Untitled

[impactng]

House of Assembly members break down in tears over recent attack

Katsina House of Assembly chamber on Tuesday was filled with wailing as lawmakers shed tears during their plenary session over the recent killings of over 30 villagers in Batsari local government area of the state. Alhaji Jabiru Yau-yau, member representing Batsari constituency raised the issue at plenary under matters of urgent public interest as the state recovers from the terrible act. According to reports from the News Agency of Nigeria, the member representing Jibia constituency, Alhaji Mustapha Yusuf, was first to break down in tears while contributing to the motion then other members joined in. Yusuf amidst tears said “This situation is frightening because we don’t know what can still happen in that place. “Many people were locked up and burnt to ashes. The villagers fled to various destinations because of fear of the unknown.” Meanwhile Alhaji Yau-yau said “While we appreciate the efforts of Governor Aminu Masari, we want the federal government to also come to our aid.” The Speaker, Alhaji Tasiu Musa along with other members of the house then unanimously resolved to send relief materials to the affected areas. President Buhari had described the attack as revenge killings, but Tsawa village head, Ibrahim Zangina, said it was not a reprisal attack. According to him “We have never had any incidents of attacks or confrontation with any bandit or group of bandits in the past.” Read the full article

[impactng]

Chelsea accuse Manchester fans of making homophobic chants

A "large group" of Manchester United fans have allegedly been accused by Chelsea for making homophobic chants at Monday's game between both clubs at Stamford Bridge. According to Chelsea, numbers of fans were prevented from gaining entrance ahead of the Premier League clash and others were ejected during United's 2-0 win. "At last night's match a large group of Manchester United supporters made unacceptable homophobic chants. "A number of these away supporters were prevented from entering the stadium and others were ejected during the game. "This behaviour will not be tolerated at Chelsea Football Club. "Those supporters will be banned from attending matches at Stamford Bridge in future, and in cooperation with Manchester United we have passed the details of those supporters to them so they can take appropriate action. "Chelsea Football Club is a diverse and inclusive club and will always take firm action against all forms of discriminatory behaviour." United said a song sang by some members of the away end ran counter to the club's values. "Manchester United has a long-standing commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, embodied through our #AllRedAllEqual initiative," a club spokesman said. "We were the first club to sign up to the Team Pride coalition and continue to collaborate with Stonewall and other anti-discriminatory organisations in this area. "Our fans were vocal as always in their support for the team on Monday night and we appreciate that loyal backing. However, this song directed against Chelsea FC - or any other club - by some of our fans runs counter to our values. "We will continue to engage in campaigns to raise awareness and fight discrimination in all forms," according to a statement on the club's website. Read the full article

[impactng]

Nollywood/Bollywood movie ‘Namaste Wahala’ set to be released

The Movie industry is about to experience something new as Lagos based businesswoman, Hamisha Daryani Ahuja, is set to release her directorial debut 'Namaste Wahala’. Hamisha, an Indian, in January had announced her intention to delve into film making via her Instagram posted where she disclosed that the movie will explore cultural experiences between India and Nigeria. She said “With nothing but passion for film, I embarked on a journey to make a featured film that is a melting pot of my cultural experiences between India and Nigeria. The moment I made this decision, I knew that It would require that I give it focused energy in faith, and watch it all manifest.” According to the lead actress, Ini Dima- Okojie, filming for ‘Namaste Wahala’ has wrapped up which means it’ll be on the big screens soon. The romantic comedy stars Nollywood actress, Ini Dima- Okoji and Bollywood film and TV actor Ruslaan Mumtaz. It also stars Nollywood veterans Ajoke Silva and Richard Mofe Damijo alongside Instagram sensation Broda Shaggi and Rap music star MI Abaga. Nigerian lovers of Indian romance can now look forward to a movie that stars some of the finest acts in Nollywood. Read the full article

[impactng]

Trump will survive impeachment trial in Senate - Report

A recent report by Washington Post revealed that 37 Republic senators are expected to vote against both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Following the result of impeachment vote in House of Representatives that was based on party differences, the report concluded that it is unlikely that the Republican-controlled Senate would vote to convict Trump for abuse of power or for obstruction of Congress. The report said that it is mathematically impossible for Trump to be removed from office, assuming the 37 number holds. A two-thirds majority of senators present would have to vote to convict on one or both articles of impeachment to remove Trump from office. Read the full article

[impactng]

