Tag: minister

Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has ordered investigation into alleged poor feeding of inmates at Afokang Custodial Centre in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

The minister said a comprehensive investigation should be conducted to unravel the truth about the issues so that those responsible would be made to account for their actions.

Dr. Tunji-Ojo said this while reacting to a video currently in circulation on social media on the standard of feeding in the facility.

The minister described the development as grave and unacceptable.  In a statement in Abuja by his Media aide, Babatunde Alao, Dr. Tunji-Ojo said it was unthinkable and unlikely that inmates at the facility were being subjected to inhumane treatment, including being served poorly cooked beans as breakfast, as depicted in the video.

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“The minister views this incident as a serious breach of the standards of care and dignity to which inmates are entitled.

“He has directed a comprehensive and urgent investigation into this matter, and those responsible will be held accountable,” the statement said.

Tunji-Ojo warned that any lapses in the quality of food, sanitation, and welfare of inmates would not be tolerated, saying the Correctional Service must ensure inmates were treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

The minister said he would not condone any form of maltreatment or neglect of individuals in custody, promising that the findings of the investigation would be made public, and necessary disciplinary actions taken against anyone found culpable.

Abia State government has expressed its determination to collaborate with the federal government’s Renewed Hope Police Agenda.

It is aimed at strenghtening the existing roadmap that will enhance the security architecture or the state and the country at large.

Governor Alex Otti made the commitment at the security town hall engagement forum, an initiative of the Minister of State Police Affairs, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.

The event was held at the International Conference Center (ICC), Umuahia on Thursday.

Governor Otti was full of praise for Sulaiman-Ibrahim, describing her as a dedicated minister driving critical reforms in the country’s security network.

Otti also extended gratitude to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for the professionalism of the Nigeria Police Force under his leadership.

The governor commended the collaborative efforts of all security agencies, the traditional council, local governments, the Police Community Relations Committee, members of the State Security Council, and other vital stakeholders for their unwavering commitment to the state’s security.

The minister stated that the town hall meeting was a reflection of the significant shift in her approach to policing.

“As you may be aware, Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 puts the security and welfare of our people as the government’s priority.

“As a responsible government, therefore, Mr President, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has placed security at the centre of the administration’s eight (8) priorities, and we have commenced the implementation of the Renewed Hope Police Agenda, which will ensure that our police force is strategically positioned to fulfil its mandate.”

Sulaiman-Ibrahim reiterated that at the heart of the Renewed Hope Police Agenda is the implementation of a community policing strategy that is designed based on local peculiarities and considerations, with the full participation of members of the various communities and stakeholder blocks, to ensure inclusivity and full ownership.

She added that Abia is renowned for its commerce and industry, making it a focal point for trade across the Southeast and beyond, noting that they state’s economic vibrancy, presents specific security challenges, particularly in the areas of business-related crimes.

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“Additionally, the state’s strategic location along key transit routes adds another layer of complexity, as it necessitates robust measures to address issues such as road safety, smuggling, and the protection of critical infrastructure.

“Despite these challenges, Abia State has consistently shown resilience, and we are here to help strengthen it further.

“We have a clear appreciation that security begins at home. It is local, and we must acknowledge and embrace the unique dynamics of each community in our pursuit of a safer nation. This Townhall is therefore part of an extensive series of Townhall engagements across the country to catalyze a grassroot understanding of security dynamics and foster community-specific solutions.”

The minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Hon Nkiruka Onyejeocha, added credence to the good work of her colleague, Sulaiman-Ibrahim, while also thanking the governor for providing credible leadership in the state.

Other stakeholders took turns to analyse the critical nature of security and the roles of Community policing in Nigeria.

Goodwill messages were presented by religious leaders, traditional leaders and the Police community relations committee (PCRC), Executive Secretary of the Police Trust funds, among others.

The federal government has raised concerns over the country’s ability to fund its ambitious development agenda.

To address this, the federal government has admitted that it needs to attract significantly more resources than is currently available.

This call was made by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, at the management retreat of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) held in Abuja.

Senator Bagudu noted the critical importance of developing a robust financial system with integrity to achieve Nigeria’s long-term goals.

“Our Agenda 2050, a statement of our national aspiration, requires that we invest at least $100 billion annually to achieve a GDP per capita of $33,000 or more by 2050,” he stated.

However, he cautioned that the current level of financing falls far short of this target, and stressed the urgency for increased financial inflows.

He pointed out that while President Bola Tinubu’s administration has implemented bold and courageous economic reforms aimed at boosting revenue, the nation is still far from achieving the necessary financial flows to meet its development objectives.

“We still need to be where we should be; we are not near the kind of flows we expect,” the minister noted, stressing the need for greater efforts to attract both domestic and foreign investments.

