NIGERIAN NOTCH

Mr John Asein, the Director-General of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), says the Federal Government had commenced the process of reviewing the 1988 Copyright Act. By Deji Abdulwahab Mr John Asein, the Director-General of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), says the Federal Government had commenced the process of reviewing the 1988 Copyright Act. “The Federal Government has kick-started the process for the first major reform of the nation’s copyright system in over three decades. “This followed the transmission of the Copyright (Repeal) Bill as approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to the National Assembly for enactment into law,” Asein said in a statement issued in Abuja, on Tuesday. In a signed statement by the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr Vincent Oyefeso, the statement quoted Asein as saying that the new bill aimed at overhauling the copyright system in Nigeria. It also seeks to, among others, strengthen the enforcement mechanism for copyrigh...

The Dunamis International Gospel Centre has refuted media reports on its alleged involvement in the arrest and detention of anti-Buhari protesters on Sunday. A statement issued by the Church’s spokesman, Dr Adah Ochowechi in Abuja on Wednesday, stressed that the church had no hand in the arrest neither were the protesters arrested within its premises. It was reported that some alleged anti-Buhari protesters had stormed the church on Sunday and were apprehended and detained by the Department of State Services (DSS). Reacting to the incidence, the church distanced itself from any involvement in the purported arrest, pointing out that it remained resolute in its advocacy for human rights, justice and freedom. “Our attention has been drawn to a misleading caption in the media space about the arrest and detention of youths in our church on Sunday July 4, 2022. “The narrative being peddled is that some youth wearing T-shirt branded with #BuhariMustGo merely came to church and wal...

The Federal Executive Council has approved N7.2 billion for emergency repairs on 32 federal roads in Lagos State. The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said this at the end of the Council meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday. According to the minister, he presented three memos to the council, with two on approvals and one as a report on the meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, held in Jos, Plateau. He said: “The other two which are memoranda for approval, was to ratify the emergency repairs of about 32 routes of federal roads in Lagos State emergency repairs carried out between 2017 and 2019. “We were seeking council’s ratification for 32 routes such as Iganmu-Ijora-Isolo, Herbert Macaulay road, Jibowu-Unilag road, old Abeokuta-Egba, Mushin, Falomo and so on. “It was for 7.28 2 billion Naira and the council approved the emergency procurement which had been done...

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has tasked the board of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) on enforcement of deregulation when the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) becomes law. Sylva gave the charge while inuagurating the Board Chairman of the Agency, Mr Obinna Atuonwu, in Abuja, on Wednesday. “You were carefully chosen, and more especially at a good time when the PIB has been passed by the National Assembly. This entails a lot of movement. “There is a provision for deregulation and subsidy removal in the bill, you are going to manage so many things, transiting from subsidy to deregulation. “PPPRA is core in all these as well as the autogas policy which you will also be at the middle of overseeing,” he said. The Minister assured the board that it would work with a competent team, as the reappointed Executive Secretary of the agency had enough expirence and was a technocrat. “You can get a lot from him being a technocrat...

His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma tackled issues bordering immigration within the State as he received in audience the Comptroller of Immigration Service Imo State Command, CIS Okey Ezeugwu who was recently redeployed to Imo State by the Nigeria Immigration Service Head Quarters Abuja. In his address, Governor Uzodimma affirmed that the Shared Prosperity Administration will continue to support efforts and  service in the discharge of securing the borders of the State to further enforce peace and secure the lives and Properties of Ndi Imo . Speaking earlier, the Comptroller of Immigration Service Imo State Command, CIS Okey Ezeugwu commended the Governor for the better situation of things as attested by men and women of the Immigration service in the State and further promised to discharge his duties for the safety of the entire people of the State. Credits: #HopeNewAndElectronicMediaCenter

Former Minister of Aviation, Mr Osita Chidoka, has commended the Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) and Interra Networks, on STORM.ng, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) project in the country. Speaking at the project launch in Enugu on Tuesday Chidoka, described STORM as a well-thought out project that would rave-up digital skills and innovation in the South East and South South Regions. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that STORM.ng ISP project under the Nigeria National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Infrastructure Backbone (NICTIB) Phase I, would cover Enugu, Ebonyi, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Awka, Onitsha and Asaba under its National Fibre Roll Out programme. According to the Former Minister, the STORM project is in the right direction and State Governments need to take it up. “They need to borrow a leaf from it; they need to push the narrative; they need to come out from the infrastructure of the yesteryears and from discussing events of yesterday. “Nigeria’s futu...