FG knocks United States over report

Following a recent report on Nigeria, the Federal Government has accused the United States (US) of attempting to sow seed of religious mistrust among the various religious groups in Nigeria. The Federal Government rejected the US designation of Nigeria as “a country that engages in or tolerates severe violations of religious freedom”. A statement issued in Abuja by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said that the iniquitous tag stemmed from an orchestrated narrative that had long been discredited. He stressed that the people of Nigeria enjoyed unfettered freedom to practise their religion. The minister blamed failed politicians and disgruntled elements – some of them supposedly respected leaders, for latching on to religion as their trump card, especially in the run up to the last general elections. He said it was unfortunate that the US fell for the antics of “the discontented and the unpatriotic few, who will not hesitate to hang Nigeria out to dry on the altar of their inordinate ambition and their sheer animosity towards the Buhari-led administration”. He said the Nigerian government was aware of how the political opposition in particular, had spared no resources in deriving political capital from the various security challenges in the country. “The deliberate effort to give religious colouration to the farmers-herders clashes and the Boko Haram insurgency, in particular, has undoubtedly helped to mislead the US into concluding that the government is doing little or nothing to guarantee religious freedom in the country. “But, as we have always said, the farmers-herders clashes have nothing to do with religion, but everything to do with environmental and socio-economic realities. “The religious tag given to the clashes has no basis in fact, but it is very convenient for those who will very easily give the dog a bad name just to hang it. “On its part, the Boko Haram terrorists are extreme fanatics who do not subscribe to the tenets of any religion, in spite of their pretence to Islamic adherence,” he said. The minister said the good news was that the government had succeeded in curbing the farmers-herders clashes through the implementation of proactive and multi-dimensional strategy, yielding remarkable results. He added the government had largely defeated the Boko Haram insurgency. “On the El-Zakzaky issue, which was referred to in the report by the US government, it is purely a criminal matter, which is being handled by a court of competent jurisdiction,” he said. The Minister stressed that while the government welcomed constructive criticism from any quarter, it rejected any attempt to sow seed of mistrust among the various religious groups in the country. Read the full article

[impactng]

FG knocks United States over report

Following a recent report on Nigeria, the Federal Government has accused the United States (US) of attempting to sow seed of religious mistrust among the various religious groups in Nigeria. The Federal Government rejected the US designation of Nigeria as “a country that engages in or tolerates severe violations of religious freedom”. A statement issued in Abuja by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said that the iniquitous tag stemmed from an orchestrated narrative that had long been discredited. He stressed that the people of Nigeria enjoyed unfettered freedom to practise their religion. The minister blamed failed politicians and disgruntled elements – some of them supposedly respected leaders, for latching on to religion as their trump card, especially in the run up to the last general elections. He said it was unfortunate that the US fell for the antics of “the discontented and the unpatriotic few, who will not hesitate to hang Nigeria out to dry on the altar of their inordinate ambition and their sheer animosity towards the Buhari-led administration”. He said the Nigerian government was aware of how the political opposition in particular, had spared no resources in deriving political capital from the various security challenges in the country. “The deliberate effort to give religious colouration to the farmers-herders clashes and the Boko Haram insurgency, in particular, has undoubtedly helped to mislead the US into concluding that the government is doing little or nothing to guarantee religious freedom in the country. “But, as we have always said, the farmers-herders clashes have nothing to do with religion, but everything to do with environmental and socio-economic realities. “The religious tag given to the clashes has no basis in fact, but it is very convenient for those who will very easily give the dog a bad name just to hang it. “On its part, the Boko Haram terrorists are extreme fanatics who do not subscribe to the tenets of any religion, in spite of their pretence to Islamic adherence,” he said. The minister said the good news was that the government had succeeded in curbing the farmers-herders clashes through the implementation of proactive and multi-dimensional strategy, yielding remarkable results. He added the government had largely defeated the Boko Haram insurgency. “On the El-Zakzaky issue, which was referred to in the report by the US government, it is purely a criminal matter, which is being handled by a court of competent jurisdiction,” he said. The Minister stressed that while the government welcomed constructive criticism from any quarter, it rejected any attempt to sow seed of mistrust among the various religious groups in the country. Read the full article

[impactng]

