The Nation Newspaper

Tag: The Federal Government

  • FG directs schools to teach IRS, CRK separately

    FG directs schools to teach IRS, CRK separately

    The Federal Government on Wednesday directed secondary schools to ensure that Islamic Religious Studies (IRS) and Christian Religious Studies (CRK) are taught as separate subjects.

    Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu gave the directive in a statement issued in Abuja by the ministry’s Deputy Director (Press), Ben Bem-Gong.

    According to the statement, the directive became imperative because of speculation regarding the merging of the two subjects.

    The statement quoted the minster saying that students would not be compelled to study the two subjects, adding that secondary school students are at liberty to choose any of the two subjects depending on their religious beliefs.

    The statement said: “The directive has become necessary following weeks of speculations in the social and conventional media networks across the country that the two subjects have been merged into one.

    The confusion was created by a publisher who produced a book on the subject, combining Islamic Religious Studies (IRS) and Christian Religious Studies (CRK), which is being used in some private secondary schools.

    “There is no compulsion in the study of the two religions. Secondary school students are at liberty to choose any of the two subjects depending on their religious leanings.

    “The Christian Religious Studies and Islamic Religious Studies have remained separate subjects in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).

    “If such a change has occurred (merger of IRS & CRS), the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) would have reflected same in their programmes and examinations.”

  • ‎FG explains why it can’t stop non-Nigerian herdsmen

    ‎FG explains why it can’t stop non-Nigerian herdsmen

    The Federal Government, yesterday, gave the ECOWAS Transhumance Protocol as a reason why non-citizens of Nigeria are still allowed to graze their cattle across the country.

    It has been established that many herdsmen who are involved in clashes in Nigerian villages were not Nigerians.

    The ECOWAS Transhumance Protocol, the government stated, has given the right of free movement to citizens of member countries.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who disclosed this at the opening of a two -day Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Grazing Reserves and Stock Routes in Abuja on Thursday, told journalists that the law is similar to the fundamental right to freedom of movement in the Nigerian constitution.

    Chief Ogbeh said: “The Nigerian constitution has given every citizen the fundamental right to freedom of movement in search of legitimate businesses; transhumance pastoralism is seen along these lines.

    “For pastoralists from neighbouring West African countries, access to grazing rights in other countries in the ECOWAS zone including Nigeria, are guaranteed by the ECOWAS Transhumance Protocol of 1998 and ECOWAS Protocol of Free Movement of Goods and Persons in West Africa.”

    Ogbeh stated that the ECOWAS Transhumance Protocol allows for herders to move across borders in search of pasture upon fulfilling the conditions laid down in the Protocol.

    “So it is not strange to see a Malian, Burkinabe or Nigerien pastoralist grazing his cows, sheep or goats in Nigeria or a Nigerian pastoralist grazing his livestock in Benin, Togo or Ghana and by extension, transhumance pastoralists from other neighbouring countries,” he added.

    The minister noted that pastoralists who provided bulk of livestock and dairy products consumed locally, employ mobility as a production strategy.

    ‎Chief Ogbeh, regretted that the movement of animals within and across agro-ecological zones had precipitated resource use competition that had resulted in high incidence of conflicts between crop farmers and pastoralists across the country.

    ‎According to Ogbeh, the conflict had taken a massive tool on the nation’s economy, stressing that, “the present deadly conflicts reportedly occur mostly between the Nigerian transhumance herders and/or the cross border transhumance pastoralists on hand and the local crop farmers on the other.”

    On ways to mitigate the conflict between the groups and promote commercial livestock production, the minister stated that grazing reserves and stock routes development and utilization had been stepped up in recent years.

    “The grazing reserves are to settle transhumant pastoralists and reduce/eliminate crop farmer-pastoralist conflicts,” he stated.

  • FG will harmonise university tuition fees – Minister

    FG will harmonise university tuition fees – Minister

    The Federal Government will harmonise tuition fees in all federal universities to stop arbitrary charge of fees by some university authorities.

    The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, made this known while fielding questions on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Tuesday.

    “Since the protests started, we have summoned the authorities of the universities and sat down with them and we are going to harmonise everything.

    “Because, I think it is N45,000 that is the maximum that should be charged. I know in some places, there has been other arrangement.

    “But the ministry would harmonise everything and I believe there will be no more protests over fees, ” she said.

    NAN recalls that the Universities of Lagos, Ibadan and Port Harcourt were recently shut down following students’ protests over increase in fees, lack of water and power supply on the campuses.

    Adamu said that the Federal Government was discussing with management of the affected universities, adding that efforts were also ongoing to introduce harmonised fees for all federal universities.

    Adamu, who decried the excessive fees charged by private tertiary institutions in the country, explained that the government does not have the power to regulate fees in that sector.

    “First, I will agree with you that they charge exorbitant fees. But I wish I had the power to do something about it. If I had the power I would stop them.

