The North East Development Commission (NEDC), on Friday, graduated the second batch of 204 students under its Information Communication Technology (ICT) Resource training programme in Bauchi state.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the trainees, Mr Mohammed Alkali, the NEDC Managing Director, said the commission would provide starter packs to the youths trained on computer graphics and cell phone repairs, in addition to N20,000 cash to enable them establish their businesses.
The commission is expected to disburse a total of N4,080,000 million under the initiative, with a view to making them self reliant.
Alkali noted that the Northeast had the lowest literacy rate and was highest in poverty, among the nation’s geo-political zones due to prevalent insurgency, thus, the need for human capital development initiatives in the region.
“In our last meeting, we mentioned that we are going to graduate 200 beneficiaries from each of the states and at that time, Bauchi had 176. However, today, out of the second batch, Bauchi has 204.
“In total, out of the two batches, we have 380 graduates and for those graduating today, it is my pleasure to congratulate you all and urge you to utilize what you learnt, to be good ambassadors in the state.
Advertisement
“To further support your successful completion of the training, I want to mention that each of you will be provided with free starter packs and the sum of N20,000 incentive for start-up capital,” he said.
Mohammed Alkali, the Managing Director, NEDC (2nd left) presenting a starter pack to one of the beneficiaries
The MD reiterated that the commission would always remain committed to ensuring that youth development was given topmost priority, through training and job creation.
He expressed his appreciation for the Bauchi state governor’s earlier gesture of providing the sum of N50,000 to each of the graduates in the first batch, and pleaded for such a gesture to be extended to the second batch.
The NEDC also donated 10 tractors to the state government, in addition to 18 power tillers, 10 planters, 10 boom sprayers, 18 power trailer bodies, among others, to boost the production capacity of small holder farmers, as well as farming activities in the state.
Advertisement
Also speaking, Gov. Bala Mohammed recalled how the NEDC had been very meticulous in providing ICT training to the state’s youths, as well as provision of agricultural machinery and inputs to the state government.
He observed that the two intervention areas were basically driven by the youths, most of whom were suffering from unemployment thereby leading them to restiveness and social vices.
Represented by Alhaji Baba Tela, his deputy, Mohammed said that such intervention would serve as a catalyst for mitigating the menace of unemployment and making the youths more productive and responsible citizens.
Advertisement
The governor, who noted that NEDC had been a major stakeholder in the provision of infrastructure not only in Bauchi state but in the whole of the Northeast region, urged the graduates to be extremely focused and work towards becoming employers of labour.
“It is our hope that you will utilize the knowledge and experience you gained, as well as use the starter packs, in the pursuit of self reliance and entrepreneurial development,” he said.
A 38-year-old activist, Innocent Omoruyi, narrowly escaped assassination in the early hours of Wednesday, July 19, 2023 as his residence at Obe Community,Sapele Road in Benin city was attacked by yet to be identified gun men.
The attack which eye witnesses say was viciously executed on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 bore the markings of a dreaded cult group terrorizing Benin City, the state capital.
Advertisement
The Obe, Sapale Road incident, it was learnt, happened soon after Omoruyi left the house to attend to matters of interest some few metres away from his home.
The assailants were said to have shot sporadically in their frustration as residents scampered for safety.
However, Omoruyi escaped unharmed.
One of the eye witnesses who craved anonymity said: “The felons apparently went for the kill, weilding guns and other dangerous weapons. “We are shocked that they didn’t see Innocent Omoruyi who was just some few metres away from home when they arrived”.
Advertisement
“How that happened, only God knows and it was obvious that it wasn’t his time to die yet and just before that not long ago his business place on Lagos Street, Benin City was burnt down in the middle of the night by unknown arsonists.
“This sequence of events is not ordinary. We know it’s politically motivated due to the role he played in the last general elections. He has been advised to go into hiding at the moment for his personal safety”, he concluded.
When contacted, the police Public Relations Officer Chidi Nwabuzor said he was yet to get any information as regards the latest incident. He promised to feed our correspondent with relevant details as soon as they become handy.
Our information source however revealed that the matter has already been incidented at the Love World Police station on Sapele Road, Benin city.
Nigeria will earn over $4 billion in nominal revenue as the Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday okayed the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, to the Corporacion American Airport Consortium, a Luxembourg-based company.
James Odaudu, the Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the Minister of Aviation, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
According to him, the Council also approved that the Federal Ministry of Aviation would be renamed the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.
The statement noted that the company would make combined upfront payments of $8.5 million for the concession of NAIA and MAKIA.
He added that the development would spur evidential growth within the Nigerian aviation industry.
“In alignment with the Aviation Roadmap, approved by Mr President on 18th October 2016, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace is delighted to inform all stakeholders, both local and international, and the media, that the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano has been approved by the Federal Executive Council,” the statement said.
In December 2022 and January 2023, Corporacion American Airport Consortium was announced as the preferred bidder for the airport’s concession after scaling through a series of evaluations of technical and financial bids.
Nominal revenues mean income not adjusted for inflation and decreasing purchasing power.
The Council of Europe says it has expelled Russia with immediate effect after 26 years of membership because of the Ukraine war.
The Committee of Ministers took the decision in a special session, the rights body announced in the French city of Strasbourg on Wednesday.
Earlier, Russia had already declared its withdrawal from the Council of Europe after it had taken steps to exclude it.
Advertisement
On Tuesday evening, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted unanimously in favour of Russia’s exclusion.
Russia joined the Council of Europe on Feb. 28, 1996.
Together with the formal notification of the withdrawal, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe also received information from the Russian Federation on Tuesday about its intention to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights.
In a statement on Tuesday evening, the leaders of the Council of Europe once again condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.