Anambra State government has said that it will set up a proper and adequate mechanism to address the issue of touting in markets within the state, owned by Goverment.   The Commissioner for Trade, Commerce, Industry and wealth creation,  Hon. Uchenna Okafor, stated this while conducting the election of executive members of  Anambra State Market Amalgamated, Traders Association (ASMATA) in the state, which was held lady week. He assured that touts are no longer accepted in markets owned by the state government and that they will soon be flushed out of the markets to ensure sanity.   Chief Ikechukwu Ekwegbalu, who was returned as the President General of ASMATA for a second term in office through a voice vote, however expressed happiness at the peaceful conduct of the election, assuring of government’s support to make the markets conducive for commercial activities in the state.

The Imo State Government led by Governor Hope Uzodimma, has recovered 43 Oil Wells formerly owned by Imo State but was ceded Rivers State. Recall that in the twilight of the Shared Prosperity Administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma, it was uncovered that Oil Wells belonging to Imo State were ceded to Rivers State Government. Inline with the 3R mantra, the State Government through the Deputy Governor, Professor Placid Njoku, who by virtue of the constitution is in charge of boundary dispute in synergy with the coordinator of Petroleum and Gas matters to Governor Hope Uzodimma, swung into action in making efforts to return the 43 Oil Wells back to Imo State. According to the Coordinator for Petroleum and Gas Matters to the Governor, Mr. Goodluck Opiah, the Oil Wells were recovered from Mgbede field in Ohaji Egbema Local Government and Akri field in Oguta Local Government, respectively. The recovered 43 Oil Wells signifies the readiness of Governor Hope Uzodimma in correcting the anomali...

..... reject 30% profit share for oil exploration in Northern Nigeria   Southern governors, on Monday, supported the 5% share of the oil revenue to the host community, while  rejecting the proposed allocation of at least 30 per cent of the profit generated by the proposed Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for the exploration of oil in ‘frontier basins’ as identified by Section 9 of the recently passed Petroleum Industry Bill. The bill will regulate the oil sector if signed by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). Although the proposed law doesn’t identify the frontier basins, a statement by the President in 2019 identified the frontier basins as Chad Basin, Gongola Basin, Sokoto Basin, Dahomey Basin, Bida Basin, Benue Trough, amongst others. Currently, crude oil is obtained from eight states in the Niger Delta region which include: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers States. In a communiqué issued yesterday at the end of their ...

…Intercepts drugs going to US, Australia.  Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a Nigerian woman based in Brazil, Mrs. Anita Ugochinyere Ogbonna, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, with 100 pellets of cocaine concealed in her private part and handbag. The mother of three was arrested on Friday night on arrival in Abuja via Qatar Air from Sao Paulo, Brazil through Doha. Upon a proper search, 12 wraps of cocaine inserted in her private part were extracted while another 88 pellets stuffed in socks were discovered hidden in her handbag. During interrogation, Mrs. Ogbonna who is a mother of three children, all resident in Brazil, claimed she lost her husband three years ago. She confessed she decided to traffick the illicit drug to raise money for the burial of her father scheduled for 22nd July in Imo state. She said one Emeka, alias KC also based in Brazil gave her the drug to deliver in Nigeria for a fee of $3,000. She sa...

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, an anti graft agency, has arrested a former director at Nigeria Intelligence Agency for land certificate forgeries and swindling a client to the tone of Two hundred and fifty million Naira. Discreet investigations has so far showed that Mr. Vincent who resides in Abuja the nation’s capital was arrested three days ago after  information was received that Mr. Vincent was involved in fraudulent land sales. Information has it that Mr. Ifeanyi Vincent Omeokachie forged land documents and defrauded an unsuspecting buyer to a tone of #250,000,000 (Two hundred and fifty MillionNaira). As the time of filling this report the EFCC are still grilling him to resolve the matter.