The All Progressives Congress (APC) has in its seven-and-half years in office met all the global indices of good governance just as it has delivered on provision of infrastructure and uplifted the quality of life. Addressing reporters in Abuja yesterday, APC chieftain and Executive Director 1, Good Governance Campaign project, Grassroots Independent Campaign Council (ICC) for Tinubu/Shettima presidential campaign,Dr Tom Ohikere,said there is a need for the achievements of the administration to be generally appreciated. Ohikere,who is also Managing Director of APC NewsOnline, said that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has accomplished a lot in virtually all aspects of human endeavour, positively affecting the lives of tens of millions of Nigerians in the process. According to him, it is imperative to change the current narrative in the electioneering campaign circuit and focus more on what the adminis
Category: Northern Reports
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Coalition hails CBN for raising interest rate to 17.5%
*Throws weight behind CBN policies
The Coalition of Civil Society on Good Governance (CCSGG) has commended the Central Bank of Nigeria for raising interest rate to 17.5 per cent.
The coalition explained that the move would help contain the current inflationary trend.
It made its position known in a statement signed by the President, CCSGG, Bassey Etuk, and Secretary, CCSGG, Abubakar Ibrahim on Tuesday in Abuja.
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) chaired by the Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele told reporters that the Committee decided to aggressively increase the interest rate to 17.5 percent.
In the statement the coalition pointed out that the Nigerian economy had been sustained due to laudable policies by the CBN Governor all this while.
The statement reads: “The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations on Good Governance, CCSGG, hails the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele, over pushing lending rate to 17.5 per cent to contain inflation impact on the economy.
“This is a step in the right direction because this lending rate will cushion the impact on the nation’s economy and reduce the pressure on Nigerians.
“We support the policies by the CBN Governor, and we will educate other Nigerians about these policies because it is for their good and wellbeing including unborn Nigerians.”
The statement also maintained that the CBN Governor is doing everything possible to stabilise the economy and sustain it on the path of growth and development despite some disgruntled elements misinterpreting his policies.
“We want to let Nigerians know that he (Emefiele) is tirelessly working to stop sponsors and perpetrators of money laundering with the recent new Naira design that threw corrupt Nigerians off balance who have cooked up stories and unfounded allegations to bring his image and personality to disrepute and also involving some security agencies through the backdoor to arrest him him but all their plots and efforts have been dashed into shambles,” the coalition said.
The coalition added that they would do everything possible to ensure the policies of the Emefiele-led CBN are implemented for the benefit of Nigerians.
Emefiele told reporters at the end of the MPC meeting that the committee voted to keep the asymmetric corridor at +100 and -700 basis points around the MPR.
He also added that the MPC voted to keep the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 32.5 per cent, as well as the Liquidity Ratio at 30 per cent.
He explained that the CRR is the share of a bank’s total customer deposit that must be kept with Apex Bank in the form of liquid cash, while the bank’s liquidity ratio is the proportion of deposits and other assets they must maintain to be able to meet short-term obligations.
In November, the MPC raised its benchmark lending rate to 16.5 per cent in a sustained push to control inflation and ease pressure on the Naira.
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Kaduna commits to improve quality learning opportunities
The Kaduna State Government has reiterated its commitment to mobilising resources for education to improve access to quality learning opportunities for all.
Commissioner for Education Hajiya Halima Lawal in a statement yesterday, said the government would also chart ways for translating commitments and global initiative into action.
According to her, education must be prioritised to accelerate progress towards all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) against the backdrop of a global recession, growing inequalities and the climate crisis.
“Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind,” she said.
She called on all lovers of education to support in promoting the use of the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) and other innovative approaches.
This, according to her, will ensure that every child has access to basic and quality learning, irrespective of location, gender, and family background.
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Council urges youths to shun violence
The Nigeria Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Council (NENYLC) has urged the youths to shun any form of violence and all manners of electoral malpractices during the general election.
The group also urged all assigned Resident Electoral Commissioners, Returning Officers, Polling Officials and National Commissioners on election duties to remain apolitical, unbiased and neutral during the entire electioneering process.
The apex coalition body of over 407 ethnic groups said it was concerned on the preparations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free, fair and credible elections.
