NIGERIAN NOTCH

The bandits who abducted 287 school children at Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State have demanded a N1billion ransom to set their captives free. They also threatened to kill the victims if the ransom was not paid in 20 days. But the military vowed yesterday to rescue the school children to their parents unhurt, explaining bandits now embark on mass abduction to use their victims as human shields, in view of the clearance operations by its officers and men. Recall that on Thursday, March 7, 2024, the bandits invaded the school, shot one of the pupils and escaped into the bush with over 200 others, including some secondary school students they marched into the primary school premises. The bandit’s demand for ransom came barely 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu warned against payment of ransom to criminal elements, including bandits. “The President has directed that security agencies must, as a matter of urgency, ensure that these children and all those w...

The Chairman of Senate adhoc panel, of the turn around maintenance of refineries in Nigeria, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah has confirmed the completion of turn around maintenance of the Porthacourt Refinery as stated by the ,Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Mele Kyari. He  told his colleagues that he already had some documents on the TAM and that no fraudulent practice had been discovered in the exercise, said that the country would want to know that progress is being made on the rehabilitation of the refineries. He said, “I have seen some documents indicating that something is being done and there is nothing to suggest that there is a foul play in the exercise.” According to him, members of the Committee would visit all the refineries with a view to ascertaining the progress of work there so that a comprehensive report would be presented to the Senate in plenary soonest. THE Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeri...

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has called on the Nigerian Bar Association to collaborate with the  National Assembly in the ongoing constitution review processs.  Senator Akpabio made the call when he received the leadership of the association on a courtesy call in his office in Abuja. Akpabio said he was delighted by the visit and noted that the National Assembly can benefit greatly from the inputs of the lawyers.  "We have robust plans to tinker with some of the laws that we met on ground particularly those that are not meeting the current realities. Some of our laws are analogue and do not meet the aspirationsof today."  The Senate President also called on the leadership of the Nigerian Bar association to weed out quacks from its midst in a bid to protect the integrity of the profession. "There are so many law schools these days. We might not be able to see it the way it use to be. As a lawyer, you must be learned both in terms of educa...

....Sets to Unveil STEM Project As part of the institution's commitment towards boosting Igbo indigenous science and technology, the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, UNIZIK, is pioneering the development of a curriculum for the teaching and learning of science in Igbo language. The Vice-chancellor of the university, Prof Charles Esimone told newsmen on Thursday in his office that the institution is partnering with an Igbo language and culture promotion group, Odinala Cultural  Heritage Foundation, OCHIE, to achieve the project. He stated that the university has the capacity to achieve the project saying that in addition to having erudite scholars who will mid-wife  appropriate curriculum for teaching of science in Igbo language, the institution will pioneer the teaching and learning and assured that it will cascade to primary and secondary schools, as well as, other higher institutions. Prof.  Esimone said the OCHIE Igbo innovation on  Science,Technology, Engin...

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has stressed that the postponement of the student loan scheme is not indefinite as alluded to in the media reports. In a press statement signed by Nasir Ayitogo on behalf of the executive secretary of NELFUND, the Fund said it is 100 per cent set for the launch as the loan application portal is ready. The statement reads in part,” The management has been drawn to reports in some sections of the media, particularly social media, suggesting that the launch of the most-anticipated student loan scheme, initially scheduled for Thursday, March 14, 2024, has been postponed indefinitely. “It will be recalled that the executive secretary of NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, in a television interview on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, disclosed that the postponement was necessitated by the need to have all stakeholders fully aligned before the formal flag-off by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “For the avoidance of doubt, NELFUND is 100 per cent set for...

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has resumed its funding intervention for agriculture sector apparently in response to the challenges of food security in the country. The apex bank has earmarked N100 billion to purchase 2.5 million bags of fertilizers for distribution to farmers. The Governor of the CBN, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, said that the investment in agriculture would increase food production and reduce inflation, currently at 29. 9 percent. Speaking during the fertilizer handover event at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security yesterday, he said, “As we are all well aware, the Central Bank of Nigeria significantly emphasises maintaining price stability as one of its primary mandates. “Food prices are a crucial component of inflation, especially considering that a substantial portion of household expenditure in Nigeria is allocated towards food and non-alcoholic beverages. “This reinforces the critical need to address food inflation as a pivotal aspect of managing...

The presidency says President Bola Tinubu is committed to getting the student loan scheme launched properly. Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, spoke to journalists on Wednesday at the end of the federal executive council (FEC) meeting held at the State House in Abuja. Akintunde Sawyer, the executive secretary of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELF), told Arise TV on Tuesday that the body would not be able to commit to a specific launch date for now. Sawyer said the federal government is still making adjustments to the student loan policy. The plan to start the programme between September and October 2023 was not successful. New launch dates in January, February, and subsequently March did not materialise. Onanuga said final touches are being put into the scheme to enable a proper launch, noting that a new date would be announced soon. “There will be a new date to launch the student loan scheme, it’s not forgotten,” he said. “Ther...

Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, says as a principal officer in the 10th National Assembly, he got more than the N200m allocation his colleagues and floor members got for constituency projects in the 2024 Appropriation Act. “My colleagues know that I go more than them (floor members),” the Senator from Borno South Senatorial District said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday.   “All the senators have N200m (each) as their constituency projects but I am a leader. That is the difference. 10 of us are leaders including those in the opposition. We get more than the floor members. It’s normal… My colleagues know that I go more than them.”#PoliticsToday… pic.twitter.com/edKiB4qgbZ — Channels Television (@channelstv) March 13, 2024 Ndume was responding to allegations by Senator Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe from Cross River North that some senators got the total of N500 million each from the 2024 Budget fir constituency projects. Agom-Jarigbe had on Tuesday, duri...

Access Holdings Plc (‘the Holdco’), has announced the return of Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede as its Non-Executive Chairman. Aig-Imoukhuede replaces Mr. Abubakar Jimoh, the erstwhile Chairman of the Holdco, who remains on the board as an Independent Non-Executive Director. A statement from the bank, said: “In response to the untimely passing of the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Dr. Herbert Wigwe, and following extensive consultations with key stakeholders, the Holdco Board unanimously decided to invite Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede to the helm of governance.” Aig-Imoukhuede was the pioneer Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, who served until the end of a 10-year tenor. The bank further stated: “With an illustrious career spanning several decades in the banking and finance sector, Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede has proven to be an exceptional and influential leader, having admirably laid a solid foundation for Access Bank’s success as Group Chief Executive Officer...

Exactly Nine months after inauguration of the 10th Senate, the 51 Senators from the 17 Southern States, today met to revive their forum and elected Six executive members to pilot the affairs of the forum under the chairmanship of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, representing  Lagos East District.  The Senators, who met at the Conference Room of the Senate Leader, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele ( APC Ekiti Central) said the Forum, like the Northern Senators' Forum, has been in existence since the 9th Senate and not a newly formed body . Senator Bamidele, who served as Chairman of the forum during the 9th Senate, said his current position as Leader of the 10th Senate, affected his providing the required leadership the forum needed, hence the change of leadership which took place at meeting . " What is happening here today is not new as both the Southern and Northern Senators' fora existed even before this 10th Senate. At this meeting of the So...