CBN slashes N65 bank ATM charges to N35

A new guide mandating banks to charge customers N35 for cash withdrawals from other banks’ Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) has been released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The new revised Guide to Bank Charges reduced from previous N65 fee, applies after the third withdrawal within one month. The new guideline signed by Chibuzo Efobi for CBN Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, showed a downward review for electronic banking transaction charges to align with market developments and inclusion of new sections on accountability and sanctions for defaulting banks. The guideline, which takes effect January 1, 2020, is in furtherance of CBN’s quest to make financial services more accessible and affordable to various stakeholders in the economy. Other major highlights of the new policy include removal of Card Maintenance Fee (CAMF) on all cards linked to current accounts, a maximum of one Naira per mille for customer induced debit transactions to third parties and transfers or lodgments to the customers’ account in other bank on current accounts only, cut in Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) now pegged at maximum of one per cent of the APG value in the first year and 0.5 per cent for subsequent years on contingent liabilities. The charges prescribed in the guide were arrived at after extensive consultations with stakeholders and is expected to enhance flexibility, transparency and competition in the Nigerian banking industry. CBN Director, Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor, explained that on debit card charges, the new guide stipulates that a one-off charge of N1,000 applies to the issuance of cards, irrespective of card type (regular or premium). The same one-off charge of N1,000 applies for the replacement of debit cards at the customer’s instance for lost or damaged cards. In the same vein, upon expiry of existing cards, customers are to pay the same one-off charge of N1,000 irrespective of card type. Conversely, no charge shall be required for pre-paid card loading/unloading. According to the policy, the current NIP charges apply to use of Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), purchase with cash-back will attract a charge of N100 per N20,000 subject to cumulative N60,000 daily withdrawal. Also, for cards linked to savings account, a maintenance fee has been reduced to a maximum of N50 per quarter from N50 per month amounting to only N200 per annum instead of N600. Furthermore, there will be no more charges for reactivation or closure of accounts such as savings, current and domiciliary accounts while status enquiry at the request of the customer (like confirmation letter, letter of non-indebtedness and reference letter) will now attract a fee of N500 per request. Read the full article

[impactng]

ICPC summons NIPC board over corruption allegation

Some members of the governing board of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) have been invited by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for questioning over alleged corrupt practices. The commission said the invitation was in connection with an alleged violation of the provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. The invitation was contained in a letter dated December, 16, 2019, was signed by the ICPC acting Director of Investigation, Hassan Mohammed. According to the letter, those invited include the Board Chairman, Babangida Nguroje and other eight members of the board. The letter stated that they are to appear in separate batches between Monday, December 23 and Tuesday December 24. 2019. Read the full article

[impactng]

We have mechanism to curb sexual harassment - ASUU

With the rising cases of sexual intimidation in Nigerian universities, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), says adequate mechanism has been put in place to tackle cases of intimidation and harassment of students in tertiary institutions. The National President of the association, Biodun Ogunyemi, made this known in Abuja. In recent times, many university professors have been sacked over the unethical practices that usually involve the demand for sex or money, in exchange for marks. Last week, the University of Abuja sacked four senior lecturers over similar misdeeds, while some lecturers in other universities have even been prosecuted and jailed. Ogunyemi, who described the trend as “sad”, said ASUU had set up an Ethics Committee in every university to ensure that its members did not go out of their bounds. “ASUU has always been concerned with the conduct of our members and we have put in place mechanisms to ensure that our members don’t go out of their bounds. “If you check our constitution, we have attached to it what we call `code of practice’. Our code of practice places a lot of emphasis on ethical issues. “Some of these cases you have mentioned are part of the issues that we are trying to engage and interrogate. “Contrary to what people say, we do our own internal cleansing, but we don’t see that as the primary issue for our existence. They are issues that just come along the line. “What we do basically is, where we have such cases, we do our own investigation, once we can establish a prima facie case, we hand them over to the universities. “Some of the cases that you later hear about could have even been initiated by the union.” Ogunyemi added that the university system had its processes and once cases of intimidation and harassment occur, they are referred to the university disciplinary process who handle such cases. He advised students to report cases of intimidation and harassment at the ASUU secretariat on the campuses. “Once the matter gets to us, we shall track the erring lecturer or worker. Read the full article

[impactng]

19,273 candidates fail teaching professional exam

19,273 candidates failed the November diet of the Professional Qualification Examination (PQE) organized by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). According to the Registrar/Chief Executive of the council, Professor Segun Ajiboye, of the 72,947 candidates who sat for the examination, only 53,674 passed. Professor Ajiboye who stated this in Ibadan while speaking with newsmen appreciated the commitment of Nigerian teachers to excellent delivery in spite of the challenges they face and the support given to TRCN to reposition the teaching profession in the country. Lagos state topped the list of those who registered for the examination with 8,224 while 6,067 passed the examination. This is followed by Oyo State with about 5,599 registered while only 4,243 passed followed by Kaduna where 3769 passed out of 4,008 who registered for the examination  

