NIGERIAN NOTCH

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security says the 42,000 metric tonnes of grains approved by President Bola Tinubu for distribution to poor Nigerians are at the bagging process. Mr Sule Haruna, Director, Food and Strategic Reserve Department (FSRD), Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja. He reaffirmed  presidency’s statement that the 42,000 metric tonnes of grains it promised for nationwide release were being bagged for distribution to vulnerable Nigerians. “Bagging of the grains is in progress; it has to go through a process before distribution to beneficiaries; if you do not bag, how do you distribute? “You have to bag them before distribution.’’ He said that the grains to be distributed included millet, sorghum, maize, garri as well as other commodities from silos in the country. On when the distribution of grains would commence, Haruna said the minister would decide. “If

The Federal Ministry of Works says both bounds of the carriageways of the Third Mainland Bridge will be closed to traffic from noon on Wednesday to noon on Thursday. The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, made this known in a statement made available to journalists in Lagos on Monday. She said that the total closure was in continuation of the ongoing rehabilitation works on the bridge. Keisha said it was to allow the contractor to execute a major aspect of the ongoing repair works on the bridge. “Consequently, the bridge would not be opened to traffic during this critical 24-hour period. Thus, all road users are advised to use alternative routes during this period. “Motorists are further advised to cooperate with the traffic management officials deployed to manage traffic and ensure hitch- free movements in order to minimize the discomfort during this critical 24-hours period. “While thanking the general public for their continued cooperation and under

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, on Monday disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has directed the design of a Social Security unemployment program where unemployed Nigerian youths will be paid. The Minister disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided by President Tinubu at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja According to him, “At this period of heightened food prices, Mr. President has committed to doing all that can be done to assist in giving purchasing power to the poorest and in that line, he has committed and instructed that the Social Security unemployment program be devised, particularly to cater for the youth, for the unemployed graduates, as well as the society as a whole. “So, we have coming, in the nearest future, an unemployment benefit for the young unemployed, in particular.” Similarly, Mr. Edun said there will be a consumer cr

Vice President Kashim Shettima, Monday, inaugurated the 188 megawatts Geometric Power Plant Aba. The inauguration of the historic project took place 20 years after it was initiated, and nine years after its completion but jinxed following a legal battle with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, which was recently resolved. Speaking at the colorful event that attracted the presence of eminent personalities from across South East, and the country, the Vice President said the project was a major milestone in the efforts of Nigeria towards achieving stable power supply. He commended the owner of the multi million dollar power project and former Minister for Power, Professor Bart Nnaji for conceptualising the great project, and patiently waiting for its coming on stream. The Vice President commended the resilience of the former Minister in enduring the years of delays and setbacks to his lofty dream. He sympathised with him over the frustrations he was put through b

THE Federal Executive Council (FEC), on Monday, approved the adoption of the Orosanye Report, aimed at the reduction of cost of governance, for implementation. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting, presided over by President Bola Tinubu, at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja. The minister explained that with the adoption of the report, it means that some agencies, commissions and departments of government have been scrapped, some merged, some subsumed under some others and others moved under new ministries where they are supposed to perform better. “In a very bold move today, this administration, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, consistent again with his courage to take very far-reaching decisions in the interest of Nigerians, has taken a decision to implement the so called Orosanye Report. “Now, what that means is that a number

The youth wing of apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has cautioned the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, against staging any form of protest in Igbo land.  It could be recalled that the NLC had scheduled nationwide protests to hold across the country on February 27 and 28 over the hardship being experienced in the country.  However, in a statement made available to journalists on Monday by the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, he said the NLC protest would not hold anywhere in Igbo land.  Okwu, who said Ndigbo had suffered a series of unjust treatments in Nigeria, lamented that no region had ever come to the rescue of the people.  He said, “under the government of ex-president Muhammadu Buhari, Ndigbo were treated as pieces of garbage, but no other region raised a voice even in sympathy with us.  “It was such that there was no single Igbo man in Buhari’s security council for eight years, but the entire country

.....Says Nigeria’ll work if South East works  VICE President Kassim Shettima has launched the light up Nigeria Program in Enugu. The Vice President, said that Nigeria will fully work when the south east performs optimally in industrialization with adequate power supply. He equated the region with the Jews, whom he said are “practically mobile, economically enterprising and educationally ambitious.” The Vice President disclosed that he rejected a proposal that suggested to cut off the south east from electricity supply due to a debt profile, noting that President Bola Tinubu means well for the nation, noting that  the south east and the Governors of the zone are the bests among others. The Vice President made the remarks during the launch of South East Business Roundtable “Light up Nigeria Program”, conducted by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited, NDPHC, in Enugu, on Monday. Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State said that the ‘Light-Up Nigeria Project’ signals a new

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday adjourned the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), until 19 March. The judge fixed a new date for the Nigerian government to begin calling its prosecution witnesses against the IPOB leader, Mr Kanu. Binta Nyako, the judge, before whom Mr Kanu is being tried by the Nigerian government for terrorism, fixed the date for commencement of trial. At the adjourned date, the prosecuting lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, promised to call at least two witnesses that day. Mr Awomolo’s appearance on Monday is an indication of the federal government’s drastic shake-up of its prosecution team. It’s the first time an external prosecutor will be leading the federal government’s team since the case started in 2015. The Supreme Court last December restored Mr Kanu’s trial after setting aside the judgement of the Court of Appeal freeing the IPOB leader. Mr Kanu is standing trial for terrorism before Binta Nyako of the Feder

The President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Export-Import Bank, Afreximbank, Benedict Oramah, said the Nigerian government has made the right decisions in economic reform. Oramah stated this in an interview on Arise Television on Monday. He said the best thing to do now is to stay the course, as Nigeria cannot afford to pull out of this process, adding that it will just “postpone the evil day.” Oramah said that the decision that the federal government had taken to free the market as related to foreign exchange was the right thing to do, but the impact was more severe due to the fact that subsidy was removed at the same time. The Afreximbank president noted that with the state of the economy, it was important to stabilise the economy and pursue growth policies, but both should not be done at the same time, as the pursuit of growth policies will further destabilise the economy. Oramah said, “Freeing the market is the right thing to do. And the reason w

.... As Tinubu Sets Up Fresh Panel President Bola Tinubu has created an economic advisory committee comprising the federal government, sub-nationals and the private sector. This resulted from talks between the President and key stakeholders at the State House, Abuja, on Sunday evening. The development came as the falling naira exchange rate, rising inflation and other economic headwinds have continued to worsen the cost of living crisis. Some of the prominent members of the private sector that made the list include Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote group; Tony Elumelu, group chairman of Transnational Corporation Plc (Transcorp); Abdulsamad Rabiu, founder of the BUA group; Segun Ajayi-Kadir, president of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), in attendance. Others are governors Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state and Chuwkuma Soludo of Anambra.