News

We Feel Your Pains, Senate Tells Nigerians

Published

2 years ago

February 20, 2024

Editor

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, Mohammed Monguno, on Monday said the National Assembly was concerned and shared the citizens’ distress over the current security challenges in the country.

The senator who decried the situation noted that the security sector had a huge allocation in the 2024 appropriation act to enable the various security agencies to deliver on their mandate of protecting lives and properties.

Despite allocating N3.25trn for national security out of the total N28.7trn budget, insecurity continues to persist in various regions of the country.

According to a Civil Society Organisation, Enough is Enough, there were approximately 245 reported kidnapping cases with over N6bn ransoms demanded by kidnappers in January 2024.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ dialogue on the State of Human Rights in Nigeria, organised by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre in Abuja on Monday, Monguno said the primary responsibility of the government is to provide adequate security to the citizens, adding that to address the insecurity in the country, the National Assembly allocated a large percentage of the budget to the security sector.

He said, “I want to assure you that the 10th National Assembly is a very responsible and responsive assembly to the yearnings and aspirations of the people. We feel the pains of Nigerians that we are representing as a result of the problem of insecurity in the country.

“And the Senate, in order to address this problem in the 2024 Appropriations Act, has made robust provisions to the security sector because the security sector got the highest amount of allocation because the National Assembly is desirous of giving all the wherewithal and the necessary input for them to be able to discharge their constitutional mandate of protecting the lives and properties of Nigeria to grantee peace order and good governance.

“Security is the primary responsibility of government. And that is the social contract that the government has with the people. That is the primacy of governance and because of that, the National Assembly appropriated the highest amount of money to the security sector.”

Monguno, however, vowed that the national assembly would intensify its oversight functions to ensure the judicious utilization of the funds.

“And we are also going to double on our oversight functions, to oversight the security agencies that are charged with the responsibility of guaranteeing our security to make sure that these funds are judiciously utilized for the benefit of Nigerians.”

The Executive Director, PLAC, Clement Nwankwo lamented that despite the ENDSARs protest which occurred in 2020, human rights challenges remained in the country.

He said, “The challenge of human rights in Nigeria remains. Some of them are institutional, some of them are behavioral, and others are human-made. Those challenges continue to pose obstacles to the exercise and human rights in the country.

“We see the abuses that come with citizens interaction with the police, we saw the circumstances that led to protests in 2020, and we saw the commitments of government agencies to address the problem raised for it. Unfortunately, they continue to operate in ways that do not help citizens to exercise the full value of rights recognised in the Constitution. ”

Executive Secretary, of the National Human Rights Commission, Anthony Ojukwu(SAN) said to boost the nation’s Foreign Direct Investment, the government and its agencies must obey court orders.

He noted that disobeying courts sends a wrong signal to foreign investors.

Ojukwu said, “Disobeying court orders has implications on our FDI. They will believe if their rights are infringed and they go to court the orders might not be obeyed. And as such they will not get the remedy they seek. ”

He also backed the call for the establishment of state police, allaying fears that it would be hijacked by governors.

Ojukwu added, “We should have state police. If we establish one are we not going to prescribe how they will operate?

“We need security. Look at the large number of ungoverned spaces we have, state police will go a long way to help in securing those areas. “

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Students To Picket MTN, MultiChoice, Other Businesses

Published

10 minutes ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket South African companies in Nigeria following the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

DAILY POST reports that some Nigerians were recently killed in South Africa over the violent attacks.

A statement issued to newsmen by Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator, NANS South-West, Zone D, said that the association is mobilizing to take decisive and lawful action by organizing peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests operating in Nigeria.

“We categorically state that the continued targeting of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable and must come to an immediate end.

“This will include major corporations such as MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere.

“This contradiction will no longer be tolerated,” the statement said.

News

N5m, N10m Zero-interest Loans: SheVentures Opens Applications For Women Entrepreneurs

Published

2 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has opened a new round of applications for its SheVentures proposition, offering zero-interest loans of up to ₦10 million to women entrepreneurs to ease access to working capital and support business growth.

The facility provides loans ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million under a general category, and ₦5 million to ₦10 million for sector-specific businesses, with funding capped at up to 50% of an applicant’s average monthly turnover.

At the centre of the offering is a 0% interest rate, with all charges embedded in a transparent structure.

Repayment is structured over four or six months, allowing businesses to match obligations with their cash flow cycles.

Yemisi Edun, Managing Director and Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), said the initiative reflects a deliberate approach to inclusive growth.

“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively.

“Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.

This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs.”

“Access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs,” said Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo, Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB).

“By removing the cost barrier and offering quick, flexible funding, this zero-interest loan is designed to safeguard existing jobs, enable businesses to invest in growth initiatives, and foster resilience in challenging economic conditions.”

Women-owned businesses account for a significant share of Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises but continue to face high borrowing costs and limited access to credit.

Through these efforts, SheVentures tackles persistent financing gaps facing women-led businesses, combining targeted funding with broader support to empower women entrepreneurs, encourage business innovation, and enhance their ability to compete on a national scale.

Applications for the zero-interest loan are now open.Apply now.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria

Published

20 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to retaliate against South African businesses operating in Nigeria following the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the Federal Government should consider revoking the working license of South African owned companies such as MTN and DSTV.

He argued that Nigeria must respond firmly to what he described as persistent hostility against its citizens.

“I am not going to shed tears. If you hit me, I hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It is an economic struggle,” Oshiomhole said.

He argued that while some South Africans accuse Nigerians of taking their jobs, Nigerians should return home and take over employment opportunities created by major South African companies operating in the country, including MTN and DSTV.

“When we hit back, the President of South Africa will not only talk but will also go on his knees to recognise that Nigeria cannot be intimidated.

“We will not condone any life being lost. If a crime has been committed under the South African law they have the right to bring any such person to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we will not allow that,” Oshiomhole added.

DAILY POST reports that several Nigerians in South Africa have reportedly been attacked, and their businesses destroyed, in ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.