Professor Segun Ajiboye According to Ajiboye, the professional qualification examination is a continuous thing and urged unqualified teachers to register and write the next diet to escape the sanction which awaits uncertified ‘teachers’ in 2020. “PQE is a continuous thing and the door is still open to those who have not registered to do so. And those who failed the examination still have opportunities of retaking the exam. The close of the deadline does not mean that PQE has stopped. Registration for the next Diet of the examination has commenced in all TRCN offices nationwide. We appreciate the commitment of the Nigerian teachers to excellent delivery in spite of the challenges they face and the support given to TRCN in its efforts to reposition the teaching profession in the country,” he said. Read the full article

[impactng]

FG begins process to rescue Nigerians in Mali

The Federal Government has begun profiling Nigerians trapped in various mining areas in Mali for evacuation back to Nigeria. The government is doing this through the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). The Director General of NAPTIP, Julie Okah, made this known in Abuja at the end of the year forum with media partners She said that the process is being done through advocacy and working tours of Mali with a view to addressing the exploitative conditions that these Nigerians who are victims of human trafficking. She said that NAPTIP had visited the plenary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) parliament to brief members on the situation of trafficked victims in Mali and other migrated routes within the ECOWAS sub region. She said, “Advocacy and working tour of Mali with a view to assessing the exploitative conditions of Nigerian victims of human trafficking trapped in the mining areas of the country, profiling them and working out the modalities for evacuating them back to Nigeria. “Advocacy and enlightenment visit to the plenary of the ECOWAS Parliament where I briefed members on the situation of trafficked victims in Mali and other migrating routes within the ECOWAS sub region and the need for regional cooperation and policy to arrest the situation. Permit me to inform you that the agency in collaboration with the International Centre for Migration policy Development (ICMPD) and the National Commission for Collages of Education (NCCE) mainstreamed trafficking in persons issues into the minimum standards (Curriculum) of Colleges of Education in Nigeria. “As a follow up, no fewer than 400 teachers of colleges of education have been trained by personnel of this agency and the NCCE on those issues and methodology to adopt in teaching them. It is important to note that these will be taught as a General Studies Course in colleges of education from January 2020. This activity is part of deepening awareness creating programme to ensure that children from cradle understand issues of human trafficking.” Read the full article

[impactng]

VSF pledges more commitment in North East

Over 20,000 women are currently benefitting from the economic empowerment programme of the Victims Support Fund (VSF). According to the Executive Director of VSF, Prof. Sunday Ochoche, the VSF is committed to providing various interventions to victims of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East to alleviate their sufferings. Ochoche said that the “Women Economic Empowerment Cash distribution Project’’ aimed to support women who were economically active and have skills that could be translated to income generation. “So our agricultural programme continues; our women empowerment programme continues; right now we have over 20,000 women in our programme. “For education programme, we have about 200,000 children in our education support programme, we also have about 4,500 teachers that have benefited in our teacher retraining programme.” According to him, the educational sector is one of the areas that suffered during the wake of insurgency in North-eastern Nigeria thereby leaving many children out of school in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States. “We will be also shortly commencing our programme of support for animal breeding; where we will buy animals and distribute to households for breeding of goat. “We are also in the process of building three new schools, new barrack and police station in Gombe. “We are in the process of rebuilding or completely renovating the local government area secretariat as well as building three students hostels and two blocks of classroom in Michika local government in Adamawa State. “So in the area of physical structures those are the things we are in the process of doing at the moment. “Also in May we commissioned over 16 facilities in Yobe State, we built across 16 local government areas in the State a number of schools among others. VSF has been working since 2015 to administer support services to victims of insurgency in North East Nigeria. These have been achieved through the facilitation and restoration of livelihood, Agro based intervention and introduction of foster care programmes for orphaned among others. Read the full article

[impactng]

