Home Blog Page 1684

Who’s New Twitter Chief Executive

By
James Orji
-
0

Linda Yaccarino was raised in an Italian-American family, with a father who was a police officer and a mother who never went to college.

After graduating from Penn State, she worked at Turner Entertainment for 15 years before joining NBCUniversal, where she oversaw roughly 2,000 people, and was involved with the launch of its streaming service.

Her work has been marked by close collaborations with big brands, finding opportunities for product placement and convincing them to advertise alongside television shows – even ones with a reputation for edgy content, such as Sex and the City when it first launched.

She has also built relationships in new media with the likes of Apple News, Snapchat and YouTube.

A 2005 profile in an industry publication portrayed her as a busy, married mother-of-two children, then aged 13 and 9.

“I have absolutely no hobbies,” she said at the time.

Business Insider’s Claire Atkinson has followed Ms Yaccarino’s career for two decades and said her background in advertising could help Twitter, which has seen its ad sales drop sharply since Mr Musk’s takeover.

“If Twitter are looking to monetise better than they have been, then that would be the place to start and Linda would be the ideal person to make that happen,” the chief media correspondent said.

“She’s the kind of person that I can imagine Elon Musk needs,” Ms Atkinson added. “She won’t be rolled over.”

Indeed, her negotiating style within the industry earned her the nickname the “velvet hammer”, according to the Wall Street Journal in 2012.

Ms Yaccarino will face the challenge of running a business that has struggled to be profitable, while facing intense scrutiny over how Twitter handles the spread of misinformation and manages hate speech.

When Mr Musk first started discussing his plans for Twitter last year, he said he wanted to reduce the platform’s reliance on advertising and make changes to the way it moderated content.

He also said he wanted to expand the site’s functions to include payments, encrypted messaging and phone calls, turning it into something he called X.

But Mr Musk courted controversy when he fired thousands of staff upon his takeover, including people who had been tasked with dealing with abusive posts.

He also overhauled the way the service authenticates accounts, charging for blue ticks in a move critics said would facilitate the spread of misinformation.

Some of the changes raised concerns among advertisers, worried about risks to their brands, who subsequently halted spending on the site.

Mr Musk has acknowledged “massive” declines in revenue, though he told the BBC last month that companies were returning.

At an advertising conference last month Ms Yaccarino interviewed Mr Musk and pressed him on what he was doing to reassure firms that their brands would not be exposed to risk.

“The people in this room are your accelerated path to profitability,” she said. “But there’s a decent bit of sceptics in the room.”

There has also been some instant scepticism at Ms Yaccarino’s appointment on social media, where many were looking for clues to her politics, which reportedly lean conservative.

Her work for the World Economic Forum, an organisation viewed negatively as “globalist” by those on the right, has not been well-received in some quarters along with her role in a coronavirus vaccination campaign featuring Pope Francis.

Others on the left have questioned her political involvement in a White House sports, fitness and nutrition council under former President Donald Trump.

Mr Musk, who has also put women in senior positions at SpaceX and Tesla, is known to be a notoriously unpredictable and demanding boss.

Even the announcement unfolded in an unusual manner, after media reports sparked by Mr Musk’s post that identified Ms Yaccarino appeared to catch her bosses at NBCUniversal off guard.

As of mid-Friday in the US, Ms Yaccarino had still not commented publicly on the move.

Industry watchers will be curious to see how the relationship develops between the New Yorker and the until now hands-on Mr Musk.

Ms Atkinson said the two Twitter executives would be facing “difficult conversations” about how to handle moderation, especially with the 2024 presidential election approaching in the US.

“How long Linda can last under these tricky management situations is anyone’s guess,” Ms Atkinson said.

BBC

“How A Cough That Looked Harmless Killed My Wife” – Professor Ralph Akinfeleye

By
Adesina Soyooye
-
0
Professor Ralph Akinfeleye and Wife

By Adesina Soyooye

Renowned Professor of Mass Communication, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye, has lamented how his wife died just because of a cough that seemed so ordinary.

Professor Akinfeleye lost his wife of almost 40 years – Chief (Mrs) Carol Anike Akinfeleye – to a brief illness.