    “But I think the thing is being treated like a market where you buy what you can afford. But I do believe the government should intervene, “he said.

    On the industrial peace that has prevailed in the education sector since the inception of the Buhari administration, Adamu attributed it to partnership with the unions.

    He stressed that the government would strengthen partnership with all the unions in the sector to sustain the existing industrial harmony.

    “ASUU and the other unions are very patriotic people who are concerned about the state of education in Nigeria. And most of what they do is motivated by this belief.

    “So, as far as I am concerned, they have got fellow travellers in this administration.

    “I believe the president and his ministers are really passionate about education. And they would want to do everything to make education succeed.

    “ASUU and the administration are going in the same line. So, we would not have a ground to disagree.

    “We are not waiting for unions to strike before we go to them. So, we are already making the approach to all the unions. So, I think there would be no strikes.

    The minister pledged government’s commitment to release N200 billion annually for the implementation of the NEEDS Assessment Report, to enhance the quality and standard of tertiary education.

    He added that fate of tertiary education depended on the full implementation of the NEEDS Assessment Report, which according to him, “this government is committed to deliver’’.

  • FG assures police of adequate funding

    FG assures police of adequate funding

    The Federal Government on Friday promised to address the challenges of inadequate funding, training and other challenges facing the Nigeria Police Force.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo made the promise at the inaugural annual Inspector-General of Police’s Strategic Police Management Conference in Abuja.

    Osinbajo was represented at the conference by Dr Yomi Dipeolu, his Special Adviser on Economic Matters, which has “Custodial Violence and Strategic Police Management in Nigeria” as its theme.

    He told the police that “in view of the importance of your role in maintaining law and order, we will address the challenges of adequate funding, training and other challenges that you face.”

    On custodial violence, the vice president attributed the delay in the trial of cases to the attitude of police toward confessional statements.

    He said “it is my view that the current way in which the police take confessional statements is the reason or one of the main causes in delay of trial.”

    He noted that in some cases, the confessional statements do more harm than good to the case of the prosecution.

    He urged the police to take advantage of the new provisions in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act to record voluntary confessional statements on video or take it in the presence of a legal counsel of the suspect.

    Osinbajo urged the police commanding officers to monitor the behaviour of officers in the field and at the station as this would determine the cooperation of the public.

    Earlier, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said that the police needed the support of Nigerians to discharge its constitutional roles.

    He said that the police must be rebuilt to inspire confidence in every citizen.

    Malami added that the present administration was committed to ensuring that the police became more humane and efficient institution in the country.

    He urged police officers to desist from violating the rights of citizens and improve on their capacity.

    In a remark, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, said there was a manpower gap at the strategic policing level in the country.

    He said there was a need to initiate sustainable training and capacity building to bridge the gap and prepare the force for future challenges.

    Arase noted that the police was collaborating with local and international experts to institute a training intervention and capacity building annually.

    He urged officers to embrace opportunities to sharpen their intellectual and professional skills.

    “Let me emphasise that the future of the Nigeria Police rests not necessarily on the acquisition of weaponry, but on requisite policing knowledge,” he added.

  • FG set to resolve Delta, Edo boundary dispute

    FG set to resolve Delta, Edo boundary dispute

    The Federal Government is set to resolve the boundary dispute between Delta and Edo states , Director-General, National Boundary Commission, Dr Mohammed Ahmad, has said.

     

    This is contained in a statement signed by the Resident Information Officer of the commission, Mr Kabir Bala, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

     

    The director-general said that resolution of the dispute was part of effort to advance the definition and determination processes of boundary between both states.

     

    He said that there was need for the two states to maintain peace and concord in their border communities prior to the conclusion of the exercise.

     

    “ Boundary dispute is not a do-or-die affair. The lines are not walls; they are only identified and drawn for administrative purposes,’’ he said.

     

    Ahmad said that a joint meeting of officials of Edo/Delta Interstate Boundary Committee was held in Asaba few months ago to deliberate on ways to resolve the dispute.

     

    He said that the meeting deliberated on grey areas constituting challenges between both states.

     

    According to him, the meeting resolved to continue the enlightenment and sensitisation of border communities through the involvement of traditional rulers, chairmen of local government areas and other stakeholders.

     

    Ahmad said that the states would maintain ‘status quo’ pending final determination of their boundary by the commission, adding that field work on the grey areas would be undertaken from June 6 to July 22.

     

    The statement said that Deputy Governor of Delta, Mr Kingsley Otuaro, in his remark said that the states were one and the same, notwithstanding the “artificial boundary’’ between them.

     

    Otuaro, however, called for urgent resolution of the boundary dispute to avoid unhealthy commotion between the border communities and the states.

     

    Similarly, Deputy Governor of Edo, Mr Pius Egberanmwen, commended the resolve of boundary commission to settle the dispute.

     

    Egberanmwen said that Edo would complement the efforts of the Federal Government by supporting and cooperating with the officials of the commission for the successful completion of the exercise.