Military purge: Armed forces retires 527 soldiers, trains 27 officers

Members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) comprising of 228 from the Nigerian Army (NA), 118 from the Nigerian Navy (NN) and 181 trainees from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) were retired from the service at the weekend. The retirees numbering 527 were charged to remain loyal, committed and patriotic to the Nigerian State. The retirees underwent a six month preparatory and skills acquisition training at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) Oshodi, to equip them with needed tools for easy reintegration into civil livelihoods. Speaking at a combined graduation ceremony for the retirees and 27 mid-level officers trained at the centre on entrepreneurship and management, Defence Minister Bashir Magashi reiterated the federal government’s commitment for improved welfare for the military. Magashi said it was imperative to inform discharged personnel of inherent challenges of post service life such as inadequate resources, misuse of benefits, poor management of mental and physical health, among others, advising them to take proactive steps to avoid falling victims. He said the government appreciated the sacrifices of service personnel, adding that commendable efforts have been made in the area of security. “Security has been a problem in this country, things were going from bad to good at one time, now it is from good to better and I think very soon the Nigerian people will be very happy with the progress of things,” he said. According to the minister, government was ensuring due process, transparency and accountability in all its activities, adding that the ministry would continue to provide needed support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN). Earlier, NAFRC Commandant Air Vice-Marshal (AVM) Abubakar-Sadick Liman, said the centre’s mission was to impart high quality training in vocational, entrepreneurship and management to personnel of the AFN who are still in service and those about to exit from active service of the nation. “Accordingly, we play a very crucial role in preparing military personnel for economically useful life after service. We are graduating a total of 27 mid-level officers and 527 servicemen and women of the AFN who have successfully completed their courses in the centre. Our graduating participants comprise of five officers from the Nigerian Army, six officers from the Nigerian Navy and 10 officers from the Nigerian Air Force.” Read the full article

[impactng]

Libyan crisis is a danger to West Africa - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed concern over growing effect of the instability and crisis in State of Libya as a recurrent threat to the Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa. The President said this at a bilateral meeting with the President of Cote d’Ivoire, Alhassan Quattara, at the sidelines of the 56th Ordinary session of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS). President Buhari noted that the crisis in Libya had perpetuated instability in the West Coast, with many of the trained fighters in the country now surviving on violent crimes and terrorism. The 56th Ordinary session of ECOWAS was held at the State House Conference Centre. The President said the Libyan fighters, who were trained for the 43 years Muammar Gaddafi ruled the country, were armed with deadly weapons and had been roaming the Sahel and sub-Sahara sub-region, with no other skills for survival “but to shoot and kill.” President Buhari expressed happiness that neighbouring countries were supporting Nigeria in tackling the menace of the fighters who have teamed up with Boko Haram, adding that there was a need to do more by the West African countries, both under the ECOWAS platform and at bilateral levels. In his remarks, President Quattara said he came to brief the Nigerian leader on progress of the ECOWAS mandate given to him to negotiate exit of Francophone West African countries from their currency union with France and European Union. The Ivorian President said he was pleased to report that he received the full support of the French government, under President Emmanuel Macron, and that the West African States were free to leave the union and join the “Eco”, the new currency designated for the West Coast. President Buhari expressed delight that France did not stand in the way of the “Eco”. On the ongoing debate in Nigeria on foreign borrowing, President Buhari said it was necessary to fund infrastructure projects, adding that “without roads, rail and power, investors will not be encouraged to invest in the country.” At another bilateral meeting with the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, President Buhari said he was impressed with the ongoing efforts of the administration to secure and stabilize the country. ‘I am happy that your policies and plans are holding on. I assure you that we will continue to support you. A problem in the neighbourhood is our problem. I will keep in touch with our officials to see how we can support.’’ Earlier in his remarks, the President of Sierra Leone recalled the level of cooperation between his country and Nigeria, appreciating President Buhari for various forms of support to his country, including provision of teachers, nurses, technicians and engineers. He said more support was needed in the economic sector to ease the growing hardship among lower segments of the country’s population. At a bilateral with President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré of Burkina Faso, President Buhari commended the country’s leader for sustaining investment in infrastructure in spite of distractions from terrorists. President Buhari and President Kaboré agreed to convene a meeting of the two states to discuss in greater detail issues pertaining to security and economy. Describing Nigeria as a “power house that drives economic growth and development in the region”, President Kaboré said his country had high expectations of their “excellent relations” with Nigeria. President Buhari also had a meeting with Liberian President, George Manneh Oppong Weah and President of Benin, Patrice Talon, at the ECOWAS summit. Read the full article

[impactng]

Kano Emirate Dispute: CSO distances self from call to dethrone Emir Sanusi

A civil society organisation has said its members are not part of the civil society organisations (CSOs) in the state that allegedly called for the dethronement of the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi. The Kano Civil Society Forum (KCSF) described itself as the umbrella body of over 183 different civil society organisations based in Kano State. The group made this known in a letter co-signed by its president, Ibrahim Waiya, and public relations officer, Adam Rano, which it wrote to the governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje. The group’s stance comes after governor Ganduje said on Thursday that he received a letter from 35 civil society organisations calling for the immediate dethronement of Sanusi II, for disobedience to constituted authority by making efforts to create a state within a state. In its letter, the KCSF urged Ganduje to disregard the call which it said emanated from “some faceless, politically sloppy and fake organizations” to achieve an “evil, destructive, selfish, anti-Kano people and anti-peace” agenda. Should (this) apparition groups genuinely represent the civil society organizations, their energy must have centered on promoting peace and unity, promotion of good governance, socio-economic development, promoting the welfare and wellbeing of the good people of Kano, and ensure a peaceful coexistence of our dear state, but not the other way round,” the letter read. The group called for peace between the governor and the emir, saying that the state has many developmental glitches it needs to tackle rather than adding disunity to its challenges. “Kano is one of the most hit states with the menace of Almajiris, increasing rate of poverty, mortality rate, malnutrition, drug abuse, unemployment and educationally backwardness,” the group wrote. “Many development indices and practical statistics have placed Kano state high, and which is in dire need of down to business governance through multi-talented leadership skills to practically salvage the state from sinking. This is a hard-nosed demand that requires total dedication, commitment, focus, steadfastness, as well as total avoidance of any distraction.” The letter went on to urge the State Security Service (SSS) and other security agencies “to fish out one Ibrahim Ali, the signatory to the letter addressed to the governor, and investigate the civil society coalitions he claimed to represent, for (misguidance) and impersonation.” Read the full article

[impactng]

Nigerians should be ready for a better year - Boss Mustapha

As Nigerians join the rest of the world to mark the Christmas and the New Year, they have been assured that strides and developments would take place in the country in 2020 The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha gave this assurance while speaking with newsmen at the 2019 Christmas Praise Concert at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja. While explaining that there are reasons to celebrate the season, he said, “It is the season of joy; the season of love; the season of sharing; that is the essence of Christmas. “The gift that we have received which has transformed the entire world,” he said. Mustapha said that Nigerians are all expectant that the coming year would be prosperous. “There is going to be tremendous progress in this country in 2020. “We have returned to the budget circle of January to December; with element of certainty, there will be strides and developments that will take place in this nation. “We are getting focused and we are getting redirected in the pursuit of the activities of government; providing leadership for the property of this country. “President Muhammadu Buhari is set,” Mustapha said. The event was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, his wife Dolapo Osinbajo, former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon. Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege and John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, also attended the concert. In a special prayer, Pastor Seyi Malomo, Chaplain, Aso Villa Chapel, thanked God for protecting Nigerians in the year, 2019. He prayed that 2020 would be glorious for Nigeria and asked God to destroy every manifestation of evil in the country. “By this time next year, we will be alive; Nigeria will be alive Read the full article

[impactng]

FG committed to end poverty – AUDA-NEPAD boss

The National Coordinator of the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), Princess Gloria Akobundu has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to good governance, poverty eradication and job creation in the country. She said this at the agency’s 2019 retreat on reform and the domestication of its new mandates in Abuja. The retreat was organised to sensitise AUDA-NEPAD’s staff on the expectations of its new mandates with the theme: “Building Teamwork and Improving Capacity for Organisational Productivity”. According to her, Buhari is determined to realign and restructure Nigeria through the agency’s mandates. “The essence of this retreat is for us to understand our structure, to understand where we are, to understand what is expected of us which is the mandates, to construct ourselves, put ourselves together on how we can start proper and effective delivery to the people. “We’ve done a lot of sensitization programme, we’ve carried out capacity building across the six geo-political zones of this country in line with our mandate to eradicate poverty and create jobs under the leadership and directive of Mr President. “We’ve also carried out the reforms which is ongoing, the reform of NEPAD approved by Mr President, because he is trying to restructure and re-align Nigeria to serve our people better to suit today’s global community and to be able to deliver our mandates effectively.” Akobundu said the new mandates include co-ordinating and implementing priority continental and regional projects towards promoting regional integration that would accelerate realisation of Agenda 2063, among others. Also, Sen. Abba Ali, Chairman National Governing Council of AUDA-NEPAD, explained that the President relaunched the agency into AUDA-NEPAD in a bid to reposition it for more efficiency. Ali said the retreat was pertinent to reintegrate the staff into the new vision, objectives, goals and its activities in line with the ongoing reform and structures of the agency. News Agency of Nigeria reports that the transition of NEPAD to AUDA was intended to strengthen the operations of AU and ensure effective implementation of Agenda 2063 and UN-SDGs. The AU 2063 is Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future. Read the full article