Said the devastated Professor: “I’m still in shock because a cough that looked so harmless, and should have been treated with simple medication, landed her in hospital and she never came back alive.”

Continuing his lamentation, he said both of them were busy, excitedly planning, and looking forward to their 40th wedding anniversary, only for death to strike so suddenly.

“We were looking forward, with excitement, to our 40th wedding anniversary in September, as we discussed it daily. Just too bad and painful. But the Lord is on His Throne.

Mrs Akinfeleye, a former School Principal and Director of Education, Lagos State, held the Chieftaincy title of Yeye Gbekonuyi of Idanre Kingdom.

Her funeral ceremonies will be held on June 15 and 16 at Odode, Idanre, Ondo State.

Imo Governorship: Uzodinma Drops Deputy, Professor Placid Njoku

By
The Source
-
0
Placid Njoku and Hope Uzodimma

By Charles Igbo

Unless there is a miraculous change in calculations,  the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Professor Placid Njoku, will not be on the ballot, alongside Governor Hope Uzodinma on November 11, 2023.

It is the day the Imo Governorship election will take place. But, Professor Njoku will not be Uzodinma’s running mate.

The Governor has set his eyes on another.

Uzodinma not picked anybody yet as Professor Njoku’s replacement. But to beat the dateline of the Independent National Electoral Commission for the submission of names of Candidates for the election, Uzodinma has picked and submitted the name of his Commissioner for Works,  Ralph Nwosu, as a “Place Holder.” Meaning that he would be dropped for a substantive running mate.

Nwosu, a strong loyalist of the Governor is from the same Orlu Senatorial Zone as the Governor. They are, also, from the same Local Government Area.

It is not known, yet, why Uzodinma dropped Professor Njoku, an academic and a former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, Umuahia, Abia State. Both men enjoy a rosy, cordial, relationship. But there are speculations  that the Professor, from Owerri Zone, may have been dropped because of the need for somebody with a better electoral value than him, especially, as the Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Samuel Anyanwu, popular as Samdaddy, is from the same LGA, Ikeduru, as Professor Njoku.

It is still not known from which Senatorial Zone, Uzodinma will pick his running mate. What is known is that his Senatorial Zone, Orlu, is exempted. His choice is limited between Owerri and Okigwe Senatorial Zones.

Not a few people give two reasons why Owerri is likely to carry the day.

Firstly, the Governorship Candidate of the Labour Party, Athan Achonu, is from Okigwe Senatorial Zone. Uzodinma, they say, is not likely to pick his running mate from that Zone, seeing that their votes would likely be seriously divided. The only Zone remaining is Owerri Zone where he has a strong support base even though the PDP Candidate, Anyanwu comes from the Zone.

Secondly, having dropped Professor Njoku, an Owerri Zone son, it will be untidy not to replace him with another Owerri son, a Zone which has been screaming discrimination on the grounds that no Owerri son has, fully, occupied tho office of the Governor since the return of democracy. While the late Chief Evan Enwerem was sacked by the Military, after a little over  one year in office, the Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha was, in 2020,  removed by the Supreme Court after eight months in office.

Governor Uzodinma, based on the newly re-signed Imo Charter of Equity which says Owerri Zone will produce his successor, has promised to see that it is implemented.

For now, all eyes are on Uzodinma, to see from where his running mate will come from – Owerri or Okigwe.

Imo Government To Recruit 10,000 Teachers, Says Uzodinma

By
The Source
-
0
Hope Uzodimma

Governor Hope Uzodimma on Friday hinted that his Government is set to recruit 10,000 teachers for the primary and secondary schools in Imo State.

Also, three brand new General Hospitals located in the oil producing area of Imo State – Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Oru East- will be commissioned next week while 19 others across the State have been slated for upgrade.

Governor Uzodimma dropped the hint during an Interactive Session with Imo State Elders Council at the Rockview Hotel Owerri.

The elders had invited the Governor to brief them on the state of the State.

The governor commended the Elders for working tirelessly to see that Imo retains its original identity of providing direction and thanked them for their commitment to the progress and development of Imo State.

