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FG Condemns US Travel Advice, Says It Can Create Panic, Affect Economy

Published

6 months ago

November 7, 2023

The Federal Government has condemned the recent travel advisory by the United States of America to its citizens in Nigeria saying such advisory could cause needless panic and have adverse economic impacts.

The US had, on November 3, warned its citizens in Nigeria of “elevated threats” to major hotels in the “larger cities” of Nigeria.

The advisory, however, said the Nigerian security agencies were working to counter the threat.

Speaking at a briefing with editors in Abuja yesterday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said such advisory was going to undermine the efforts the government had been making to attract investors to Nigeria.

He said the government had consistently prioritized the safety and well-being of all visitors to Nigeria.

“We have implemented comprehensive security measures both at the federal and state levels to ensure the safety of tourists and international guests. These measures include intense intelligence gathering, acquisition and deployment of additional platforms, training and re-training of personnel, cooperation with international law enforcement agencies, among others, to maintain a secure environment,” he said.

On post oil subsidy removal economic interventions, Idris said the present administration provided some palliatives in short, medium and long terms to help cushion the effects of the subsidy removal.

He said government provided a wage increment of N35,000 monthly for six months to enhance federal minimum wage, without causing undue inflation.

He said the government had also launched a N100 billion CNG bus rollout programme, to deliver CNG-powered buses, and established a presidential committee to drive implementation.

According to him, the government is finalizing the process for payment of a cash transfer of N25,000 monthly to 15 million of the poorest and most vulnerable households in Nigeria for three months.

He said a presidential directive for the release of 200,000 Metric Tonnes of grains from strategic reserves to households across the 36 states and the FCT to moderate prices was in force, adding that 225,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer, seedlings and other inputs to farmers were amongst measures to curb the sufferings of Nigerians.

On insecurity, Idris said the security agencies had remained on their toes in ensuring that citizens were safe, stating that, seven bandits were neutralized in various operations between November 1 and 3 in Kaduna State.

He noted that in Katsina State, two corps members who were kidnapped by bandits were successfully rescued by security agencies.

“In Kano State, on November 3, a joint operation by troops of the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services carried out a dawn raid operation on terrorists’ hideout in Gezawa Local Government Area, successfully averting an imminent attack on Kano by insurgents.”

The operation recovered AK-47 rifles, “AK-47 rifle magazines, a Rocket Propelled Gun (RPG), RPG bombs, hand grenades, Improvised Explosive Device (IED)-making materials, among others.

“In the North-East and North-West of the country, the Nigerian Air Force has been very busy, with several successful airstrikes on bandits’ and terrorists’ camps and hideouts in Katsina, Zamfara and Borno states.

“The Air Force has also recently taken delivery of four new aircraft, to strengthen the fight against banditry and terrorism.”

“In our maritime environment, on October 25, the Eastern and Central Naval Commands flagged off a Joint Sea Exercise, Exercise SEA GUARDIAN 2023,” he said.

On National Orientation, he said the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation was working on implementing a sustained mass reorientation campaign aimed to foster unity, patriotism, and the promotion of positive cultural values among Nigerians.

“We should collectively reorient ourselves as Nigerians, in the direction of a stronger sense of national identity and shared values,” he added.

Headline

Police Give Tips On How To Report Erring Officers

Published

43 seconds ago

May 15, 2024

Editor

The Police have urged Nigerians to take the advantage of its Complaint Response Unit, at the Force Headquarters, to report misconduct of its officers and men.

The Head of the unit, CSP El-Musta Sani, made the appeal at a Summit organised in Abuja by the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) in collaboration with the Foundation for Youth Empowerment and Social Justice.

Sanni said that the unit was created in 2015 to handle complaints against police officers from members of the public.

He said, so far, from the first quarter of 2024, the unit had received 459 complaints from members of the public against officers and men, through its social media platforms.

He further explained that 265 of the cases had been resolved while 195 were still being handled by the police.

According to him, “It takes the Unit 21 days to receive and conclude investigations on all complaints”.

He said it was worrisome that members of the public did not know about the platforms to channel their complaints.

