Medium Term Expenditure Framework is to be tabled before House of Representatives for further deliberation on Thursday, Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has said.
The Speaker made the announcement at the resume plenary of the House on Wednesday.
He directed the House Committee on Finance to conclude work on the document by the end of work on Wednesday.
Details Shortly…
Researchers from Australia’s peak scientific body developed a computer game capable of helping diagnose mental health disorders.
The game, developed by the Data61 team at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) presents users with two choices and tracks their behaviour as they respond.
That data was then analysed by artificial neural networks that are able to distinguish the nuanced differences between healthy players and those with bipolar disorder or depression.
It was tested on 101 participants, 34 with depression, 33 with bipolar disorder and 34 without either.
Amir Dezfouli, the neuroscientist who led the study, said it represented a possible step-change in the emerging field of computational psychiatry.
“Currently, 69 per cent of bipolar patients are initially misdiagnosed and around one-third of these patients might remain misdiagnosed for 10 years or more,’’ he said in a media release on Wednesday.
“If we can understand how the brain works, we can develop more accurate processes for diagnosis and more effective treatments for people with mental health disorders.
“Characterising mental health disorders in granular detail could allow clinicians to develop more personalised treatment plans based on an individual’s unique diagnosis.’’
(Xinhua/NAN)
As the Sokoto Governorship Election Petition Tribunal session is ongoing, Court in its preliminary judgement ruled that Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has no powers to challenge the academic qualifications of Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto the APC governorship candidate.
The ruling, however, is in favour of the APC candidate just as the Court has embarked on break.
Details shortly…
A former aide to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Maiyaki has urged the governor to forget the idea of selling 50 per cent stake in the state-owned Azura Power project, saying such sale will have negative legal implications on the state.
Maiyaki who was Obaseki’s pioneer Chief Press Secretary said since a duly constituted state Assembly was not in place to consider and approve such divestment, there was no basis for the governor to go ahead with the planned exercise.
In a statement made available to The Nation in Abuja, Maiyaki said the ambition of the Governor would end in futility because of the processes that is involved in the divestment of state’s equity.
He said “First is process – Understanding that the money in question belongs to the state implies understanding the bureaucratic protocol of accessing and determining the best value and usage of public funds. This, therefore, requires the painstaking involvement of state lawmakers who must preside, commune and brainstorm on this idea as presented by the executive arm.
“This way, they supervise and determine if indeed, it is a worthy ambition. But in Edo state, as popularly known, there is no legally constituted legislature to sit on the case. This opens up and presents the second problem which is that of execution.
“If the process of supervising and assessing the executive ambition is intrinsically fraught with crisis, what assures upright devotion to the pursuit of the laid claims made by the Governor? And this worry is given more validation by the historical record of the present administration. Known for its characteristic attitude of making, but not fulfilling promises, sometimes even denying them, how can the public cast their truth on this ambition, believing that Obaseki’s administration has the interest of the people at heart?
“It should then be recalled at this juncture that the administration aims to divest 2.1 billion naira into a 200billion dollar project. By mere proportion, the incoming fund is like a drop of water in an ocean. But the most expedient question it invites is that of the original plans of the Industrial project. If the Industrial Park project needs such fund that is paltry when compared to its budget, then where and what really originally funds the project?
“But worse fear exists: where is the money really going and for what purpose? The Governor may have in his speech repeatedly rehearse his administration’s keenness to invest the money into the industrial sector of the state in an aim to shock and reinvigorate the sector for the employment and productive benefit of Edo state and her citizens. Yet there are validated reasons for fear and some quarters have suspected that the fund will be hijacked.
“Two things again stand out. First is that Governor Obaseki has created a frightful reputation, one that lacks the currency of trust, hence undermining himself whenever he proposes a-money-involved idea. This can be said, was brought upon himself by no other person than himself. In the months he spent creating an image of himself, subtly announcing through his actions, that no heartless disposition is beyond him, he sows a seed; now fully germinated and blossoming, he must reap its fruits.
“Obaseki throwing the legislature into crisis has therefore eliminated the chances of having his ambition legally asserted, and for this, he is made a man who has shot himself in the foot, and now, he must remain rooted to a spot, not progressing, not making or finding peace, his past sins haunting him until the time comes for him to go home—and then he will be voted home to rest”.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Borno has arrested a 38-year-old woman, Hauwa Adamu, who allegedly flaming charcoal to burn the private parts of her seven-year-old stepdaughter.
NSCDC Commandant, Mr Abdullahi Ibrahim, told a correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Wednesday in Maiduguri that the woman was arrested in Moduganari area of Maiduguri.
He said that the case was reported to the command by good Samaritans.