The Governor reminded the Elders that the reason for the establishment of the Council which is backed by law of Imo State House of Assembly “is to ensure that we have checks and balances in governance so that whoever is in authority will know that people are watching him.”

Informing the Elders of his modest achievements in the past 40 months in office, Sector by Sector, the Governor recalled the strides he made in Civil Service, in road infrastructure, health, education, maritime and other critical areas.

In Education, the Governor announced that he has just approved the recruitment and training of 10,000 Primary and Secondary School Teachers who will be trained before deployment.

He added that “the Teachers will be recruited within their locality and posted to schools in their areas so that the Community Leaders, the Traditional Rulers and the Town Union Presidents will hold them accountable and ask questions when they are found culpable of not going to work while they are taking salaries.”

On the Health Sector; in addition to the rehabilitation and upgrade of the existing 19 General Hospitals in the State, the Governor told the Elders that the 13 percent Derivation fund coming to oil communities that have never been accounted for by the past administrations is now being used to provide  quality healthcare to the people.

To this end, Governor Uzodimma said: “Already three brand new General hospitals fully equipped with modern hospital equipment have been built and completed in the three Local Governments of Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Oru East that make up the Oil producing Local Governments in Imo State.”

Still on the health sector, the Governor said that his government has concluded arrangements to acquire two MRI equipment for Imo State Teaching Hospital Orlu and Umuguma Specialist Hospital which he emphasized “needs upgrade to meet up with the demands of Imo people presently.”

On maritime, he informed that the dredging of Oguta to the Atlantic Ocean is beyond the economic, trade and Industry, but is “the best way of recognizing and drawing the Federal Government’s attention to the South East.”

Regarding Housing, he announced that his government has developed a blue print on housing estates which will be used to determine appropriate area of sighting housing facilities in Imo State.

The Governor told the Elders that he embarked on massive road infrastructure when he noticed that all the roads in Imo State were dead traps and that a lot of frustrations were written in the faces of Imo people, especially the regular road users who today are happy and are bringing in positive reports.

He urged the Elders to take ownership of the roads and other infrastructure because they are there for their use and that of their Community members, urging them community leaders to help in the maintenance and protection of the facilities from vandalism by criminals.

He recalled how his administration has recovered IMSUTH and restored lost accreditations, saying today, “IMSUTH has joined the big league,” of which himself as Governor is proud of it.

Governor Uzodimma recalled his achievements in the area of youth empowerment by making them create opportunities for themselves through wealth creation saying that “so far over 50,000 have been trained and equipped.”

He urged the Elders to speak out against the evil doers in the State and to tell them to desist forthwith from such and embarrass peace, noting that his government has applied both kinetic and non-kinetic forces to degrade the efforts of the evil men.

On the part of the government, the governor promised that they shall try to do their best to ensure protection of lives and property and pledged to remain committed in serving with honesty and sincerity.

He thanked them on the Charter of Equity which he noted will allow for peaceful transition and handover of government from zone to the other.

Reiterating his earlier promise of open and transparent administration, the Governor said that the books and receipts of his administrations are available for scrutiny and challenged anyone who has anything contrary to come up and report.

He assured Imo people and particularly the Elders that Imo is safe and secured in his hands.

Responding to the numerous requests by some of the elders the Governor noted that his government cannot solve the problems of Imo State in one day but will continue to do her best.

He acknowledged the need for a finishing school (Imo Academy) as suggested by Prof Maurice Iwu and noted that his government had already written that the new Federal Medical Centre coming to Imo State be located in Okigwe zone in addition to the proposed relocation of the Faculty of Engineering of the Imo State University to Okigwe.

On the area of sports, he informed that Dan Anyiam Stadium is nearing completion and that Imo people should visit the stadium to consummate a brand new central Gym acquired from Holland that is already installed there.

He maintained that Imo State needs creative thinkers and a lot of ideas and asked the Elders to show more sincerity and commitment.

In their separate reactions, Members of the Elders Council commended the efforts of the Governor towards the development of Imo State which they acknowledged have surpassed their expectations.

Prof. Maurice Iwu advised that a new Imo should be all embracing and acknowledged that the massive road infrastructure has moved Imo State away from heterogenous society to homogenous society. He also commended the Governor on his achievements in security.

While Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe thanked the governor for honouring his family by naming the KO Mbadiwe University after their father, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu commended the Governor and expressed his delight on the dredging Oguta Lake to the Atlantic Ocean and described the Governor as a thorough democrat.

Archbishop David Onuoha commended the Governor on the sponsorship of 1,000 pilgrims to the holy land and described him as an ecumenical. He requested all Igbo people to support the Governor.

Justice Ben Njemanze (Rtd.) thanked the Governor for making the judiciary comfortable and pleaded for more attention to the development of sports.

Chief Jerry Chukwueke commended the efforts of the Governor in all areas and appealed to Imo people to key into the Social Security Registration and the Social Trust Fund exercises which are ongoing and requires them to register with only their  PVCs.

A former Governor of Imo State, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim and an Elder statesman, Engr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu said Governor Uzodimma has courage and intellect and that they are proud of him.

Ohakim requested that the address of the Governor to the Council be put in a booklet form circulated, agreeing with Archbishop Onuoha that more efforts be made to get Imo people in the rural areas to be properly abreast of the activities of the Governor.

He called on Imo people to join hands to ensure the success of the 3R government, urging the Elders to go home and hold community meetings where they can tell their people of the achievements of Governor Uzodimma.

Ohakim also urged those running for governorship with Uzodimma not to waste their resources, saying they stand no chance of beating him based on his verifiable achievements.

The Challenges Facing Nigeria  Are Surmountable – Obi

By
The Source
-
0
Peter Obi

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi has described the many challenges facing Nigeria as surmountable with right and purposive leadership. He was speaking  on Friday, at the public presentation of the compendium on him entitled: “Many Voices, One Perspective” at Finotel Hotel, Awka.

Obi who reiterated his belief that what Nigeria needs now is “conscious, planned  and aggressive transition from consumption to production” said he was touched when, a few days ago, he watched the news with pictures of how United Arab Emirates plans to harvest their first set of wheat grown in a purely desert setting through the aid of modern technology.

Obi who described as “ disheartening”, the recent report from the United Nations World Food Programme(WEP), to the effect that Nigeria, especially Borno, Yobe and Adamawa would be seriously affected by hunger this year said that such news were discomforting to him against the possibilities of Nigeria which our leaders have failed to utilize.

Employing statistics, Obi said that the combined square kilometre of land mass of the three states mentioned, namely,  Borno( 70.9 sq km); Yobe (45.5 sq km); and Adamawa( 36.5 sq km) which amounts to 152.9sq  were far greater than that of Isreal which is just 22.1 sq km and yet Isreal  feeds itself and export excess to the world. Obi said that with right leadership, which was his commitment, that Nigeria would do as well.

Commenting on the political development in Nigeria, Obi said he would be the President of Nigeria in the fullness of time, always supposing that the judiciary would do the right thing. He thanked the Obidient Family for their belief in him and appealed to them to see apologies to the elders now and then, as in constance with the African understanding of respect for the elders or our fathers even when they might be wrong.

“In our journey to New Nigeria, I am very committed, I am not on transit to anywhere. I have committed to the struggle for a better nation, no matter how long it takes,” Obi said.

In his own remarks, the Royal Father of the day, HRM, Igwe Alfred Achebe described Obi as “Man of the Destiny”.  He said one of the things that distinguished Obi from other politicians is his efforts to stay on the truth and do the right things, and insistence that the right things must always be done no matter the time it takes. He commended Obi for consistently following the path of truth, integrity and transparency.

Speaking at the event, the Senator-elect for Anambra Central Senatorial District, Sen. Victor Umeh, eulogized Obi as one of the greatest Nigerians to ever live and impact many lives positively. Describing him as development-oriented, he said there is no serious political discussion in the country without Obi being at the centre.

Earlier in his opening remark, the lead Editor of the book, Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna thanked Nigerians for their faith in Obi. She said that the public presentations of the book was another way of supporting Obi’s political journey towards the Presidency.

The traditional ruler of Agulu, Obi’s town, Igwe Innocent Obodoakor described Obi as a worthy son of Agulu whose pedigree speaks for itself.

About 25 traditional rulers  and many politicians, well wishers and  numerous “Obidients” attended the event.

