Headline

Obaseki Links Rising Inflation To Nation’s Inability To Produce, Export

Published

1 year ago

June 23, 2024

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has linked Nigeria’s persistent rising inflation to the country’s inability to consistently produce and export goods and services, noting that the trend continues to affect the nation’s economy negatively.

Obaseki said this while receiving representatives from the World Bank led by the organization’s Task Team Leader (TTL) for the Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement, and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project in Nigeria, Manievel Emmanuel Sene, who were on a courtesy visit at the Government House, Benin City, the Edo State capital.

Other members of the group at the entourage of the World Bank delegation include the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Stephen Idehenre; his Permanent Secretary and staff from his Ministry, and the National Project Coordinator Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) Sanusi Abubakar, among others.

The team is in Benin City for the 3rd World Bank implementation mission.

The governor noted that the greatest problem of Nigeria is that the country is not producing enough for importation with no import buffers.

He said, “Nigerians are in a dire situation and one reason why we are having high food inflation is because of low production as we don’t have any foreign exchange anywhere to substitute with imports. We are not producing enough; that is the greatest problem facing Nigeria.

“Whatever we are producing is very low as a Country and people now don’t have import buffers anymore. When you fly into Countries around the world, from their airspace you will see farm demarcation but the same can’t be said of Nigeria.”

Obaseki, while noting that the state is a hub in the country, said the reforms in the last seven and a half years are geared towards repositioning the state for economic growth and development, ensuring the influx of investors to boost the internally generated revenue.

Obaseki added, “Commercialization is important to us so that when we produce, there is a ready market and linkage of the product to those that need it. I want to know and see those real farmers producing in the State, what they are producing and the size of the market.

“We have people who have invested, but they are not making money not because there is no demand but the capacity and sincerity to go ahead. We have given people money for livestock farming but it failed. It’s not about money again but capacity and sincerity.”

The World Bank Task Team Leader said the Bank focused on three outcomes which include productivity, commercialization and resilience.

Headline

Netanyahu Asks Israeli President For Pardon From Corruption Charges

Published

17 hours ago

November 30, 2025

Editor

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has asked the country’s president for a pardon in his long-running corruption case, saying the criminal proceedings are hindering his ability to govern and that ending the trial would benefit the nation.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has denied the bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges.

His lawyers told the president’s office that he still believes the legal process will eventually lead to a complete acquittal.

“My lawyers sent a request for pardon to the president of the country today. I expect that anyone who wishes for the good of the country support this step,” Netanyahu said in a brief video statement released by his Likud party.

The prime minister, who has been on trial for five years, has not admitted guilt, and neither have his lawyers. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Netanyahu should not receive a pardon unless he admits wrongdoing, expresses remorse and immediately withdraws from political life.

Pardons in Israel are usually granted only after a conviction, but Netanyahu’s lawyers argued the president can step in when public interest is at stake, saying intervention could help heal national divisions and promote unity.

President Isaac Herzog’s office described the request as “extraordinary” with “significant implications”. His office said the president “will responsibly and sincerely consider the request” after receiving the necessary opinions.

United States President, Donald Trump, recently wrote to Herzog urging him to consider approving the pardon, describing the case against Netanyahu as “a political, unjustified prosecution”.

Herzog’s office said the request will be sent to the justice ministry’s pardons department to gather assessments that will be forwarded to the president’s legal adviser, who will prepare a recommendation.

(Reuters)

Headline

US: Four Killed, 10 Others Wounded In California Shooting

Published

1 day ago

November 30, 2025

Editor

Four people were confirmed dead and 10 others injured after a shooting at a family gathering in California, United States on Saturday night, according to US police, who described the attack as a “targeted incident.”

The incident occurred inside a banquet hall in Stockton, northeast of San Francisco, shortly before 6:00 pm, spokesperson for the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, Heather Brent, told reporters during a news briefing.

Brent said the victims, ranging from “juveniles to adults,” were rushed to nearby hospitals, noting that details about the shooting remained limited.

“What we have confirmed at this time is that there was a banquet hall where a family was celebrating. We have 14 victims of this shooting. Four of those are deceased,” Brent said.

“Early indications suggest that this may be a targeted incident. Investigators are exploring all possibilities at this time.”

The sheriff’s office posted on social media that detectives were “working to determine the circumstances leading up to this tragedy.”

“We are urging anyone with information, video footage, or who may have witnessed any part of this incident to contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office immediately,” the post added.

Authorities said no suspect had been identified at the time of the report.

California Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed on the development, his office said in a social media statement.

Data from the Gun Violence Archive shows there have been 504 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, including the Stockton attack.

(AFP)

Headline

FULL LIST: US To Review Green Cards From 19 ‘Countries Of Concern’ After Washington Shooting

Published

3 days ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it will review the immigration status of all permanent residents, or “Green Card” holders, from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following the attack on National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.

U.S. officials identified the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting as a 29-year-old Afghan national who previously worked alongside American forces in Afghanistan.

The individual was granted asylum earlier this year, not permanent residency, according to AfghanEvac, an organisation that assists Afghans resettled in the United States after the Taliban takeover in 2021.

“I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” said Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on X.

The review follows a June executive order from President Trump classifying 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.”

The order banned entry for nearly all nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan. The full list of these countries is:

Afghanistan

Myanmar

Chad

Congo-Brazzaville

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Haiti

Iran

Libya

Somalia

Sudan

Yemen

A partial travel ban applies to seven additional countries, though some temporary work visas remain allowed: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.