Echotitbits – Nigeria News

Category: National

  • You Succeeded in Avoiding Justice, But Couldn’t Escape Death, Obasanjo Tells Kashamu

    You Succeeded in Avoiding Justice, But Couldn’t Escape Death, Obasanjo Tells Kashamu

    You Succeeded in Avoiding Justice, But Couldn’t Escape Death, Obasanjo Tells Kashamu

    A former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, Saturday condoled with Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, over the death of Senator Buruji Kashamu.

    READ ALSO…

    Senator Amosun mourns Buruji Kashamu

    Obasanjo, in a statement, described Kashamu’s death as “sad,” but noted that his life and history left “lessons for those of all us on this side of the veil.”

    He said: “Senator Buruji Kashamu in his lifetime used the maneuver of law and politics to escape from facing justice on alleged criminal offence in Nigeria and outside Nigeria.

    “But no legal, political, cultural, social, or even medical maneuver could stop the cold hand of death when the Creator of all of us decides that the time is up.

    “May Allah forgive his sin and accept his soul into Aljanah, and may God grant his family and friends fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

    READ ALSO…..

    Abiodun Mourns Buruji Kashamu, Describes Him as a Large-hearted Politician and Courageous Fighter

    Kashamu, prior to his death, engaged in a series of legal battle against the Federal Government of Nigeria over his extradition to the United States of America to face alleged drug trafficking and fraud charges.

    Idowu Sowunmi

    Former President Obasanjo's Condolence Letter on Late Buruji Kashamu
    Former President Obasanjo’s Condolence Letter on Late Buruji Kashamu.
    Source: Adetomiwa Adetilewa
  • Senator Amosun mourns Buruji Kashamu

    Senator Amosun mourns Buruji Kashamu

    Senator Amosun mourns Buruji Kashamu

    The Senator representing Ogun Central District at the Red Chamber, Senator Ibikunle AMOSUN, CON FCA has expressed sadness over the death, today, of a leading politician and stakeholder of Ogun State extraction, Senator Buruji Kashamu, aged 62.

    READ ALSO…

    Breaking…Senator Buruji Kashamu Dies of Coronavirus

     

    In a Press Release, signed by Alhaji Bola Adeyemi, his Media Assistant , Senator Amosun, who’s also the immediate past Governor of Ogun State said
    “Death, once again, has robbed us of the contribution of an enigmatic politician of the PDP, who represented Ogun East Senatorial District at the 8th Senate, our dear brother Senator Buruji Kashamu”

    He also said “although we belonged to different political persuasions, and disagreed on most issues, Senator Kashamu will nonetheless be remembered for his assertive presence in the political arena and uncommon doggedness”

    ” He fought myriad of wars with every breadth in his soul in the defence of whatever he believed in and for his personal freedom. Hate him or love him, he could not be easily ignored” according to him”

    READ ALSO….

    Abiodun Mourns Buruji Kashamu, Describes Him as a Large-hearted Politician and Courageous Fighter

    Senator Amosun prayed that the Almighty Allah, SWT, will forgive Kashamu’s earthly sins and give him eternal rest.

    He expressed condolences to the nuclear and political family members of the late founder and financier of the Omo Ilu Foundation, the Ijebu Igbo Community, and Ogun State as a whole.

  • SERAP condemns Buhari, demands end to criminalising peaceful protesters in Nigeria

    SERAP condemns Buhari, demands end to criminalising peaceful protesters in Nigeria

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) Wednesday strongly condemned reported violent attacks on #RevolutionNow protesters in Abuja, Osogbo and other parts of the country.

    SERAP tasked the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to put an end to the “use of excessive force against protesters, and allow people to peacefully exercise their human rights.”

    Department of State Services (DSS) had Wednesday reportedly arrested Olawale Bakare and six other #RevolutionNow protesters wearing orange-coloured caps around Olaiya area of Osogbo, Osun State capital.

     

    Several protesters were also allegedly arrested by the police and the Nigerian Army in Abuja.

    Reacting to this development, SERAP, in a statement by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said: “By failing to adequately protect protesters from violent attacks, Nigerian authorities have blatantly violated their obligations under the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.”

