TOP STORIES: Full List: Tinubu’s Govt Redeploys 135 Directors, Deputies, Others To New Ministries, Agencies

U.S. states position on solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The U.S. says it is committed to promoting sustainable peace between the Israeli and Palestinian people as well as the adoption of a two-state solution to the conflict between them.
Mr David Greene, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S, Embassy in Nigeria expressed the commitment in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Greene who was responding to a question on how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict appears to have divided the world, including Africa, said the crisis is a source of concern for the U.S.
According to him, the violence in Gaza is not only distressing but discouraging.

He, however, stressed that the U.S. remains committed to pursuing a two-state solution to the conflict based on the mutual agreement previously reached. “I think that violence in Gaza right now with Israel is broadly very distressing and undermines everyone’s hopes and aspirations.

“I think what everyone in the world does or ought to be able to agree is that what we want is for the people of the region – Palestine and Israel – to live in peace and security, and safety with dignity.
“This is something we thought for a very long time with our international partners. It is something we must agree on.

“I see for example the progress call for two-state solution. Secretary of State Antony Blinken restated our commitment to working toward the two-state solution based on the 1967 mutual agreement-plan on land swap.”
The envoy recalled that President Joe Biden has made statements a number of times as well as Blinken on the U.S., views about the conflict.

According to him, it is a formula that already exists and everyone is aware of. “It is a kind of violence that Nigerians are rather familiar with the experience from Boko Haram and other terrrorist organisations.

“It is those that do not agree that will abuse the dignity, peace, and security of life of the people in that region.

“So, the U.S. is committed to doing everything we can and I think we have had a significant role in getting to the paths of what or whatever it maybe right now. There have been exchanges of hostages.

“We are doing our part to find ways to move beyond this circle of violence and allow for Israelis and Palestinian and other people in the region to live in peace, security, and dignity.
“It is not to have their livelihood threatened by vile acts of terrorists who offer no reasonable alternative,” he added

POWA President, MRS Elizabeth Egbetokun Rolls Out Empowerment Scheme …As Association Holds AnnuaI Conference On the 6th-8th of December.

The Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) is eagerly anticipating its annual conference week, slated to take place from 6th-8th of December, 2023.

This significant gathering according to the Force spokesman, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, is poised to unveil a transformative empowerment scheme spearheaded by the POWA President, Mrs. Queen Elizabeth Egbetokun.

“This conference, spanning three days, is strategically designed to offer members a platform for engagement, collaboration, and empowerment.

“Mrs. Egbetokun’s unveiling of the empowerment scheme is expected to be a pivotal moment, marking a commitment to positive change within the community of police officers’ families.

“Beyond its ceremonial significance, the conference will address crucial issues affecting police officers’ families, underscoring POWA’s dedication to community building and the overall welfare of its members.

“The Annual Conference Week will feature an opening ceremony at the POWA National Secretariat, Mambilla Barracks Asokoro; Empowerment and Sports at the POWA International School Area 11, Garki, Abuja; and a Dinner and Awards event at the Space and Function Event Centre, City Park, Wuse 2, Abuja.

“The empowerment scheme is a multifaceted initiative aimed at uplifting and supporting POWA members. Activities include skill acquisition programs, capacity-building workshops, and economic empowerment initiatives, all geared towards fostering personal and professional development.

“The POWA President assures of the commitment of her administration to community service, reiterating that the conference week serves as a focal point for strengthening community ties and fostering unity among members”, Adejobi stated.

Developed Countries for Climate Woes.

* UAE to provide humanitarian response stations across Nigeria*

Nigeria has declared that the climate change and its consequences gripping the earth are attributable to the actions of the developed world that are responsible for most of the greenhouse emissions.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, who said this on Sunday while speaking with newsmen at the margins of COP28 summit in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), stressed that the Nigerian delegation to the climate change conference was determined to canvass for a position that benefits the country and its people, saying: “So, I think this year’s COP we are expecting a lot from it.”

According to him, “The main focus of this year’s conference has to do with the issue of adaptation, mitigation. And the biggest issue is those of loss and damage, which I think is one that affects most of us because we have for a long time been victims of climate change, which is not really our own making.

“It is the making of the industrialized world that has created a lot of climate issues that have affected vulnerable countries, of which Nigeria is part of it: desertification, coastal erosion and a lot of issues that led to all this. So, this year, I think we are lucky. The current president of COP is very determined. I was very impressed with his speech.”

He assured journalists that the summit would be good for Nigeria given the position already expressed by President Bola Tinubu at the event.

Lawal said Nigeria would present its feelings on the various issues on climate change effects and remediation, adding: “I think this year’s COP is going to be very good for you. That’s why you see a large number of people from Nigeria coming because they’re going to various sectors: the issue of carbon grading, the issue of mitigation, the issue of methane, which the president yesterday, highlighted Nigeria’s position.”

