Connect with us

News

COVID-19 : Group Urges Nigerians To Support Buhari To Eradicate Virus

Published

on

Igbo Youth Assembly ( IYA) Worldwide, a socio-cultural youth organisation, has urged Nigerians to support the President Muhammadu Buhari led-Federal Government (FG) as it strives to curtail and eradicate COVID-19 in Nigeria.

The youth body said this in a statement signed by its Secretary- General, Comr. Casmir Irekamba and made available to newsmen in Owerri on Friday.

Irekamba said that since the World Health Organisation had declared the coronavirus a global pandemic, it would be reasonable for nigerians to support FG’s efforts in fighting the disease.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Ize-Iyamu Releases Emergency Help Lines For Persons In Need

He also commended the Federal Ministry of Health, the Presidential Task Force on COVID – 19 and the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for making concerted efforts in fighting the strange virus.

He further urged nigerians to strictly comply strictly with the presidential directives on restriction of movement, social distancing, improved personal hygiene and regular hand washing.

According to him, all efforts made to eliminate the dreaded virus from the Nigerian soil will have long term health and economic benefits.

He, however, frowned at the hike in prices of food items and other essential commodities in some parts of the country, adding that it was in direct opposition to government’s efforts to mitigate the effects of the global pandemic.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: ‘Load More Than Two Passengers Per Seat, Get Arrested’, Edo Govt Warns Motorists

“As the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Coronavirus a Global Pandemic, we urge nigerians to unite and support the FG’s efforts to prevent, manage and curtail the virus.

“IYA Worldwide commends the federal ministry of health , the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and the NCDC for cordially synergising to combat this strange virus.

“We also wish to remind Nigerians that playing politics with this virus will do more harm than good, as the it is already attacking citizens across party lines.

“We also urge nigerians to desist from unnecessarily inflating the prices of food items but to help reduce the sufferings of one another as our contribution to national cohesion “, he said.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: ‘Go Home For Now’, Brothel Onwer In Benin Tells Prostitutes

The group called on nigerians in all parts of the world to continue to pray for the country, while expressing confidence that Nigeria will overcome her challenges inclusive of the coronavirus pandemic.

(PHOTO: File)

Comments

News

UNILORIN Extends POST-UTME Registration

Published

on

By

The University of Ilorin, Unilorin, has approved an extension of POST-UTME registration by one week to cater for days of technical hitches.

This is contained in a statement issued in Ilorin on Sunday by Mr Mansur Alfanla, the Registrar of the university.

He announced that the new deadline for registration is Dec. 17, 2023.

READ ALSO: UNILORIN Grants Staff Children 25% School Fees Discount

It would be recalled that the deadline of the POST-UTME registration was December 10, before the extension.

The registrar therefore advised intending candidates to register within the extended period as there would not be further extension.

Continue Reading

News

Disclose How Much Oil Nigeria Produces, Exports Daily, SERAP Tells NNPC

Published

on

By

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged Mele Kolo Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, Limited to disclose how much oil Nigeria produces and exports daily within seven working days.

SERAP alleged that the NNPCL had failed to disclose the amounts of barrels of oil the country produces and exports according to information at its disposal.

The organization also asked Kyari “to disclose how much of the revenues generated from oil have been remitted to the public treasury since the removal of subsidy on petrol.”

READ ALSO: Publish Campaign Funding Sources, SERAP Tells Atiku, Tinubu, Others

This was disclosed in a letter signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, noting there was a legitimate public interest in disclosing the information sought.

“Nigerians are entitled to the right to receive information without any interference or distortion, and the enjoyment of this right should be based on the principle of maximum disclosure, and a presumption that all information is accessible subject only to a narrow system of exceptions.”

“By Section 1 (1) of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2011, SERAP is entitled as of right to request for or gain access to information, including information on the details of barrels of oil Nigeria produces and exports every day and the total amounts of revenues generated and remitted to the public treasury.”

READ ALSO: SERAP Drags Akpabio, Oshiomhole, Others To Court, Wants Their Salaries, Pensions Stopped

SERAP argued that the “Opacity in the amounts of barrels of oil the country produces and exports daily, the revenues generated and remitted to the public treasury would have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens and the public interest.”

The organization said it would consider appropriate legal actions to compel the NNPCL to comply with the requests in the public interest, if it did not get any response within seven days.

SERAP recalled that the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had last week alleged that “the NNPCL is failing to remit enough foreign exchange into the treasury despite the removal of fuel subsidy.”

According to the organization the NNPCL has a legal responsibility to promote transparency and accountability in barrels of oil the country produces and exports every day.

Continue Reading

News

Foundation Trains 50 Women Farmers In Bauchi

Published

on

By

A Bauchi based Non Governmental Organisation known as Al-Muhibah Foundation, has conducted a three-day training for 50 women farmers on fonio farming in the state.

The founder of the foundation, Hajiya Aisha Mohammed who is also the wife of Gov. Bala Mohammed, stated this at the end of the training for the women on Sunday.

According to her, the project was funded by the Islamic Development Bank (ISDB) and aimed at empowering women in the area of farming fonio locally called acher.

She explained that 25 women were selected from Alkaleri and 25 from Tafawa Balewa local government areas of the state respectively.

READ ALSO: UNFPA, Al-Muhibah Foundation Train 60 Persons With Disabilities On Skills Acquisition In Bauchi

She said the decision to settle for fonio acher farming training was as a result of its nutritional value, adding that Bauchi state was among the states facing malnutrition problems due to the lack of adequate nutrition diet for children.

“It is on this basis that looking at the nutritional value of Acha fonio, are the opportunities in helping to reduce the cases of or curb severe malnutrition.

“We also key into the Islamic Development Bank policy to learn how to empower women through interventions that improve health, food security, economic opportunities, education, access to technology which would enhance women’s financial literacy and business skills.

“Today, the 50 women farmers have received farming tools, insecticide, fertilisers, farmland, seedlings, capacity building training as well as 20 water pumping machines to each of the two LGAs,” she said.

The governor’s wife further explained that the project was to also ensure that the productivity, sustainability and profitability of the Fonio-Acha value chains were sustained, developed and expanded in the two benefiting LGAs by empowering women groups in the local production of the crop.

READ ALSO: Bauchi School With 45 Classes, 45 Toilets Lauds UNICEF’s Sanitation Programme

Earlier, the Finance and Administration Officer of the Foundation, Mr Stephen Goyit, explained that ISDB sponsored 70 per cent and Al-Muhibah Foundation sponsored 30 per cent of the project.

He said based on the project design, the 40 water pumping machines and accessories were distributed to the women farmers in a cluster for easy monitoring.

Goyit added that a total sum of N30,000 was given to each of the beneficiaries for feeding and transportation allowances.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Grace Yohana who expressed happiness to have received the training, appreciated Al-Muhibah Foundation for the ‘kind gesture’.

I’m very happy about this intervention. They gave us N30,000, we learned many things about fonio farming and the state Ministry of Agriculture has also promised to give each of us one bag of fertilizer,” she said.

Continue Reading

Trending