Power To Fine Erring Broadcast Station: NBC To Appeal Judgement

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0

By Ayodele Oni

Dissatisfied with a court judgement, which stripped it of power to impose fine on erring broadcasting station, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has hinted that it will appeal.

Ruling in a suit filed by Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda, (MRA), Justice James Omotosho, held that NBC lacked the power to impose fines on broadcast stations.The judge voided the N500,000 fine imposed on 45 broadcast stations on March 1, 2019 on the grounds that NBC, not being a court of law, lacked such power.

According to the court, the NBC Code, which vested the commission with the power to impose sanction, was in conflict with Section 6(6) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which vested such judicial powers on the court of law.

Justice Omotosho held that the court would not sit idle and watch a non-juristic body, arbitrarily impose fine without recourse to the due process of the law.

Reacting, the NBC in a statement issued by its Director General, Balarabe Shehu llelah, said it had applied for a Certified copy of the judgment.

Ilelah said the commission would appeal against the judgment when found to be in conflict with previous judgments of the court, which “empowers the commission to regulate broadcasting in Nigeria.”

The statement reads “The attention of the National Broadcasting Commission has been drawn to a ruling by the Federal High Court, Abuja nullifying the powers of the Commission to impose fines on broadcast Stations that violate the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.

“In view of the foregoing, the Commission has applied for a Certified copy of the judgment.

“It is global best practice and the ethics of the Legal profession, that no party to a suit can freely comment on a judgment it has not seen and read.

“The Commission will appeal against the judgment when found to be in conflict with previous judgments of the Court, which empowers the Commission to regulate broadcasting in Nigeria.”

Ekiti: Anxiety As 800 Newly Recruited Teachers Receive Letters Of Appointment, Others To Wait

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0

By Ayodele Oni

Eight hundred out of 1,300 newly recruited primary school teachers in Ekiti State have received their letters of appointment.

The presentation of appointment letters to some of the newly recruited teachers has however generated anxiety as those that are yet to receive theirs have continued to storm the state office of Universal Basic Education, (SUBEB) to know their fate.

The commission has however assured that the presentation will be done in batches.

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji flagged off the distribution of letters of appointment to some of the1,300 newly recruited primary school teachers in the state, with a charge to them to be innovative and embrace modern techniques and approach in imparting knowledge.

Governor Oyebanji, who restated his administration’s zero tolerance for examination malpractices, urged the newly recruited teachers to display patriotic commitment, high level of integrity and professional diligence to your duties.

“As a teacher for this millennium, you are to be creative, loving, connected, approachable, adaptive, talented and progressive. Improvisation, problem-solving skills, innovation and real-life interactions are more effective than tired lesson-note and repetitive but ineffective regurgitations. I therefore urge you to be the teacher for this age and the game-changing teacher for the future.

“I expect you to adopt this in your pedagogical delivery and to continue to scout for platforms that provide online training on teaching techniques and modern approach to learning.

“You will be expected to be part of our dream-team for the revolutionalization of the school environment to be a place of fun and learning and not a dreaded house of horror.”

Governor Oyebanji, noted that over 11,000 applicants applied for the job from which 1,300 were picked based on performances at the examination and interviews conducted.

According to him, government has concluded plans to introduce practical agriculture and entrepreneurial skills as part of school curricular in the state, adding that each of the 40 benefitting ‘Agriculture in Schools Programme’ would receive direct grants ranging from N545, 786.094 to N874,459.25 for the take-off.

“Today’s event is yet another testimony in our quest to reposition basic education in our State in line with our campaign promises to our people, especially in the rural areas, many of which, have shortage of teachers as a result of retirements and other issues.

“I am therefore, glad to be here to present letter of appointment to some of the first batch of the successful applicants.

“The first batch of 800 newly recruited teachers out of 1,300 who were successful after the rigorous recruitment processes are here for this symbolic ceremony.”

Governor Oyebanji disclosed that his government has paid N1.2Billion as matching grants for the SUBEB/UBEC intervention funds to enable public primary and junior secondary schools in the State to continue to enjoy unhindered and the necessary government assistance in the areas of infrastructure and training of teachers.

