Niger State government has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC to reconsider it’s stance over embarking of planned strike action due to fifty percent deduction of the State’s Civil Servants Salaries by the government.
The State Chapter of the NLC had planned to embark on a strike action on 2nd Of November, 2020,due to a deadlock on agreement with Officials of the State government on the salaries deduction.
The Niger State Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Idris, Who made the appeal while briefing the media in Minna the state Capital, explained that the planned deferment of Civil Servants salaries for the months of November and December by the state government followed the dwindling resources due to short fall in Federation Account and Internally Generated Revenue occasioned by CoronaVirus pandemic.
He reminded labour leaders that the problem was not only peculiar to Niger state alone but a general phenomenon that has affected thirty six states of Nigeria and Abuja.
“The Niger state government received four point two billion naira from Federation Account for this month as against the over five billion naira in which salaries and related matters alone gullfed about two point nine billion naira, while about five hundred million naira has been earmarked for pension along with Contributory Pension Scheme of two hundred and ten million naira,” Sani Idris explained.
The Niger state Commissioner of Information and Strategy further said most ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state have forfeited their overhead cost to enable government meet it’s other obligations.
“Niger state government will not lower it’s momentum in discharging it’s responsibilities to the best of it’s ability, as it can’t compromise on issue of security that would guarantee peace and economic prosperity,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed Sani Idris who said that most of Niger state government projects are on bond, also urged labour leaders in the state to come to term with the government to see things in their clearer perspective.
The Nigeria police has reiterated its resolve to prevent the outbreak of crisis between communities in Cross River State.
The Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Command, Abdulkadir Jimoh said this after his men apprehended an arms dealer and promoter of communal war in Etung local government area.
Jimoh remarked that the command had intensified its patrol of villages, particularly around communities flagged as hotspots for crisis within the state.
He said, “since we deployed our officers and men to the communities especially those noted for communal war, we have been getting positive results.
“for instance, due to the vigilance of the Etung Division patrol team while on a routine stop and search, we arrested a 52 years old man alleged to be dealing in arms and ammunitions as well as a promoter of wars across communities,” Jimoh stated.
According to the Police Commissioner, “the patrol team intercepted the man with 299 live cartridges concealed in a black bag. We are currently carrying out investigations and would charge him to court as soon as we conclude”.
It would be recalled that recently, the Cross River State command of the Nigeria Police Force deployed over 288 special constables to work within their communities as part of efforts to boost policing and put an end to communal wars.
The United Nations refugee agency appealed on Tuesday to Ethiopian authorities for access to 96,000 Eritrean refugees in the northern Tigray region, where it said food is believed to have run out during the month-long conflict.
The spokesman of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Babar Baloch, told a Geneva news briefing
“Our extreme worry is that we hear about attacks, the fighting near the camps, we hear about abductions and forced removals, so this is very important for us to have that access to go and see what has happened over there,” he said.
The Governing Council of the University of Ibadan has approved the appointment of Professor Adebola Ekanola as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University.
The approval was given at the Council’s meeting, held on Monday, based on the recommendation of the Senate.
A short statement by the Institution’s ’s Director of Public Communication, Mr Olatunji Oladejo, said the Council’s meeting was presided over by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Nde Joshua Waklek Mutka.
Before his appointment, Professor Ekanola served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Director of Office of International Programmes (OIP) and the Dean, Faculty of Arts, among other appointments, in the University.
Barak Obama recently gave Drake his stamp of approval to portray him in a movie about his life, should one ever get made.
While there currently isn’t a biopic on the life of the former US president in the pipeline, Drake hasn’t kept his desires a secret. When asked if he would be happy with Drake portraying him, Obama commented in an interview that:
“I will say this. Drake seems to be able to do anything he wants. I mean, that is a talented, talented brother. So, if the time comes and he’s ready, you know…”
Chatting to Complex’s “360 With Speedy Morman”, Obama revealed that Drake had his family’s ‘stamp of approval’, hinting that his daughters wouldn’t mind.
Speaking to Paper magazine, Drake had explained that he religiously watched Obama’s addressDrake had revealed that he always pays attention to the inflections in Obama’s voice and never changes the channel when the former president does come on.
Drake had continued to say that he is actually pretty decent at impressions, despite no one signaling that they are interested in him for the role just yet: “If you ask anyone who knows me, I’m pretty good at impressions. Slowly but surely, I’m not in the study mode because nobody’s called me about anything, but I just pay attention so when the day comes I’m not scrambling to learn how to speak like him.”
Perched on a hilltop overlooking the Indonesian city of Bandung neat lines of teepee-style tents are set up each evening on a patch of lawn in front of a large screen.
Known as ‘Cinema Under the Stars’, the outdoor camp-style movie space opened two months ago in the capital of Indonesia’s most populous province of West Java with the aim of keeping people both entertained and socially distanced.
“Movies are usually watched indoors… but now we have this outdoor cinema with the view of Bandung,” said 20-year-old local resident Lidia Utari.
“And what’s more interesting is that they use tents here, so I wanted to give it a try,” she added.
Supplied with pillows, blankets and snacks, each tent is also equipped with hand sanitiser and disinfectant in line with health protocols, organisers say.
Moviegoers sit at the entrance to the tents with small tables in front with food and drink, all lit up by candlelight.
“We started this business during the pandemic, that’s why we were brainstorming about how to attract visitors as people have a thirst for entertainment in times like these,” said Ilham Fahri Suhada, one of the organisers.
With more than 530,000 infections and 16,000 deaths, Indonesia has the highest number of coronavirus cases and fatalities in Southeast Asia.
Some health experts say limited testing and contact tracing, as well as a high positivity rate – the infection rate per person tested – indicate actual rates may be far higher.