To illustrate the challenge, Senator Bagudu compared Nigeria’s $20 billion federal budget with those of countries like Brazil and Indonesia, which have similar population sizes but much larger budgets of $750 billion and $210 billion, respectively. This stark contrast, he argued, underscores the need for Nigeria to enhance its financial capacity.

The minister emphasized that a sound financial system is essential to attracting the investments required to finance the country’s development plan.

“The plan is to use private sector or capital market money to fund the plan. Because of that, we need confidence, integrity, and soundness in our financial system,” he explained.

He also suggested that international rating agencies should adopt a more generous approach in their assessments of Nigeria, considering the significant reforms the country has undertaken.

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Senator Bagudu praised the NFIU for its role in enhancing the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system but stressed the importance of more effective communication of its activities to gain public acknowledgement and improve the country’s credit rating.

“Our credit rating should improve. We have taken measures similar to those in countries that have achieved significant increases in credit ratings. We have established and committed institutions, particularly the NFIU, and should benefit from them,” he said.

He further noted that communication plays a crucial role in reinforcing the progress made by institutions like the NFIU.

“Communication matters, so we reinforce and punish wrongdoing while drawing attention to our great work to enhance the integrity and soundness of our financial assistance,” the minister added.

The federal government has commenced initiatives to migrate its Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) to (IPv6) in line with the standard used globally to enhance cybersecurity and guarantee the integrity of its online transactions and exchange of information.

The move would also allow Nigeria to benefit from the 10 trillion dollars in global markets for the deployment and adoption of IPv6.

According to the Minister of Communications, Innovations, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, IPv6 was already being deployed/adopted by a few countries such as the US, France, Saudi Arabia, China, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Dr Tijani said Nigeria would be the first country in Africa to deploy and adopt the IPv6 technology given the pace of its infrastructural development, and the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to digital transformation and empowerment of the citizens.

The Minister made the remarks at the Digital Economy Complex, Mbora, Abuja, at the opening ceremony of the IPv6 Driven Digital Infrastructure Summit titled:” Bring Net 5.5G into Reality, Inspire New Growth “.

The Minister said the summit which was being organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) would provide a robust roadmap for the adoption of the latest internet technology.

He said Nigeria should not only invest massively in the adorption of IPv6 but inspire its deployment across Africa for mutual economic benefits.

Tijani said: “By 2050 we should be targeting 100 percent adoption of IPv6. We should not be comfortable with the consumption of internet technologies but with exporters of internet technologies. Thank God we have a President who is focused on digital transformation for the socio-economic benefits of Nigeria.

“The IPv6 protocol is the latest protocol responsible for ensuring that online transactions and activities allow authorities to identify users, not just for security but also to ensure that the system isn’t used inappropriately.

“Nigeria is now one of the first countries in Africa to migrate from IPv4 to IPv6, which means your providers can offer better services, ensure their systems are not easily hackable, and make sure the services they provide are always available by identifying where the traffic is coming from.

“These are the technicalities of how systems get hacked. This is a fantastic move by NITDA and all the partners to ensure Nigeria is multiple steps ahead. Some of our companies are now operating on IPv6, but we would like to see it become the standard for every critical service provider within the digital economy space.

“To what I’ve said on cybersecurity, you can’t really do cybersecurity if you can’t track the traffic and identify the sources. Cybersecurity often involves people hiding in certain places to attack the system, but IPv6 improves the country’s capability to track traffic and ensure our citizens are safe.”

The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said in terms of investment, IPv6 doesn’t require a huge amount because most of our devices today are IPv6 compatible.

 “The compatibility is there, but what’s lacking is the backward compatibility. For example, if you have an IPv4 device, you cannot access an IPv6 device. But most new devices are already IPv6 compatible, so it’s easy for us”, he said.

“What we need is strategy and policy direction because sometimes operators don’t like migrating since it requires them to change a lot of configurations,” the DG added.

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Citing research by a US-based technological institution, Abdullahi said adopting IPv6 would open a 10 trillion US dollar market globally.

“Considering our population in Nigeria, we can create a lot of activities from this. It will also help us address our cybersecurity challenges because, on average, every person in Africa has 1.5 devices. Most of us have more than two devices.

 “For example, I have two mobile phones, a smartwatch, laptops, and other devices connected to the internet. However, because of the scarcity of IPv6, all these devices are masked, meaning they cannot be directly identified.

“However, with IPv6, every person in the world can have billions of IP devices available for use. This will help address our cybersecurity challenges,” the NITDA boss stated.

Federal Capital Territory Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, has kicked off the distribution of approximately 900 metric tonnes of 30 trucks of assorted fertilizers to farmers in the territory.

At the flag off ceremony held in Abuja, the minister revealed that the assorted fertilizers were donated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMA&FS) to the FCT Administration for distribution to farmers in the nation’s capital.

The minister also said the event was a manifestation of the visionary leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s strategic response with a view to addressing the global challenge of food shortages.

While acknowledging the challenges faced by the populace regarding the high cost of food items, Mahmoud expressed the commitment of the Administration to proactively implement measures to address the situation.

“As you may recall, within the past two months, we have undertaken several initiatives to enhance food production. In collaboration with the World Bank and Islamic Development Bank, we achieved a significant milestone by providing farmers with a comprehensive range of agricultural inputs. 

“Building on this success, we also successfully distributed the palliatives approved by Mr. President, bringing much-needed relief and succor to the residents of the FCT,” she stressed.

She, however, assured that the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat has fully adhered to the distribution guidelines outlined by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which includes the setting up of a broad-based Ad-hoc committee to strategize and come up with distribution plans that would ensure the fertilizers reach the intended beneficiaries.

The minister thanked partners for their support in training of Agricultural Extension Agents and farmers, stressing that the administration is committed to sustaining this synergy and continuing the efforts to empower agricultural stakeholders with the knowledge and skills necessary for success.

She used the occasion to call on FCT residents, particularly the youth population, to take advantage of the vast arable land that the FCT is blessed with and venture into agriculture, no matter how small.

On his part, the Mandate Secretary Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Hon. Lawan Kolo Geidam, noted that the donation from the Central Bank of Nigeria was an apt and timely response to mitigate the adverse impact of the current global food crisis, exacerbated by climate change, low production, and high prices on Nigerians. 

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He further stressed that the intervention was also an unequivocal reaffirmation of the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to his Renewed Hope Agenda, part of which prioritizes agricultural revitalization by empowering farmers with essential inputs.

“We are optimistic that the substantial quantity of fertilizers generously provided will yield a remarkable outcome, culminating in a bumper harvest this year, thereby enhancing food availability, improved nutrition, economic growth, and overall well-being of FCT residents,” he added. 

Earlier in her address, the Permanent Secretary Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Grace Adayilo, noted that the importance of agriculture in human livelihood cannot be overstated, as it serves as a vital source of food and economic prosperity for communities.

Adayilo assured that the fertilizers would be distributed to genuine farmers saying, “I want to assure you that the people you see here today, are farmers that have been certified by the committee as genuine farmers who have been in their different ways, adding value to the food production systems in the FCT.”

She further assured that the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat would continue to implement measures to enhance the capacities of the extension agents across the 62 wards of the FCT.

As the world commemorates International Youth Day, the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, has highlighted the importance of youth as a catalyst for sustainable development.

In her message to the youth to mark the 2024 Youth Day, the minister emphasized that the FCT Administration recognises the significance of taking real action, rather than just talking, when it comes to the progress and development of the youth.

She emphasised that the current FCT Administration places a high priority on youth development, as evidenced by the establishment of a Youth Secretariat.

She said: “It may interest you to note that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President, our result-oriented Honourable minister, Nyesom Wike, has secured approval for the establishment of a Youth Secretariat and has appointed a Mandate Secretary who is one of you”.

While assuring that the Administration would continue to rekindle the hope of its youths to a secure future, the minister, however, charged them to always embrace dialogue instead of confrontation in all cases.

“The import of this is that dialogue promotes mutual understanding and matured crisis management for development and growth,” she affirmed.

Mahmoud, who described this year’s theme: “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development”, as apt, emphasised the role of digital technology in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The campaign aims to put a spotlight on digital initiatives and solutions led by youth and those that engage with youth. Through their digital networks they are not just connecting to millions but bringing social change and benefiting the disadvantaged in society,” she explained.

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According to a statement issued on Monday by her Special Assistant Media, Austine Elemue, the minister however, called on all stakeholders in youth development to join hands with the Administration to develop the youth through the provision of qualitative education, recreation/sporting facilities, and youth empowerment programmes.

Mahmoud said: “Let us all get the youths seriously involved in the task of nation-building and socio-economic development because when you build the youth you are building the nation”.

Since 1999, August 12 every year, has been observed as the International Youth Day as declared by the United Nations through the adoption of Resolution 54/120.

It is a day set aside to provide governments and other stakeholders in youth development with the opportunity to draw attention to youth-related issues.

Women Affairs Minister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye yesterday stopped an event organised in her ministry’s name without her permission.

She accused the organisers of impersonation.

The minister stormed the event organised by Mela-Chiyoma PAT Limited, saying it was without her consent.

Kennedy-Ohanenye, who took the podium, told the participants that the organisers had been arrested.

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The event was on the power of women in achieving food security.

In a clip shared by The ICIR on X (formerly Twitter), the minister could be heard saying: “She (the organiser) has been arrested. She should have reorganised herself, used her name to design the invitation and used her name to do this, not to use the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.

“I can’t allow this programme to go on. I’m sorry about this. This is pure impersonation and the President is not happy about it.

“I’m saying it. Let the media cover it. You don’t do this. You don’t take the ministry for granted. For what?”