for his timely intervention, some others pleaded for expansion of the designated routes beyond 28.
Meanwhile, the government also declared that movement during the yuletide by train along the existing routes will be free of charge to enable Nigerians willing to travel to do so with less financial strain.
It said the gesture is aimed at providing succour to citizens who are heavily weighed down by the prevailing high cost of transportation commuting across the country, especially during the yuletide.
The participating companies include:
1. GIG (God is Good)
2. Chisco Transport
3. Young Shall Grow
4. God Bless Ezenwata
5. Area Motor
Reacting, Ayo Olorunsola tweeted: “@officialABAT did this. Just got two ticket for my Sona nd my mum enroute to Babatunde Raji Fashola Station. Thank you my president
We are here together with Tinubu no be my president, they enter free too.”
Setofunmi Alo said: “Free train tickets. This is not audio. Well done, President Tinubu and his team.”
Adetomiwa Niyi also tweeted: “I took the train this morning and to my surprise it was free. But it still doesn’t make up for everything you’ve done Tinubu”
Irechukwu Tochukwu on Facebook, said: “Thanks Mr President this one you remember South East, I see a better Nigeria”
Isaac Foxx said: “Fine, this is a welcome development but the people in The government has to let the president know that there’s a huge amount of money in the transportation industry”.
Royston Joseph said: “Mr President’s intervention is greatly appreciated, thank u’
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says the unemployment rate in Nigeria increased to 4.2 per cent in Q2 2023 from the 4.1 per cent recorded in Q1 2023.
The NBS said this in its Nigeria Labour Force Survey for Q2 2023, released in Abuja on Thursday.
It said the unemployment rate was defined as the share of the labour force who were not employed but who were actively searching and were available for work.
In terms of educational attainment, the report said the rate of unemployment among persons with post-secondary education was 8.0 per cent in Q2 2023.
“Those with upper secondary education was 5.4 per cent, while those with lower secondary education was 3.7 per cent, 3.0 per cent for those with primary education and 2.5 per cent for those with no formal education.”
It said the unemployment rate among youth aged (15-24 years) in Q2 2023 was 7.2 per cent compared to the 6.9 per cent recorded in Q1 2023.
The report said the unemployment rate among men was 3.5 per cent and 5.9 per cent among women in Q2 2023.
“The unemployment rate in urban areas was 5.9 per cent in Q2 2023, which was an increase from the 5.4 per cent recorded in Q1 2023.
“While the unemployment rate in rural areas was 2.5 per cent in Q2 2023, which was a decline from the 2.9 per cent recorded in Q1 2023.”
The NBS said time-related underemployment in Q2 2023 was 11.8 per cent compared to 12.2 per cent recorded in Q1 2023.
It said time-related underemployment rate was the share of employed people who were working less than 40 hours per week, but who would be willing and available to work more.
” The share of employed men that were underemployed was 8.4 per cent while the share of employed women that were underemployed was 15.3 per cent in Q2 2023.
” The underemployment rate was 10.3 per cent in urban areas and 13.2 per cent in rural areas.”
The NBS said the share of employed persons aged 15 to 24 years that were underemployed was 19.3 per cent.
The report said the combined rate of unemployment and time-related underemployment as a share of the labour force population (LU2) was 15.5 per cent in Q2 2023.
The NBS said the labour force participation rate among the working-age population in Nigeria was 80 per cent in Q2 2023 compared to 79.9 recorded in Q1 2023.
The report said the participation rate among men was 82.1 per cent while for women it was 78.8 per cent.
“The participation rate was 78.4 per cent in urban areas and 82.6 per cent in rural areas in Q2 2023.”
It said the employment-to-population ratio, which was the proportion of the working-age population that was employed was 77.1 per cent in Q2 2023.
The report said the employment-to-population ratio for men and women was 79.3 per cent and 74.9 per cent, respectively.
“The employment-to-population ratio in urban areas was 73.8 per cent compared to 80.5 per cent in rural areas in Q2 2023.”
The report said 88.0 per cent of employed Nigerians were primarily self-employed with the remaining 12.0 per cent engaged as employees(wage employment) in Q2 2023.
It said 85.2 per cent of employed men were self-employed, while 91.0 per cent of employed women were self-employed.
” While men and women engaged as employees(wage employment) was reported at 14.8 per cent and 9.0 per cent, respectively.
The report said 8.0 per cent of the working-age population were in subsistence agriculture.
The NBS said the informal employment rate in Q2 2023 was 92.7 per cent.
It said in Q2 2023, the percentage of youth (15-24 years) identified as Young Persons Not in Employment, Education nor Training (NEET) was 13.8 per cent.
“This is an increase from the 12.1 per cent and 10.0 per cent recorded in Q4 2022 and Q1 2023, respectively,” the NBS said.
(NAN)
Niger state governor, Farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago has given the state workers seven days public holiday to celebrate the Christmas and New Year.
The governor made the declaration during the end of the Year cutting of the cake held at the Government House, Minna.
According to him, the holiday will commence from Friday the 22nd of December 2023, to Monday the 1st of January, 2024.
Bago also said that there would be distribution of food stuff to the less privileged across the state to enable them get something to celebrate the yuletide season.