President-General of NENYLC Comrade Terry Obeih, in a statement on Monday, urged presidential candidates to discuss their plans for Nigerian youths before the election to enable them to make informed choices.
He said: “We call on the youth to shun any form of violence and all manners of electoral malpractices, and while admonishing all well-meaning Nigerians to stop all manners of a campaign of calumnies predicated ethnic bigotry and religious animosity capable of overheating the political atmosphere.
“We are equally using this medium to reassure Nigerians that as part of our noble mandates, we shall be organising a National Youth Conversation On Youth Agenda and Peaceful Coexistence Manifesto Presentation 2023 by the leading Presidential candidates slated for February 16 in Abuja.”
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Ijaw community to Umana: empower Niger Delta women, youth
The Ijaw Community in Abuja/Northern Region has described the economic empowerment initiatives of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs as a veritable means of not only sustaining peace in the oil-rich region, but also of diversifying the means of sustenance of the people.
In a statement by its Chairman and Secretary-General, Alagba Ebifemowei and George Enna, the Community praised the Minister of Niger Delta Umana Okon Umana, Permanent Secretary and Directors in Charge of the Economic Empowerment Department (EED) over the 2022 Annual Traning program theme: Training of Youths and Women in Agriculture/Aqua Business.
The community gave its approval ratings of the training as necessarily to diversify the region from oil dependence to agro-business as a means to engage the youths and women for self-empowerment, human capital development and discourage pipeline vandalism and destruction of other valuable government assets.
It urged the minister and the ministry to sustain such programmes and also introduce more direct empowerments that will engage the youths, peculiar to their abode in the rural areas of the Niger Delta.
It also appealed to the Minister to charge the newly inaugurated Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to emulate the Ministery of Niger Delta Affairs on direct rural empowerments to engage the people and sustain the needed peace in the region.
“By so doing, this efforts will compliment Mr President’s kind gesture against pipeline vandalism & other social vices”, the statement said.
The community, however, pledged to always liaise with the federaal and state government authorities to sustain peace and development in the Niger Delta and Nigeria in general.
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‘Tinubu will replicate Lagos miracle nationwide’
The Progressive Middle Belt Group, made up of professionals of middle belt extraction, has urged Nigerians to give All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential standard bearer, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the chance to replicate his achievements as Lagos State governor at the centre.
It made the call at the inauguration of the Ogun Chapter of the organisation at Akinrogun Osoba House, Abeokuta.
State Coordinator, Alhaji Rahmon Alamu Olanrewaju, said the enormous challenges facing the country require a president with a keen understanding of the issues to tackle them.
He said none of the other candidates has the charisma, ability, contact and magic wand to wade through the myriad of challenges and proffer solutions as Tinubu can.
He enjoined Nigerians to eschew bitterness, tribal sentiment, and religion and vote for the former Lagos governor.
Olanrewaju said: “Let me be candid with you. Tinubu is the man we need to turn around the country for the good of all.
“None of the candidates aspiring to win next month’s presidential election has the qualifications that Tinubu has.”
National Coordinator of the group, Abdulkareem Saani Kany, described Tinubu as a visionary leader, adding that while he was Lagos governor, he turned around the fortunes of the state.
He pleaded with Nigerians to give Tinubu a chance “so that the Lagos miracle can be replicated at the centre.”
State and local government executives of the group were elected and enjoined to go to the grassroots to mobilise their people for the APC presidential candidate to win next month’s presidential poll.
Director of Budget and Planning, Pastor Samson Akinpelu, asked members, including the state and local government executives, to mobilise the people to Abeokuta for the APC presidential campaign.
He believes Tinubu is the solution to the myriad of challenges facing the country.
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Ganduje offsets N18b scholarship debt for overseas students
The Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has paid N18 billion scholarship debt which he inherited from the Rabi’u Kwankwaso administration, Commissioner for Information Malam Muhammad Garba said yesterday.
The N18 billion scholarship debt was for a number of Kano students studying abroad. Most of the affected students were based in France, Cyprus and Egypt, it was learnt.
Garba said the foreign scholarship programme was initiated by Kwankwaso who left office in 2015.
“When we came into power in 2015, we met huge unpaid foreign and domestic scholarships left behind by the government of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and this gave us a lot of problems. But we have settled about N18 billion so far,” Garba said.