    The statement added: “Nobody should be arrested or subjected to torture and ill-treatment simply for taking part in peaceful protests. The authorities should stop criminalising peaceful protesters.

    “Rather than suppressing peaceful protests, the authorities ought to protect peaceful protesters and ensure a safe and enabling environment for people to exercise their constitutionally and internationally guaranteed rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

    “SERAP urges the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all those arrested, promptly investigate attacks on protesters, and identify security agents suspected to be responsible and bring them to justice.

    “Nigerian authorities need to take seriously the protesters’ socio-economic grievances, including by immediately taking measures to genuinely fight grand corruption, and improve access of Nigerians to basic public goods and services.

    “SERAP urges the international community including the UN Human Rights Council, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the African Union and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to publicly condemn attacks on peaceful protests and to put pressure on the Nigerian authorities to effectively investigate attacks on protesters, prosecute perpetrators and to respect and protect the human rights of everyone.

    “Nigerian constitution and human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party guarantee the rights to liberty and security of person, freedom from arbitrary detention, freedom of expression, and the right of peaceful assembly.

    “The UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials prohibit the use of excessive force against peaceful protesters.”

    Idowu Sowunmi

  • Petrol: PPMC fixes ex-depot price at N138.62 per litre

    Petrol: PPMC fixes ex-depot price at N138.62 per litre

    The downstream subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) otherwise called Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), has fixed the ex-depot price of premium motor spirit (PMS) also known as petrol at N138.62 per litre.

    PPMC, in a memo by its Manager, Sales, Mohammed Bello, in Abuja on Tuesday, said the new price would come into effect from August 5.

    The ex-depot price is the price at which depot owners sell the commodity to retail outlets.

    PPMC also put the ex-coastal price of the commodity, which is the price at which the product is sold to depot owners, at N113.70 per litre.

    The ex-depot price for automotive gasoline oil (AGO), also known as diesel, was fixed at N160 per litre and N165 per litre, for depots in Lagos and Oghara respectively.

    It, besides, fixed the ex-depot price for kerosene at N160 per litre.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the Petroleum Products Pricing for Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) was yet to release the monthly pricing modulation for petroleum products for August.

    The pricing modulation would determine the pump price that the products would be sold to motorists.

    Some analysts have, however, speculated that Nigerians may pay N150 or more per litre of petrol for the month of August.

    Idowu Sowunmi

  • Senate reviews National Health Act 2014 to improve healthcare for Nigerian

    Senate reviews National Health Act 2014 to improve healthcare for Nigerian

    The Chairman Senate Committee on Health, Ibrahim Oloriegbe, says plans are on to review the National Health Act 2014, for better health coverage in the country.

    Senator Oloriegbe says the National Health Insurance Authority Bill as well as the 6 months maternity leave bill has passed 3rd reading and presently before the house of representative for its concurrent list to be presented to Mr. President for assent.

    Speaking during the Save The Children Nigeria, World breastfeeding week webinar, Tagged: Innovative Strategies for improving breast feeding and Nutrition in Nigeria, the lawmaker stressed that the legislature is working to ensure increased budgetary allocation for the health sector.

    “As the Chairman Senate Committee on Health, my colleagues and i would make sure all this bills are signed into law, our focus is to reduce maternal and child mortality rate at all levels”

    “Breast milk is a natural renewable resource and when children are exclusively breast feed, their brain becomes well developed to contribute to a better society, we all must champion this cause”.He said

    Earlier, the wife of the Kaduna State Governor, Mrs Aisha El’rufai, expressed optimism that before the end of this year, the state would implement the bill for maternity leave.

    “Kaduna State is at the forefront of this campaign, breast milk remains the best nutritional food for infants growth, every state governors wife must take the lead in this campaign until we achieve zero water for infants at early stage”

    The Deputy Director Food System and Applied Nutrition NAFDAC, Mr Abdulsalami Ozigis, explained that the Agency has checked unethical practices that undermines breast feeding.

    “We have been able to promulgate Act No 41 of 1990 on marketing of breast milk substitute and have been conducting several training and sensitization on this”

    In his submission, the Advocacy Campaign and Policy Manager, Survive Program of Save The Children Nigeria, Mr Innocent Ifedilichukwu, who maintained that breast milk nutrition is a necessity for human development, called on Government as well as private organizations to establish a crèche within their firms to create opportunity for working class mothers to breastfeed their infants, while at work.