Ibrahim revealed that Adamu allegedly meted out horrible acts of punishment on the minor, over what she called disobedience.
According to him, preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect subjected the girl to different forms of abuse.
Ibrahim said that the girl was put under the suspect’s care sequel to the separation of her parents.
He added that the case had been transferred to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, for further investigation and action.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday presided over the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
The meeting started around 11 am at the Council chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
At the meeting were the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and Acting Head of Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan.
Either at the end or midway into the meeting, President Buhari is expected to leave for South Africa on a three-day state visit.
The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.
ANXIETY, fears and uncertainty have thickened in Sokoto, seat of the caliphate ahead of the much-awaited Elections petitions Tribunal verdict on the 2019 state governorship contest to be passed today in Abuja.
All ears and eyes of Sokoto residents beamed on the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which moved its sitting to Abuja for alleged security reasons.
Already, top notchers of both the PDP and APC had two days back moved in their numbers to the Federal Capital to witness the judgement.
However, hours to the judgement, supporters and party loyalists to the two major contending parties’ candidates, sitting Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal(PDP) and opposition Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto(APC) had since last week, been thrown in confusion as to what the outcome of the tribunal verdict would be.
Aliyu Sokoto who was deputy to Tambuwal had filed a petition before the Tribunal challenging the victory of the incumbent as well INEC for declaring him winner in the March 2019 state governorship election.
Supporters and party members from the two political divides, especially in the state capital were noticed in groups across the nook and crannies of the metropolis analysing the situation with speculative hope.
Although, the security situation has yet not suggested reactive tendency by the allegedly usual political thugs presumably to foment trouble of any sort even as security agencies have intensified routine show of force across flashpoints in the state as a proactive measure to tame likely breach of the public peace by miscreants.
Meanwhile, there was heavy presence of security at the International Conference Centre, Sokoto, venue of a live special interactive session with students and youths associations by Governor Aminu Tambuwal.
Quite a sizable number of military, police, NSCDS personnel were deployed to the venue that drew attendance beyond the conference hall capacity to grace the event as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 59th independence anniversary.
Besides, Wednesday’s Tribunal verdict is expected to end all political permutations, speculations and tension among loyalists and members of the two opposing parties depending on the outcome. Either way, it goes, the contending candidates would square up for further challenge.
Meanwhile, the over an hour early morning torrential rainfall has forced many residents to remain indoors as the tribunal verdict closes gap.
Security has been beefed up in Kano metropolis ahead of the Judgment to be delivered by the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday.
NAN reports that the tribunal had on Monday, Sept. 30, set aside Wednesday, Oct. 2, for
the judgment on the petition filed by the PDP and its gubernatorial candidate against Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje.
PDP and Abba Kabir-Yusuf are challenging the declaration of Dr Abdullahi Ganduje of APC as winner of the March 23, governorship election in Kano state.
Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano reports that armed policemen have been deployed to strategic places within Kano and its environs, including the Government House and other public buildings.
Policemen have also taken over the control of movement of vehicles, especially along the major streets in the city as early as 6.00 a.m as parts to check recklessly amongst motorists at the end of the judgment.
Other security personnel have also been put on red alert at the tribunal located along the Miller road at Bompai areas of the state capital and all motorists who have no business with the area were turned back.
People going toward the area where the tribunal is located have been subjected to serious thorough questioning and checks to enhance security at the venue.
Human and vehicular movements around the Bompai area was also restricted as only lawyers, journalists, and security personnel were allowed in or out of the place.
Men suspected to be hired killers or kidnappers have gunned down the Adamawa State Chairman of Tabital Pulaaku International, Alhaji Abdu Bali.
The attackers who struck at the Fulani group leader’s residence in Yola town on Tuesday night also killed a man who was identified as a visitor and left another visitor critically injured.
Our correspondent gathered that three gunmen stormed the Tabital Pulaaku chairman’s house in Lakare area of Yola town about 8:30 pm on Tuesday and opened gunfire on the man and his visitors, killing him and one of his two visitors and injuring the other.
A source said, “Alhaji was inside the house with two people who were on a visit when three armed men came shooting sporadically and entering the house. They killed Alhaji and one of the visitors while the other visitor was left badly injured.”
The Adamawa State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Sulaiman Ngurore, confirmed the incident Wednesday morning.
He said, “When we were alerted, we rushed there and found the Tabital Pulaaku chairman and his visitor lying in pools of blood. We took them and another visitor who was injured to the hospital where the chairman and his other visitor were confirmed dead.”
The PPRO added that men and officials from all relevant police units had been deployed to fish out the killers and have them prosecuted.