According to him, it was meaningless that the previous government sent students abroad to study courses that are available and cheaper in Nigerian universities.
He noted that the Ganduje administration has no quarrel with students on specialised courses that are not available here in Nigeria, adding that it is however out of place to sponsor a set of students to read History abroad.
“From whatever prism you choose to evaluate the Nigerian University, its standard is higher and acknowledged globally. We have no quarrel if you sponsor students to read aeronautical engineering and other related specialised science courses abroad.
“But certainly it will not be accepted if you take them to read Computer science or History when such courses are available here,” Garba said.
He stated that he led a team to Cyprus recently where they successfully negotiated €5m scholarship bill to €1.5m.
The Information Commissioner criticised the way the scholarship programme was created, saying “it was haphazardly created and without due diligence.”
“If Gawuna is elected as governor of Kano State, he will certainly look at the programme and fine-tune it. The benefiting students would henceforth be those studying courses that will be beneficial to the state “like engineering and other relevant courses, not history and the likes,” Garba said.
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Lalong appoints 10 Permanent Secretaries
Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong has approved the appointment of 10 new Permanent Secretaries to fill the vacuums created by the retirement/resignations of some permanent secretaries in the state.
The appointees, in a statement by the Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor, Dr. Makut Macham, are Keziah Dung (Barkin Ladi); Yusuf Ayuba Gimba (Bassa); Gongden Micah Sunday (Mangu); Lamu Michael Dennis (Mangu); Peter Wuyep (Kanke); Bapman Naankin Emmanuel (Mikang); Boniface Gwotbit Bankshuet (Mikang); Gotan Benjamin James (Pankshin); Salamatu Ritmwa Parlong (Pankshin) and Wuyep Zitta (Langtang South).
They are expected to be sworn in today at the Victoria Gowon Hall, new Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos.
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FCT minister pledges support for INEC
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello has pledged the support of the FCT Administration to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the successful conduct of the 2023 elections in the nation’s capital.
This pledge was made when a delegation from the FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Alhaji Yahaya Bello visited FCTA.
Represented by the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, Malam Bello said that the FCT Administration and the FCT INEC have enjoyed a worthwhile working relationship and thanked the REC for the public acknowledgement of the support the FCT Administration had rendered to the commission.
He thanked the commission for the preparations made so far for the conduct of the elections.
FCT, he said, had also made efforts to sensitising the public on the collection of their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).
FCT REC Alhaji Yahaya Bello said that the INEC delegation was at the FCTA to acquaint the minister on the level of preparedness for the 2023 elections and also to thank the Minister for the support granted to the Commission so far.
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A’Court nullifies APC governorship primaries in 11 LGAs in Benue
• Orders Alia, APC to pay Shija N2 million
• Count me out of canvassers’ form, says AliaThe Court of Appeal, Makurdi Division, yesterday nullified the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 11 local government areas of Benue State.
The affected local governments are Gboko, Gwer-east, Gwer-west, Guma, Katsina, Logo, Makurdi, Otukpo, Ukum, Tarka and Vandeikya.
The Court also ordered the APC to conduct a fresh governorship primary election within 14 days and ordered Hyacinth Alia and the APC to pay Prof. Terhemba Shija N2 million.
The Court gave the order while ruling on the appeal filed by a governorship aspirant on the platform of the APC, Prof Terhemba Shija against the judgement of the Federal High Court, Makurdi, which dismissed his suit challenging the APC primary in Benue State which produced Alia as a candidate.
Delivering the lead judgement, Justice Justice Biobelle Abraham Georgewill, held that Prof. Shija was able to prove that there was no governorship primary election conducted by the APC last May 27.
It however held that Shija failed to prove that the APC didn’t hold a rerun governorship election on June 9.
Meanwhile, Alia has distanced himself from a purported document in circulation called “canvassers form” among APC members.
He described the form, which features included name, phone number, PVC number, Polling Unit and Bank name among others as handwork of mischief makers who do not mean well for Benue people and APC as a party.
“Our attention has been drawn to a ‘Canvasser’s Form’ going round in different corners purported to have come from Alia/Ode Campaign Organisation and meant to select those who would canvass support for the APC party in Benue State,” he said.
Alia advised the public and APC members to disregard the form.