The government of the United State has committed fresh $4.1 million (N1.435billion) to address education crisis in Norther Eastern state of Borno that has been struggling with insurgency for a long time. It is coming through the United State Agency for International Development (USAID).
The objective of these efforts is to provide assistance to approximately 60,000 internally displaced children and youth, ages 6 to 17, and their host communities.
Consequently, this expansion into Borno state will open 150 non-formal learning centers that will provide access to schooling to nearly 6,000 internally displaced children and youth.
Since early 2015, USAID’s Education Crisis Response activity has opened 408 non-formal learning centers, providing schooling to approximately 37,000 internally displaced children and youth. The project has also trained 923 learning facilitators.
Already active in the northeastern Nigerian states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, and Yobe, USAID’s expansion of its Education Crisis Response activity into Borno has been described as a major milestone.
This expansion adds to the $130 million of USAID’s humanitarian activities in northeast Nigeria since 2014.
“The United States stands as a proud partner of the Nigerian people in their fight against violent extremism. Borno state is the epicenter of that fight,” said USAID Mission Director Michael Harvey.
USAID Mission Director further added: “We will not shy away from our commitment to those hardest hit in this humanitarian crisis. Our expansion of education efforts into Borno indicates progress that we all can be proud of.”
The ongoing conflict in Nigeria’s northeast has created a complex humanitarian and economic crisis that has affected millions of people. Insurgents have targeted schools in local communities, disrupting teaching, constraining children’s access to schooling, and placing significant stress on the communities hosting displaced families fleeing violence in their home areas. In response to this situation, USAID has supported local and state initiatives that are responding to the urgent educational needs of these children and youth.
Tag: Abuja
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USAID commits fresh $4.1m to education in Borno
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‘INEC chair should resign over Abia tax judgment’
Former special adviser to Second Republic Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, Mr Ben Onyechere, has said Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu should resign for his silence on the Commission’s role in the Abia State governorship stalemate.
Last month, INEC issued a certificate of return to Dr. Uche Ogah as Governor of Abia State following a June 27 judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which ousted Dr Okezie Ikpeazu.
Justice Okon Abang held in that judgment that Ikpeazu submitted false information about his tax records to his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the party’s governorship primaries in December 2014.
Ogah polled the second highest number of votes in that primaries of the PDP.
But Onyechere argued that the Commission’s ‘activities’ following the judgment had portrayed it in bad light.
He said: “The chairman of INEC has through the activity of his subordinates in the Abia tax issue cast aspersions on the integrity of his commission as much as on himself.
“The silence of the chairman in this matter is not golden because he cannot be exonerated from the actions of the commissioner who must have sought his consent before embarking on such a controversial mission which can be regarded as a time bomb in the state.”
Onyechere said INEC Commissioner in charge of the South-East, Ambassador Lawrence Nwuruku carried out Justice Abang’s order with “rocket speed haste,” despite “that it was served a notice of appeal prior to the issuance of a certificate to Ogah.”
He continued: “It is not enough to gloss over the issue as the chairman seems to be doing in a matter that is adjudged to be suspicious by the public .
“The confirmation or admittance by the commission that it was served a notice of appeal prior to the issuance of a certificate to Ogah is more than enough reason to retract it’s action and apologise to the people of Abia and their governor.”
He urged INEC not to “hide behind the smoke screen of an order of a lower court against the superiority of appellate courts of this country.”
Onyechere added that Prof Yakubu’s ‘action or inaction’ was suspicious.
“There is more to the way and manner they executed Justice Abang’s order than meets the eyes of curious observers and as such he should tow the part of honour and resign,” he said.
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Melaye: Women protesters storm National Assembly
Protest over the unwarranted attack on the person of Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) shifted to Abuja on Wednesday.Women numbering over 100 stormed the National Assembly to protest against uncomplimentary and indecent utterances of Senator Dino Melaye against Senator Tinubu (Lagos Central).Melaye attacked Senator Tinubu during a closed door session on Tuesday July 12, 2016 using indecent words against the Lagos Central lawmaker.The Kogi West senator was said to have threatened to beat up Senator Tinubu during the session.The protesters wore T-shirts with inscriptions such as “No to impunity for gender based violence.”The protester were heard chanting, “Stop violence against women”They also carried placards that reads: “Support gender equality opportunity bill”, “A Senator is a Senator, women are not threat object”, Senate Leadership silence in the face of violence against women is conspiracy”, “Say no to impunity.”Leader of the protesters Mrs. Kemi Nelson, in her address noted that “enough is enough.”She asked the Senate to immediately take a disciplinary action against Melaye in the interest of justice.She said, “This is impunity and it has to be stopped, we must be accorded our right.”Senator Tinubu had already petitioned Acting Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun alleging threat to her life. -
Buhari’s anti-graft battle not one-sided, says Osinbajo
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday declared that the fight against corruption under the current administration is not one-sided.