“With this development, Ekiti State would thus become one of the first States in Nigeria to access the 2022 UBEC /SUBEB Intervention funds to continue to witness the back to back Government intervention.”

While congratulating the teachers, the Governor advised them to demonstrate highest level of professional ethics in which they must not fail in their professional code of conduct as a teacher and must never join in examination misconduct of any form.

“As a State, we are declaring an unequivocal war on examination malpractice at all levels and we are not interested in “assisted” colourful examination results that are product of frauds.

“We want to maintain our tradition as a disciplined, learned and honourable people. This is our pride which we will keep by all means.

Earlier, the Chairman of SUBEB, Prof. Femi Akinwumi, who commended Governor Oyebanji for approving the appointment to fill vacant position in the education industry, stated that his intervention in the sector has placed Ekiti in the forefront of states that have continued to make remarkable improvement in standard of education.

Prof. Akinwumi called on the newly appointed teachers to reciprocate government gestures by being diligent in their duties and contribute their quota to the growth and development of basic education in the state.

Buhari Approves Medical University For Delta State

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0
Muhammadu Buhari

By Ayodele Oni

As a parting gift to the people of Delta state, the outgoing administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, has approved a new university for the state.

The Federal University of Medical and Health Science is expected to be sited in Kwale.

A spokesman to the deputy senate president, Sunny Areh disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Friday.

According to him, the medical university was facilitated to the state by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege

The statement reads:

“Following persistent strategic and  fruitful engagements between the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and the Honourable Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, and a subsequent direct request to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, the Federal Government has now approved the establishment of the Federal University of Medical and Health Science, Kwale.

“This is a great win for all our people, especially the Ndokwa Nation.

“It is a fulfillment of a major campaign promise by the DSP to the good people of Ndokwa nation during the last electoral campaigns. We give all the glory to God Almighty.

“The DSP is eternally grateful to Mr. President for his undeniable patriotic and equitable leadership spirit which has again resulted in the establishment of this much needed institution for the overall good of our people, after his similar approval of the establishment of the Federal Polytechnic Orogun.

“The DSP thanks his dear friend, the Honourable Minister of Education for consistently demonstrating admirable patriotism and respect for positive friendship in managing the huge responsibilities of State.

“The establishment of the Federal University of Medical and Health Science, Kwale is, without question, a worthy achievement.

“It is the hope of the Deputy President of the Senate that our leaders will work together to realize its proper take-off and sustainable functioning.”

Opinion: Posterity Will Be Kind To Buhari

By
James Orji
-
0

 

By Femi Adesina

The judgment of history is usually the most enduring, and as President Muhammadu Buhari weighs anchor in less than three weeks, posterity will be impartial, and, therefore, kind to him.

One signpost of the administration is its care and kindness to Nigerians. Quietly. Without fuss. No adulation or self-aggrandizement.

We know the very visible ones. The Social Investment Programme (SIP), described as the most ambitious and effective in Africa. In fact, so actuated is the government by its duty of care that it established the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, in 2019. The main reason was; care, care, care for Nigerians. The weak, the poor, the vulnerable, the hurting, those who fate has compelled to hold the shorter end of the stick, or even no stick at all.

We know of the N-power programme, the conditional cash transfer, the home grown school feeding, and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP). Also there is the social register, a repository of information on people who need social assistance, and who get succor on a regular basis. Over 50 million people are in that register.

These welfarist interventions give a window into the kind soul of the President, a man some people have not bothered to discern, dissect and decipher. They just deliberately stay in the trenches of the past, soused and marooned in apocryphal beliefs: oh, he ruled with an iron fist as military leader. He herded people into jail. He imprisoned journalists through Decree 4. He also had Decree 2, which gave him power to detain anyone indefinitely. No human face. He’s a Fulani, and therefore, a herdsman, who supports his people to attack farmers.

Religious bigot, who does not recognize any other faith. True? False. And I should know. Why? Because I’ve worked with him closely for 8 years, and I can say I know the man Muhammadu Buhari, apart from the myth and the deliberate misconceptions.