    Mr Ifedilichukwu, added that Save The Children would continue to partner relevant agencies in advocating for the right of children to quality education, health care services and equal opportunity.

    – Radio Nigeria

  • WAEC releases timetable for 2020 WASSCE

    WAEC releases timetable for 2020 WASSCE

    West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Tuesday released the final international timetable for the conduct of the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    READ ALSO: Abiodun bows to pressure, cancels N25,000 COVID-19 test for SS3 students

    The council, which took to its Twitter handle to break the news in a statement by its spokesperson, Demainus Ojijeogu, enjoined the general public to disregard “several versions of the examination timetable that have been in circulation.”

    The statement stated that the examination would begin effective from August 17 to September 12, 2020.

    READ ALSO: How we spent N500m on school feeding programme during lockdown – Minister

    “The council hereby urges the candidates to abide by the rules and regulations guiding the conduct of the examination by shunning all acts of malpractice and obeying all COVID-19 protocols that have been put in place at the examination centres,” WAEC said.

    Idowu Sowunmi

  • How we spent N500m on school feeding programme during lockdown – Minister

    How we spent N500m on school feeding programme during lockdown – Minister

    The President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government Monday said it expended about N523.3 million on school feeding programme during the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)-induced lockdown.

    This was disclosed by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (MHADMSD), Sadiya Farouq, while speaking at the Presidential Taskforce briefing on COVID-19 in Abuja.

    Explaining that ‘Take Home Rations’ under the modified Home Grown School Feeding programme was not a sole initiative of MHADMSD, the minister said each ration was valued at N4,200 and that the figure was arrived at after proper consultation.

    Farouq noted that the figure was generated from statistics provided by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    READ ALSO:

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    “According to statistics from NBS and CBN, a typical household in Nigeria has 5.6 to six members in its household, with three to four dependents.

    “So, each household is assumed to have three children.

    “Based on the original design of the Home Grown School Feeding programme, long before it was domiciled in the ministry, every child on the programme receives a meal a day.

    “The meal costs N70 per child.

    “When you take 20 school days per month, it means a child eats food worth N1,400 per month.

    “Three children would then eat food worth N4,200 per month and that was how we arrived at the cost of the ‘take-home ration.’

    “The agreement was that the federal government will provide the funding while the states will implement.

    “To ensure transparency in the process, we partnered with the World Food Programme (WFP) as technical partners,” the minister said.

    Farouq added that her ministry invited government agencies like Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Department of State Services (DSS) and some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to monitor the process.

    “TrackaNG monitored and gave daily updates validating the programme.

    “In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), 29,609 households were impacted, 37,589 households in Lagos and 60,391 in Ogun, making a total of 124,589 households impacted between May 14, and July 6.

    “If 124,589 households received take home rations valued at N4,200, the amount will be N523,273,800.”

    Establishing the process that led to the creation of take home rations from the Home Grown School Feeding Programme, Farouq said the programme was modified and implemented in three states following a March 29 presidential directive.

    The minister said: “It is critical at this juncture to provide details that will help puncture the tissue of lies being peddled in the public space.

    “The provision of ‘Take Home Rations’ under the modified Home Grown School Feeding programme, was not a sole initiative of MHADMSD.

    “The ministry, in obeying the presidential directive, went into consultations with state governments through the Governor’s Forum, following which it was resolved that ‘take home rations’ remained the most viable option for feeding children during the lockdown.

    “So, it was a joint resolution of the ministry and the state governments to give out take home rations.

    READ ALSO: COVID-19 Test for Students: Joint decision of proprietors, parents – Ogun Government

    “The stakeholders also resolved that we would start with the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states, as pilot cases.”

    Farouq also used the occasion to insist that she never said every Nigerian received COVID-19 palliative during the lockdown, saying it’s impossible to give palliative to all Nigerians.

    “Every state government received its shares of palliatives for onward distribution. I never said every Nigerian has received COVID-19 palliative. It is impossible to give palliative to all Nigerians,” she said.