“The major problem is that the institutions are there, but Nigerians do not know their functions.

“We receive complaints through WhatsApp, Twitter handles, phone calls, and walk-in petitions.

“And the Unit is directly responsible to the Office of the Inspector General of Police through the Public Relation Officer,” he said.

Sanni assured more sensitisation to enlighten the public to take advantage of the opportunity to lodge their complaint for proper handling.

In his remarks, the Chief Commissioner of PCC, Mr Abimbola Ayo-Yusuf emphasised the need to strengthen institutions to combat administrative injustice and corruption.

He noted that, properly developed institution is key to good governance, adding that the summit aimed to improve service delivery and ensure that the right to complain and raise issues was available to everyone.

“The purpose of this Summit, which is to foster collaboration between the Public Complaints Commission and other organisations, is quite timely and key to the understanding of the mandate of the Commission.

“The PCC, known as the Nigerian version of the Ombudsman, was established to investigate complaints regarding administrative actions,” he said.

Ms. Sandra Benson, the Director Administration, Foundation for Youth Empowerment and Social Justice, said that the Foundation and PCC were working hard to ensure justice for those who had faced injustices over the years.

Banson emphasised the need for collective action to address the issues, stating that now was the time to match voices with action for good governance.

She highlighted the importance of addressing citizens’ complaints about administrative actions and called for immediate responses, sensitisation of workers on grievance channels, and cooperation for swift justice.

“The Summit marks the beginning of important engagements with stakeholders and the PCC, aiming to restore trust in the system and liberate workers from bad leadership.”

Also speaking, Maurice Okoye, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jewel Social Empowerment Initiative, said that the critical need for consequence management in addressing issues in Nigeria was necessary.

Okoye cited the absence of consequence management as a major challenge, leading to lack of accountability among government agency heads.

He also mentioned the reluctance of many to seek justice due to a lack of confidence in the system.

He cited an example where one of his friends chose not to pursue justice after a robbery due to high costs and skepticism about the outcome.

Okoye called for a restoration of public confidence in the justice system and emphasised the need for accountability and responsibility among leaders.

NAN

Headline

Google To Offer AI-generated Answers In Search Results

Published

11 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Editor

Google has announced it would introduce AI-generated answers to online queries made by users in the United States, in one of the biggest updates to its search engine in 25 years.

“I’m excited to announce that we will begin launching this fully revamped experience, ‘AI overviews,’ to everyone in the US this week,” Google chief executive Sundar Pichai said at an event in California on Tuesday, May 14.

Google’s search results will feature an AI summary at the top of the page before the more typical unfurling of links.

The AI answers generated by Google’s Gemini technology will offer succinct summaries of what it found on the internet with links to the online sources that supplied the information.

“You can ask whatever’s on your mind or whatever you need to get done – from researching to planning to brainstorming – and Google will take care of the legwork,” said Google Search team boss Liz Reid.

The change comes as Google feels growing pressure from AI-powered search engines like Perplexity, and from the rumors that OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is building its own AI search tool.

Searches through AI chats have also appeared on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, with users able to get information from the web without Google.

The change will soon spread to other countries, Pichai added, making it accessible to more than a billion people.

Headline

College Volleyball Player Killed In US Nightclub Shooting

Published

11 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Editor

Albany State University volleyball player Mariam Creighton has been tragically killed in a nightclub shooting in Atlanta.

Atlanta Police Department said on Tuesday, May 14, that the incident happened around 2:28 AM on Sunday, May 14, when officers responded to shots fired at the Elleven45 establishment.

Six people were shot, two of whom were pronounced dead at the scene, Creighton and 20-year-old Nakyris Ridley.

The police department said in a statement;

“Preliminary investigation indicates the shooting occurred during a physical dispute at the location that escalated to gunfire.”

Creighton was a member of the ASU Golden Rams volleyball team, and was one semester from graduating from the HBCU with a biology degree.

Her family said she was at the club on Sunday celebrating her niece’s birthday. “It’s just senseless,” Creighton’s sister, Tiffany, said. “My sister was just out having a good time, and now our lives are just altered forever.”