A statement issued on Tuesday night by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said that the Vice President made the remark while speaking with journalists at the end of the 27th Ordinary session of the African Union (AU) in Kigali, Rwanda.
According to Osinbajo, corruption in the country is being looked at from all possible facets.
He said: “I think it’s entirely absurd, I think that view is absurd and without foundation or basis whatsoever. We look at corruption from all possible facets.
“If you look at for example, corruption on the military, from military procurement, obviously the only individuals responsible for that could be persons who had held office within the period in question and that has been done and clearly the opposition was not in the office at that time.
“Those who were in the office were not necessarily opposition individuals. These were Service Chiefs and other personnel who had served for a while.
“The other issues for example is the fraud and the corruption that is associated with large sums of money given out by the past National Security Adviser which went to several political figures and again these were large huge sums of money, over 2 billion US Dollars and the sheet size and the enormity of what we are talking about, must not be diminished in anyway or trivialised in anyway by any suggestion that it is partisan. How? in what way?” he queried.
He said that those who made the suggestion that the anti-corruption fight is one-sided only want to trivialise a very important programme of the government.
The allegation, he said, is aimed at working against the strong effort of the government to recover huge sums of money that have been stolen from Nigeria.
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Dangote donates foodstuff to IDPs in Abuja
The Dangote Foundation has donated foodstuff to the vulnerable and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Abuja.
Acting Secretary, Social Development Secretariat, Mrs. Adebola Irene Elegbede, received the materials on behalf of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, at the Cyprian Ekwensi Centre for Arts and Culture.
Items donated are 2,000 units of 1kg sachets of Dangote Sugar; 1,000 units of 1kg sachets of Dangote salt; 1,000 cartons of Dangote Spaghetti; 3,000 units of 5kg bags of rice; 500 units of 10kg bags of Danvita and 500 units of 10kg bags of Wheat Meal.
Bello thanked the Dangote Foundation for the gesture and promised that the items would be distributed judiciously.
Director of Health and Nutrition, Dangote Foundation Dr. Azeez Oseni, who represented the Chairman, Aliko Dangote, said the items were meant to support the poor and indigent.
He hailed the minister for the a warm reception, especially the provision of standard storage facilities.
“The plans put in place to receive the consignments, including warehousing of the food items and logistics for distribution, is commendable,” Oseni said.
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Board: Medical council seeks exemption from dissolution
The Nigeria Medical and Dental Council (NMDC), has expressed concern with the way the board of the council was dissolved alongside other government parastatals and agencies.
The council is pushing for a review of its establishing law that will exempt it from government arbitrary dissolution.
Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council (NMDC), Dr. Abdumumuni Ibrahim said arbitrary dissolution of board hampers the council’s operations.
The council, he said, has been in abeyance since last July when the last board was dissolved by President Muhammadu Buhari alongside other boards of parastatals and agencies.
Ibrahim said in the last one year,the council has received about 60 complains about medical practitioners and health facilitates but has been unable to investigate the cases due to the absence of board.
He explained that by the Act establishing the Council, it is only the board that can order an investigation and trial of practitioners.
The way out he further explained is the review of the At, which the council is working on right now.He said: “The council is in abeyance. You all know very well that the journalist, last year in July the present government dissolved all boards of parastatals, including some commissions and councils that were not listed in the portion of the constitution of this country that includes this our… So currently it is the secretariat that works in conjunction with some aspects that requires clearance from the honorable minister of health.
“Currently we are reviewing the Act, this will involve presentation of all amendments and part of the amendment, we want the council to continue to exist in perpetuality, that is the council should never be dissolved by the government, when boards of most of the parastatls are dissolved. Because, the council is made up of professionals and not politicians, so we are pleading with the government not to dissolve the council again.
“So that whatever complain made against practitioners can be promptly investigated and any doctor found wanting tried before the tribunal. So almost a year now the council has been in abeyance. Between then and now we have received a lot of complaining against practitioners and this complaint cannot be investigated.
“In the absence of the council, we report to the honorable minister when the council is in place, the chairman of the council lead the council and execute any policy that is formulated by the council decision. The implication of this dissolution is quite enormous because I made mention in my speech that we have disciplinary organs which includes the investigation panel and the medical and dental Tribunal. The investigative panel is the panel that investigates any complaints made against the doctors either practicing in public health institution, private health facility.”
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Group petitions INEC over exclusion of APC from Kogi East rerun
A political pressure group from Kogi state under the auspices of the Network of Igala Associations has said excluding the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the rescheduled legislative rerun election in Kogi East was illegal and asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to act within the Ambit of the law and allow all parties to contest the election.
In a petition to the Commission dated July 12, 2016 signed by the Leader of the group, Comrade Ojile Charles Ibrahim, the group said excluding the party from the conduct of the election will run contrary to the ruling of the Court of Appeal.
According to them, in canceling the elections in Kogi state and ordering fresh elections, the Court did not order the exclusion of any political party or candidate, pointing out that the exclusion of the APC in similar rerun elections in Kogi central was a misnomer, illegal and unacceptable.
The group alleged that the commission must have been influenced to the effect that previous rerun election was marred by violence, irregularities, voter apathy as well as the loss of lives and property.
The alleged that the majority of the people of the area refused to participate in the previous legislative rerun election because of the unlawful exclusion of their popular candidate, adding that the one Senator Atai Aidoko who complained about the election was not even the candidate of the PDP as proven by the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The group asks the commission to conduct a fresh rerun election in Kogi Central and Kogi East Senatorial districts, adding that if INEC failed to allow the APC participate in the forthcoming elation, the outcome could be bloody
According to them, INEC is suppose to be a unisex umpire, adding that “what is happening now portray INEC as being biased against the APC and its candidates.” -
Court grants ex-Minister Moro permission to seek medical attention abroad
*Trial resumes Sept 29
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja has granted permission to former Interior Minister, Abba Moro to travel abroad for medical treatment.
The judge granted Moro the permission on Thursday, shortly after the ex-Minister’s lawyer, Paul Erokoro (SAN) moved a motion to that effect.
Moro is being tried with a former Permanent Secretary in the Interior Ministry, Mrs. Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, an ex-director in the ministry, Felix .O Alayebami and a firm, Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited, on an 11-count charge.
They are being tried over their alleged involvement in the botched 2014 recruitment exercise of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) while Moro was Minister.
They are accused of defrauding 675, 675 graduate applicants of about N675,675,000 having been made to pay N1000 each as processing fees for 5,000 (five thousand) job openings.
The four defendants were also accused of breaching the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 in the award of the contract for the organisation of the recruitment test to Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd.
Lawyer to the prosecution, Farouk Abdallah of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), opposed the motion.
He argued that Moro failed to provide sufficient materials to warrant the grant of the motion. He noted that the ex-minister did not show that his ailment cannot be treated in the country, and that he also failed to provide evidence of an appointment with a specialist abroad.
Justice Dimgba, in a brief ruling, ordered the release of Moro’s international passport, currently in the custody of the court’s registrar and directed him to return the passport to the court 48 hours after his return from the two-week medical trip.
The judge also ordered Moro to ensure his presence in court on September 29 for the continuation of their trial.
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Photo: Buhari receives outgoing Canadian high commissioner
President Muhammadu Buhari presents a parting gift to the outgoing Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Perry John Calderwood during a farewell audience with the President at the State House in Abuja. 
Nigerian Minister of State foreign Affairs, Hajiya Khadija Ibrahim Bukar Abba, President Muhammadu Buhari, the outgoing Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Perry John Calderwood and Political Counsellor, Canadia Embassy, Ms Megan Foster during a farewell audience with the President at the State House in Abuja. PHOTO: SUNDAY AGHAEZE. -
Six suspects held for Abuja preacher’s murder
Six suspects have been arrested in the murder of an itinerant preacher, Mrs Eunice Olawale Elisha, in Abuja.
Mrs. Elisha was killed early Saturday at Pipeline, Kubwa, Abuja.
The deceased was found dead, with her Bible, megaphone and cellphone by her body. She was a deaconess at the Divine Touch Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Old NEPA Road, Phase 4, Kubwa.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (CIID), is leading the team probing the murder.
The Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alkali Usman, said he ordered the investigation.
The police also said the six suspects are in custody undergoing interrogation.
Usman assured other residents of the police’s commitment and determination to fish out perpetrators of the crime and bring them to justice.
He promised to make the outcome of the investigation public.
A statement yesterday by police spokesman Anjuguri Manzah, said: “The commissioner of Police FCT has ordered the deputy commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, to lead discreet investigation into the murder of Mrs. Eunice Olawale Elisha, 40 years old, who was murdered by unknown persons in the early hours of Saturday at Gbazango Pipeline area of Kubwa.
“Contrary to reports from some sections of the media that the deceased’s head and legs were chopped off, the command wants to state that apart from marks of injury inflicted on some parts of her body, all parts of the deceased body were intact and the Police have taken custody of her remains for preservation and examination.”
Usman urged residents and the public to remain calm and cooperate with the Police in the investigation.
Also yesterday, the Vice President’s wife, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, visited the family of the late Assistant Pastor of the Divine Touch Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Abuja.
Mrs Osinbajo condoled with them on the murder of the mother of seven. She was received around 1:30 pm by the widower, Pastor Olawale Elisha; children; church members and loved ones.
In her condolence message, Mrs Osinbajo wrote: “May her gentle soul rest in peace.”