History will adequately record the many ways in which President Buhari has quietly cared for Nigerians, but today, let’s look at the one called NG-CARES, silently attending to the needs of millions of our countrymen and women.
NG-CARES is the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programme. It is part of efforts geared towards achieving the core objectives of the Economic Sustainability Plan put in place in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The world was in dire straits after the advent of the Coronavirus in 2019. Borders were locked down internationally, economies crashed, oil prices collapsed, while people were also collapsing like ninepins. When the dust settled, over seven million people were dead globally, with almost a billion infected by the virus.

Putting on its thinking cap, Federal Government sought and obtained a 750 million USD credit facility from the World Bank to support the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in the implementation of the NG-CARES Programme. The purpose is to mitigate the economic and social shocks faced by the poor and vulnerable as a result of the global lockdown.

The 36 States got allocated 20 million USD each and the Federal Capital Territory 15 million. According to the Supervising Minister, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, it is a multi-sectoral program designed to provide immediate emergency relief across various sectors, to vulnerable and poor Nigerians, Smallholder Farmers and SMEs that were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Hear the Minister: “By design, the NG-CARES is a Programme for Result (PforR) where States and the FCT are reimbursed for expending their own funds if they implement the programme in line with the signed Financing Agreement, the Funds Release Policy and Independent Verification Agent (IVA) Protocol.”

NG-CARES was launched on 20th January, 2022, by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN. The National Coordinator is Dr Abdul Karim Obaje, a man with vast experience of public service.

Federal Government on Thursday 13th April 2023, disbursed the total sum of 45.3 billion naira to 29 States and the FCT. The results of the first round of assessment shows that States and the FCT are improving on their strides to alleviate poverty in line with the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari. The Programme has impacted over 2 million direct beneficiaries who are poor and vulnerable in the 36 States and the FCT. The immediate target is 5 million people.

The World Bank has commended Nigeria for the successes recorded in the implementation of NG-CARES, and has extended the programme by another year, till June 2024.

The Bank’s Task Team Leader for Nigeria, Professor Foluso Okunmadewa, says: “We are actually very proud and of course excited to be part of this. The World Bank is very proud to be a partner of the Federal and State Governments on the NG-CARES initiative.”

Some revisionists are busy, trying to obfuscate issues, and obliterate the achievements of the Buhari administration. But truth is like cork in water. The more you press it down, the more it stays afloat. After he retires to his native Daura, in Katsina State, we will always be glad that the honest man was here. I mean those who are fair minded, but who happen to number in scores of millions.

*Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity

Prisoners: After Spending N22bn, FG Calls On States To Feed  Inmates

By
James Orji
-
0
The Minister of the Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has called on the 36 state governments in the country to build their own Correctional Facility for inmates from the states.
In the past, prison service was under the control of the federal government, it’s no longer so, Aregbesola said adding that the law has been amended to give state government powers to build their own Correctional  Centres.
The federal government said recently that it spent over N22 billion feeding prisoners across the country last year.
This has become a big burden on the federal government the minister said calling on subnational government which cannot build prisons to collaborate  with the  government to defray the cost of taking care of inmates
The minister spoke on Thursday at a two-day conference on Decongestion and Corrections Administration in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
He said the constitution has been amended to allow states “to build correctional centres and facilities to house offenders, who are convicted and sentenced for committing state offences.
“Where states are unable to build custodial centres, it is believed that they can suggest ways to collaborate with the Federal Government in feeding and housing these state offenders.
“Overcrowding in the custodial centres has led to a huge revenue drain for the Federal Government, being the only party shouldering the responsibility of running and maintaining the custodial centres. The Federal Government can’t bear this anymore. I am going to leave strict recomnendations to my successor on that law. We would rather use the money meant for feeding inmates to improve our facilities. “
On his part, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, said the congestion of custodial centres was responsible for jailbreaks.
He said, “Unnecessary congestion of prisons has led to jailbreaks and of course, overstretching the dilapidated custodial centres built 100 years ago.
“In order to enthrone a seamless dispensation of justice, the issue of congestion and reform has always occupied the front burner of discussion since the advent of this democratic dispensation and we have been waiting with bated breath to see the reform truly happen in our lifetime.”
1...1,6831,6841,685...3,012Page 1,684 of 3,012