    Idowu Sowunmi

  • Operation Sahel Sanity impacts North-West with tremendous successes – Defence Headquarters

    Operation Sahel Sanity impacts North-West with tremendous successes – Defence Headquarters

    The Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHq) says operation Sahel Sanity, which kicked off almost two months ago has led to the rescue of kidnapped victims, recovery of rustled cattles, arrest of suspected armed bandits, arrest of bandits informants and collaborators.

    This was disclosed in a statement Saturday night as it reviewed operations of the unit, which was flagged off on July 6, 2020 by the Chief of Army Staff, Major Gen. Turkur Buratai, as part of activities of the Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2020, during which the Nigerian Army Super Camp IV Faskari in Katsina State was established.

    According to the statement, Operation Sahel Sanity was established to support Operation Hadarin Daji in stemming the tides of the activities of armed bandits, cattle rustlers, kidnappers, incessant killings and other sundry crimes in the North-West zone of the country.

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    “These acts of criminalities orchestrated by the bandits had before now crippled the agricultural, social and economic activities of the people of this zone. The people of the North-West Zone felt immediate impact of the operation with the tremendous successes achieved within the short period of time.

    “The gallant troops of Operation SAHEL SANITY within the period under review has carried out series of clearance operations, ambushes and other aggressive and confidence building patrols within Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara States.”

    Also included as part of the successes, DHq stated that the unit made recoveries of large cache of arms and ammunition as well as recovery of motorcycles and other bandits logistics within the period.

    The DHq noted further that: “So far, in all the operations conducted, 80 armed bandits have been neutralized, a total of 943 cows, 633 sheep/rams recovered; 33 suspected bandits arrested; 7 AK47 Riffles, 1 GPMG and16 Dane guns captured; 17 kidnapped victims rescued and 14 bandits informants and collaborators arrested.

    “Also several bandits camps including the notorious Dangote Triangle and their logistics bases were destroyed by troops of Operation SAHEL SANITY.

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    “There is no gainsaying therefore that within the first month of Operation SAHEL SANITY from 1-31 July 2020, troops have recorded several successes in line with the aim of the operation. The gallant troops continue to dominate volatile areas with confidence building patrols, ambushes and clearance operations to deny the bandits and other criminal elements freedom of action”.

    The DHq added that the successes achieved by Operation Sahel Sanity is further evident by the active resumption of farming, social and economic activities by the locals with reduced fear of threats in their localities.

  • Eid-el-Kabir: IGP orders intensified patrols nationwide, advises Nigerians on COVID-19 protocols

    Eid-el-Kabir: IGP orders intensified patrols nationwide, advises Nigerians on COVID-19 protocols

    As part of efforts to ensure a crime-free Eid-el Kabir celebration in the country, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, has directed the commissioners of police in all the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as well as their supervisory Assistant Inspectors General of Police in the 17 Zonal Commands to intensify “confidence building patrols in all nooks and crannies of the country particularly on major highways and around critical national infrastructure.”

    Adamu, while assuring Nigerians of adequate security, congratulated the Muslim faithful in the country as they join other Muslims across the world to celebrate this year’s Eid-el-Kabir festival.

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    Besides, IGP called for “voluntary compliance with the ban on all mass socio-religious gathering and other prevention orders directed at protecting the citizens and checking further spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.”

    Adamu, in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, enjoined the citizens to cooperate with the police, noting that the measures have become imperative due to the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic.

    Idowu Sowunmi

  • FG says NECO exams will hold from Oct 5 to Nov 18

    FG says NECO exams will hold from Oct 5 to Nov 18

    The President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government Wednesday said the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) organised by the National Examination Council (NECO) for the students would commence on October 5 and end on November 18.

    Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajuiba, disclosed the dates for the examination at the end of a virtual meeting with chief executives officers of examination bodies in the country.

    The minister, in a statement by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Ben Goong, said the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) into Unity Colleges would hold on October 17.

    The ministry also said the Basic Education Certificate Examinations, (BECE) for JSS 3 pupils also conducted by NECO would start on August 24 and end on September 7.

    The statement added that registration for NECO (SSCE), which is on-going, would end on September 10 and that there would be no further extension.

    The statement said the National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB) examinations would start on September 21 and end by October 15.

    The National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) is scheduled to hold from September 23 to October 17, said the statement.

    Idowu Sowunmi