Connect with us

Headline

CSOs Kick As NASS Rejects Creation Of Office Of FCT Mayor

Published

on

A coalition of over 10 civil society organisations on Thursday protested against the rejection by the National Assembly of the proposal to create the office of a Mayor for the Federal Capital Territory.

The CSOs advocating the political, economic, and cultural rights of the original inhabitants of Abuja, also lamented the vote by NASS against the nomination of a Minister from the FCT to the Federal Executive Council, and the allocation of a specific number of seats in the National Assembly to women during the plenary sessions on the 68 proposed amendments to the 1999 constitution.

Advertisement

The CSOs include the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education, Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organization, Association of FCT Traditional Rulers Wives, Mairo Women Foundation and Helpline Foundation for the Needy.

Others were Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls, Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Development Awareness, Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre, Centre for Transparency Advocacy, and HipCity Innovation Centre.

The Executive Director of CHRICED, Dr Ibrahim Zikirullahi, who spoke on behalf of the CSOs, regretted that the failure of the proposed constitutional amendments which sought to advance the rights of the original inhabitants of the FCT implied that the hardships, political marginalisation, and economic deprivation experienced by them and women across the country would continue.

Advertisement

He said, “The constitution review process represented a golden opportunity for fundamental reforms in the nation’s constitution. Citizens pleaded for changes that would address pressing issues while also putting the country on a path to stability and social justice.

READ ALSO: Electoral Bill: 23 CSOs Threaten Drastic Measures, Mass Protest

“If issues strongly advocated by people at the grassroots are unable to see the light of day in the constitution review process, what is the point of junketing and wasting scarce resources across the country in the name of constitution review hearings? We believe that the people are being used in this way to legitimize the political class’s preconceived agenda.

Advertisement

“Despite these discouraging results, we urge original inhabitants in the FCT not to give up hope. The failure of these proposals to gain traction opens the door to much more comprehensive engagements that would address key issues such as statelessness and the lack of a robust sub-national framework for democratic governance.”

PUNCH.

Advertisement

Headline

UK PM Says Latest Russia Strikes On Ukraine Shows Putin ‘Not Serious About Peace’

Published

on

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Russia’s barrage of air strikes against Ukraine on Sunday, saying they showed that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is not serious about peace”.

READ ALSO:Russia Launches Massive Air Attacks On Ukraine’s Cabinet Building

Advertisement

“I’m appalled by the latest brutal overnight assault on Kyiv and across Ukraine,” Starmer said in a statement. “These cowardly strikes show that Putin believes he can act with impunity. He is not serious about peace.”

 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Headline

Teenager Angry, Poisons Uncle’s Soup Because He Snores Too Much

Published

on

A high school student in Japan has been arrested for allegedly poisoning his uncle’s soup in an attempt to kill him because he couldn’t stand his snoring, the country’s media reported.

The 18-year-old teenager from Ichibara, Japan’s Chiba prefecture, was arrested and charged with attempted murder after allegedly mincing leaves from a toxic oleander plant and pouring them into his uncle’s soup, because he had become exasperated by his loud snoring.

Advertisement

According to the police report, on August 17, during lunch, the teen’s uncle sensed an unusual taste in the soup he was served and spat it out, but soon started exhibiting symptoms like mouth numbness and stomach pain, which required medical attention.

READ ALSO:‘My Husband Lied To Our Children That I Poisoned His Food, Cut Part Of His Singlet For Ritual’

Samples from his bowl of soup were found to contain a lethal amount of the toxic substance known as oleandrin.

Advertisement

“I couldn’t stand my uncle’s loud snoring and decided to kill him,” the 18-year-old teenager allegedly told police during questioning.

Oleander is an evergreen tree that blooms with red or white flowers and is commonly planted as a street or park tree. Its branches and leaves are toxic.

Luckily, the teen’s uncle, a 53-year-old self-employed man who lived with the boy and his mother, made a full recovery.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Headline

Six Dead, Others Trapped As Gold Collapse

Published

on

Six people have been killed and up to 20 others are feared trapped after a gold mine collapsed in northern Sudan, authorities said on Saturday.

The accident occurred on Friday in the Um Aud area, west of the city of Berber in River Nile state, said Hassan Ibrahim Karar, executive director of the Berber locality.

Advertisement

“Efforts are ongoing to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble,” Karar said, without specifying the cause of the collapse of the artisanal mine.

Since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, both sides have largely financed their war efforts through the country’s gold industry.

READ ALSO:EPL: Arsenal Stumble As Brentford Snatch Late Draw At The Emirates

Advertisement

Official and NGO sources say nearly all of Sudan’s gold trade is funnelled through the United Arab Emirates, which has been widely accused of supplying arms to the RSF — a charge it denies.

Despite the conflict, the army-backed government announced record gold production of 64 tonnes for 2024.

Sudan, Africa’s third-largest country by area, remains one of the continent’s top gold producers.

Advertisement

However, most gold is extracted through artisanal and small-scale mining operations, which lack proper safety measures and often use hazardous chemicals, resulting in severe health risks for miners and nearby communities. Buy vitamins and supplements.

READ ALSO:Senegal’s New President Orders Economic Recovery Plan

Before the war pushed 25 million Sudanese into acute food insecurity, artisanal mining employed more than two million people, according to industry figures.

Advertisement

Today, mining experts say much of the gold produced by both warring factions is smuggled through Chad, South Sudan and Egypt before reaching the UAE — currently the world’s second-largest gold exporter.

The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced roughly 10 million people, creating the world’s largest displacement crisis. An additional four million Sudanese have fled across borders.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending