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Flooding: Tinubu Announces Disaster Relief Fund

Published

1 year ago

September 17, 2024

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has announced establishment of a disaster relief fund in Maiduguri, Borno State, to assist Nigerian citizens impacted by floods and other disasters.

He announced this at Government House in Borno when he visited the state to sympathise with the government and people over the recent flooding from Alau Dam.

President Tinubu, who urged the private sector to contribute to the fund, said the relief fund was already expedient as the climate becomes more unpredictable and many places in the country are vulnerable to its vagaries.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, who accompanied Tinubu on the visit, said the National Assembly would collaborate with the executive to establish the Fund.

Tinubu also visited the Shehu of Borno, an Internally Displaced Persons camp at the Government Secondary School in Maiduguri and had a drive-through of the areas affected by the disaster.

President Tinubu in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, was quoted as saying, “After my visit to the Shehu of Borno and the IDP camp, I have been reflecting on how to tackle this kind of disaster and the effects of climate change.

“There must be a disaster relief fund. I will invite the private sector to team up with us and help rebuild the affected areas.

“If we take a small percentage from FAAC and put it as disaster relief fund, which will include all of you, we will be activating and strengthening our sense of belonging,” he said.

The President thanked Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, who is also Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Bauchi State governor Bala Mohammed, Sokoto State Governor Ahmad Aliyu; and Kogi State governor Ahmed Usman Ododo; and other governors who look beyond party lines to bear the burdens of others.

He said that Nigeria’s diversity should spur prosperity. The President extended his sympathy to the government, the people of Yobe State, and all the states affected by flooding and pledged his government’s continued support for victims of natural disasters.

“For all the people of Yobe State, I sympathise with you. We will create an outstanding programme for Nigeria to recover from this calamity. We will build our nation together,” the President assured.

The President commended the Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum, for prompt intervention and the Theatre Command of the Nigerian military for the evacuation that saved many lives.

“I am glad that Prof. Zulum has been a very active governor. Let me assure you that we will be with you, Borno State and share the burden.”

News

NiMet Predicts Three-day Rain, Thunderstorms From Monday

Published

6 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

News

JUST IN: Ooni Visits Olubadan-designate Ladoja In Ibadan

Published

12 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, on Sunday, paid a visit to the Olubadan designate, Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The PUNCH reports that Oba Ladoja will be installed as the 44th Olubadan on Friday, September 26, 2025, following the demise of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, who joined his ancestors on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the age of 90 years.

The two paramount rulers are currently exchanging pleasantries.

Details later…

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JUST IN: FG Revokes 1,263 Mineral Licenses Over Unpaid Fees

Published

12 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has announced a fresh revocation of not less than 1,263 mineral licenses.

These licenses, which will now be deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System portal of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.

The minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, gave the revocation announcement in a statement issued by his special assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Sunday in Abuja.

The minister explained that the directive was issued due to the companies’ failure to comply with the requirement of paying their annual service fees.

The latest revocation brings the total mineral titles revoked under the current administration to 3, 794 including,619 mineral titles revoked for defaulting in paying annual service fees and 912 for dormancy last year.

By opening up the areas formerly covered by these licenses, the revocation is expected to spur fresh applications by investors looking for fresh opportunities.

The statement read, “Not less than 1,263 mineral licenses will be deleted from the portal of the Electronic Mining Cadastral system of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, MCO, following their revocation by the Federal Government.

“These include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.”

Approving the revocation following the recommendation of the MCO, the Minister said applying the law to keep speculators and unserious investors away from the mining sector would make way for diligent investors and grow the sector.

“The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder, while financially capable and industrious businessmen are complaining of access to good sites, is over.

“The annual service fee is the minimum evidence that you are interested in mining. You don’t have to wait for us to revoke the license because the law allows you to return the license if you change your mind,” the minister said.

He warned that the revocation does not mean the Federal Government has pardoned the annual service debt owed by licensees, adding that the list will be forwarded to the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission to ensure that debtors pay or face the wrath of the law.

“This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the license application processes with speculative activities.”

In the recommendation to the minister, the Director-General of the MCO, Simon Nkom, disclosed that there were 1,957 initial defaulters when the MCO published the intention to revoke licences in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025.

He informed the minister that the gazette was distributed to MCO offices nationwide to sensitise licencees and encourage them to comply within 30 days in compliance with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and relevant regulations.

He observed that the delay in the final recommendation was due to complaints of several licensees who claimed to have paid to the Federal Government through Remita and had to be reconciled.

Earlier this month, the DG MCO had hinted that more mining licences would be revoked as part of ongoing efforts to sanitise the solid minerals sector and protect investors from fraudsters.

According to Nkom, the clean-up exercise, which covers expired, speculative, and inactive titles, is necessary to make room for genuine investors and ensure compliance with the law.

This is part of ongoing efforts at sanitising the sector since the inception of the Tinubu administration, and the salutary effects of the reforms are massive and manifest despite the attempts to push back by defaulters and their agents.