Unlike many neighbours, the world’s fourth most populous country with 270 million people has not had national lockdowns but has instead imposed localised social restrictions.
While tents may not provide much additional protection from the virus, film-goers seem content with the setup.
The Sokoto State Commissioner for Careers and Security Matters, Colonel Garba Moyi (rtd), has appealed to the Nigerian Army and federal government to redeploy more security personnel to States facing banditry and other security challenges.
Colonel Moyi (rtd) made the call in an interview with newsmen on the security update in Sokoto State.
The Commissioner noted that Nigerian security operatives were one of the best in the world, but they need motivation and the right equipment to face the challenges of today.
He called on residents of the state to support the government and security operatives in their efforts to curb banditry.
He challenged the residents to be law abiding and cautioned them against indiscriminate and unjust killing of the Fulanis because that has always been the trigger to senseless killing of innocent souls.
Colonel Moyi reiterated their readiness to protect the lives and properties of their citizenry.
Universal Studios Japan will open its new Nintendo themed area on February 4, the Osaka-based theme park said on Monday, after pushing back the opening from the summer due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The “Super Nintendo World” area will feature Mario Kart races and other attractions based on Nintendo games, according to Universal Studios Japan.
“Super Nintendo World” had originally been scheduled to open in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which have also been delayed due to the pandemic.
President Muhammadu Buhari has hailed the healthy relations existing between Nigeria and Slovakia.
The President stated this when he received the outgoing Ambassador of Slovak Republic to Nigeria, Peter Holasek on Monday, congratulating him on remarkable five years in Nigeria, thus making him one of the longest serving Ambassadors in the country.
The Nigerian leader wished Mr Holasek a successful tour of duty in his next assignment, as he leaves Nigeria after five years.
“I congratulate you on behalf of Nigeria, and myself, on a successful term. Thank you for the long service and I hope your next assignment will be more successful,” President Buhari said.
Recounting the high-points of his tour of duty, Ambassador Holasek said he was happy and proud that relations between Nigeria and his country had improved tremendously in the past five years.
“I have facilitated visits of Slovak and Nigerian officials to our two countries. Nigeria is Slovakia’s largest trading partner south of the Sahara, and there are even prospects of better relations, going forward,” the Ambassador said.
A team of high level officials representing the Executive and Legislative arms of government was in Maiduguri on Monday to deliver a message of condolence and solidarity with the government and people of Borno State following the recent boko haram killing of 43 farm workers.
The Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan spoke for the team and the Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari representing President Muhammadu Buhari presented a joint message, on behalf of the President.
President’s condolence message In the message, President Buhari expressed the condolences of the government and people of Nigeria and gave strong assurances of his continuous commitment to fighting insurgency and all forms of insecurity in Borno State and all over Nigeria.
Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, President of The Senate Dr Ahmad Lawan, Chief of Staff to the President Prof Ibrahim Gambari, NSA Maj Gen Babagana Monguno, Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Patami and SSAP Media and Publicity, Mallam Shehu Garba during a Federal Government Delegation on condolences visit over the killing of more than 40 Farmers in Zabarmari Village, Maiduguri Borno State. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. NOV 30 2020.
The President committed himself to making more resources available to the military to prosecute the war, adding that he will “work closely with neighbouring countries on bilateral and multilateral levels to ensure that there is no hiding place for the terrorists.
“Nothing is more important than ensuring the security of lives and property of the people. Everything is secondary when security is at a stake.
“As we mourn the loss of our sons in Zabarmari, the Armed Forces have been given the marching order to take the fight to the insurgents, not on a one-off, but on a continuous basis until we root out the terrorists”, the President said.
President Buhari commended Governor Babagana Zulum for his leadership in running the affairs of the state.
Governor Zulum commends president In his response, Governor Zulum thanked the President for “ensuring relative peace since his assumption of office,” stating clearly that the situation was much better than he met it.
The Governor presented a number of requests on behalf of his people, including that the youths of the state should be enlisted in military and paramilitary organizations to play their roles in the defence of the nation.
He called on the federal government to assist in the repatriation of Borno indigenes in camps in neighbouring countries and requested the National Assembly to tweak the draft budget now before them to allow better allocation of resources for the Northeast sub-region, which he alleged is being side-lined.
Act of madness At the palace of the Shehu of Borno, His Eminence Abubakar Umar Ibn Garbai, the traditional ruler described as “madness,” the gruesome killings and urged his subjects to pray and offer useful information to the security agencies.
He thanked President Buhari for his efforts in returning normalcy to the state.
“Before this administration came, all 27 local councils and the Emirs had migrated to Maiduguri. We had no power from the National Grid, Telephone services were discontinued and the airport was closed,” he said, commending the President for changing all that for the better.
The delegation was also in Zabarmari, Jere Local Government where the incident took place.
R-L; NSA Maj Gen Babagana Monguno, Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Zulum, President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, Chief of Staff to the President Prof Ibrahim Gambari, Minister of Communication, and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Patami, Mallam Shehu Garba and others during a Federal Government Delegation on condolences visit over the killing of more than 40 Farmers in Zabarmari Village, Maiduguri Borno State. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. NOV 30 2020
The local Imam, Alhaji Idris who responded on behalf of the community said they were touched by the President’s gesture, saying, “we are happy that the President is with us in our moment of grief. Tell him that we are very happy with him.”
Aside the Senate President and Chief of Staff to the President, the delegation included the House Majority Whip, Tahir Monguno, the Ministers of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammed Musa Bello, Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Agriculture (State), Mustapha Shehuri and Works and Housing (State), Engineer Abubakar Aliyu.
Others are National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd) and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
