Headline

Insecurity: Details Of Governors’ Meeting Emerge

Published

4 years ago

March 24, 2022

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) on Thursday expressed concern over the state of insecurity in the nation.

The governors, in a communiqué signed by the NGF Chairman, Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State on Thursday in Abuja after the NGF teleconference meeting, expressed concerns about the impact of the state of insecurity on Nigerians , right to movement, and ultimately the country’s socio-economic development.

It added that the forum received an update on the implementation of the World Bank Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme from the Task Team Leader for the World Bank programme, Prof. Foluso Okunmadewa, in the company of the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri.

NG-CARES is an emergency programme to support state-level response to and recovery from the COVID-induced socioeconomic crisis.

It stated that the governors in response conveyed their commitment to secure and increase budget provisions that target the economic and social shocks in their states.

This, according to the governors, include social transfers, basic services, and livelihood support to poor and vulnerable households; food security and safe functioning of food supply chains; and the recovery of micro and small business enterprises.

“ Following a briefing by the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire, on the Federal Government’s plan to develop 100 oxygen generation plants and rehabilitate general hospitals, in order to guarantee access to oxygen in all primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in the country, members of the forum resolved to interface with the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure oxygen sufficiency for all PHCs in the country.

“On the implementation of the States’ Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) programme a presentation by Senior Programme Manager of the NGF HelpDesk, Mr Olanrewaju Ajogbasile, dwelt specifically on the progress made by State governments on the deployment of e-procurement and contract award publication.

The communiqué stated that Ajogbasile disclosed that Thirty two States were already transitioning or implementing e-procurement systems in at least four ministries, including the State ministries of health, education, and public works).

The e-procurement and contract award publication is using the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) format, the Forum resolved to deepen its current collaboration with Ernst & Young (EY) and the World Bank to strengthen the procurement plans and transaction implementation strategies of State governments.

The governors also received a briefing on the Nigerian Economy: New Perspectives, from Chief Economic Adviser to Mr. President, Dr Doyin Salami.

It added that after the briefing a consensus was reached by the governors to intensify economic diversification and food security initiatives including support for large scale all-season commercial farming.

“Consensus was also reached to strengthen fiscal sustainability by crowding in private investment; promoting the development of regional corridors and infrastructure plans; as well as curtailing the uncertainty associated with the oil and gas industry.”

The governors also pledged to the NNPC as well as security agencies in the country to protect the country’s oil infrastructure and investments as well as the ecosystem of the Niger Delta.

Headline

Putin Says Russia Ready For War, Blames Europe For Sabotaging Peace

Published

11 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia was “ready” for war if Europe seeks one, accusing the continent’s leaders of trying to sabotage a deal on the Ukraine conflict before he met with US envoys.

The comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were in Moscow for high-stakes talks on ending the nearly four-year war, which were preceded by days of intense diplomacy.

“We are not planning to go to war with Europe, but if Europe wants to and starts, we are ready right now,” Putin told reporters in Moscow.

“They have no peaceful agenda, they are on the side of war,” he added, repeating his claim that European leaders were hindering US attempts to broker peace in Ukraine.

He added that European changes to Trump’s latest plan to end the war “aimed solely at one thing — to completely block the entire peace process and put forward demands that are absolutely unacceptable for Russia”.

Washington has presented a 28-point draft to end the conflict, later amended after criticism from Kyiv and Europe, which viewed it as heeding to many of Russia’s maximalist demands.

The plan to end the war is championed by Trump, but European countries fear it risks forcing Kyiv to cave in to Russian demands, notably on territory.

Fearing further Russian aggression, Europe has repeatedly said an unfair peace should not be imposed on Ukraine.

The Trump envoys are now seeking to finalise the plan with the approval of Moscow and Kyiv.
AFP

Headline

US Senator Proposes Bill To End Dual Citizenship

Published

11 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

A United States lawmaker has introduced a bill seeking to abolish dual citizenship for American nationals, a move that could affect thousands of Nigerians who hold both US and Nigerian passports.

Bernie Moreno, a Colombian-born US senator, announced the proposed legislation — titled the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 — arguing that the current system, which allows Americans to hold multiple nationalities, creates “conflicts of interest and divided loyalties.”

“One of the greatest honours of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so.

“It was an honour to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and only to the United States of America! Being an American citizen is an honour and a privilege—and if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good,” Moreno said.

Moreno, who has since renounced his Colombian citizenship, maintains that exclusive allegiance is essential to national integrity.

If passed, the bill could have far-reaching implications for prominent figures such as US First Lady Melania Trump, who holds both US and Slovenian citizenship. It would also significantly impact Nigerians with dual citizenship.

According to a July naturalisation flow report by the US Department of Homeland Security, 38,890 Nigerians became naturalised American citizens between 2021 and 2023. Nigeria ranked 13th among countries with the highest number of new US citizens and was the only African nation in the top 20.

Nigerian law allows citizens by birth to hold dual nationality without relinquishing their Nigerian citizenship.

This development comes months after President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at denying automatic US citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants born in the country.

The order was immediately challenged by 18 states and multiple rights groups, who argued it violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of birthright citizenship. Ongoing legal battles have prevented the order from taking effect.

Headline

12 Die, 30 Missing In Peru Landslide

Published

1 day ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

At least 12 people, including three children, died in a landslide at a river port in central Peru on Monday, and 30 were reported missing, officials said.

The landslide submerged a boat with about 50 passengers on board, and another with none, as they were docked at the port of Iparia in the Amazon jungle region of Ucayali, according to a police report cited by the Andina news agency.

Six people were injured, it added, and a search and rescue operation was underway at the start of the Peruvian rainy season.

Without giving a toll, Peru’s COEN national emergency operations centre said on X that tragedy struck at dawn due to “erosion” of the bank of the Ucayali river.

It said the navy has been called in to help.

AFP