He pointed out that the advanced world have stated their positions and “are already paying $30 billion in that area, and we have over $100 billion in the area of loss and damage, which is the issue of those that have been victims of flood and all sorts of consequences”.

Nigeria has also secured the agreement of the UAE to set up humanitarian response stations across the country in a bid to bring timely succour to victims of disasters.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, who made this known on Sunday to newsmen in Dubai, UAE, after interacting with officials of the Emirate government at the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).

According to her, Nigeria sought the assistance of the UAE to tackle humanitarian crises arising from insurgency particularly in the North-east, as well as to end the endemic poverty in other parts of the country.

Edu stated that the UAE Red Crescent, which is equivalent to the Red Cross, was now ready to build a more resilient humanitarian response system across the country.

She said: “We have held a lot of interactions at different levels, of course, with the government of the UAE, that’s interacting with the Minister for Tolerance in the country who happens to be a brother to the president. We spoke extensively on how we can work together to pull millions of managers out of poverty.

“We have had interactions with the World Trade Organization DG, who is one of our own. We have had interactions with the president of the Islamic Development Bank and it’s centred on humanitarian response, and other poverty alleviation programmes that they can come in to support the country.

“And then finally, we had interaction with the Red Crescent, which is like the Red Cross here in Dubai and they are ready to come into Nigeria and support us to build a more resilient humanitarian response system across the country.”

She blamed climate change for the humanitarian crises and poverty in most parts of Nigeria, noting that it has driven people to insurgency and caused security problems in the country.

Edu said the role of her ministry at COP28 is therefore to “see how we can be part of the climate change adaptation, to get support to provide jobs for people to lift them out of poverty, to key into the Paris Agreement. And see how we can align to ensure that we prevent and mitigate all of those natural disasters that lead people into humanitarian crises”.

“Climate change is very critical and central to what the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation does. Most of our humanitarian crises are as a result of climate change and most of the poverty which we are tackling are as a result of climate change.

“The flooding, which you see every other time in Nigeria is as a result of climate change. And of course, there are issues around the drying up of the Lake Chad Basin, as well as the Sahel and the rest of it, which has led to people losing their livelihoods, over 40 million persons, who depend on this Lake Chad Basin, losing their livelihoods.

“Now these people have become very gullible. They go into poverty, and they can now become easy prey for people who want to recruit into all of these terrorist organizations that are causing insurgency.

“We can’t be trying to bring people out of humanitarian crises and then allowing more people to fall in as a result of climate change. And that’s why we are at this meeting,” she added.

The Civil Defence Immigration, Correctional and Fire Service Board, has approved the promotion of 32, 361 of personnel of services supervise by the Ministry of Interior.

Reading out the reports of the Board shortly after its meeting on Friday in Abuja, while granting a press conference, Commandant General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr. Abubakar Ahmed Audi, stated that the Board met on its 5th meeting for the year 2023, chaired by Minister of Interior Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, approved the promotion of 32,361 personnel across services in the Ministry of Interior.

While reading out the breakdown of the number of personnel across the services, Commandant General of NSCDC stated that there is an improvement in the numbers of promoted personnel as against previous year’s exercise, which he attributed to strategy adopted by the Minister.

CG Audi, reeled out the detailed numbers of the promoted officers according to each service during the press conference as thus:

“Nigeria Correctional Service a total number of those promoted, out of the number that actually sat for the promotion exams are 4,498 personnel have been promoted to the next rank out of seven thousand plus”.

While for Nigeria Immigration Service 4,598 personnel promoted, he said this cut across various ranks out of 6,544, he expressed satisfaction for the improvement as against last year’s number.

He said while for the Federal Fire Service 1,680 out 1,698 promoted, that cut across all ranks, he equally acknowledged improvement in the numbers of personnel promoted as against last year’s promotion.

Dr. Audi, said the last agency is Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, which he described the improvement as being very unprecedented, he said this is the first time the corps is having this sizeble number being promoted in the service. He said out of about 25,921 that sat for the exams, the Board promoted 21,355 personnel from the NSCDC.

The NSCDC boss thanked the President and Commandant in Chief of the Arm Forces of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for his fatherly support he is given to the Board via the Chairman also Minister of Interior Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

He subsequently congratulated all the promoted personnel across services and also charged them to do more in the service of the country, by quoting a famous speech of American President J. F. Kennedy, “always think of what you will do for your country not for what your country will do for you”.

Students should be given grants, not loans – ASUU tackles Federal Government.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bauchi zone, has faulted the proposed loans Federal Government is planning to give Nigerian students in a bid to strengthen higher education system in the country.

The Bauchi zonal coordinator of ASUU, Associate Professor Lazarus Maigoro, said grants should be given to students instead of the loans. Professor Maigoro stated this on Saturday on the occasion of the award of scholarships to 19 indigent university undergraduates in the zone at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi.

Professor Maigoro said, “The question is: Who will pay the loan? What is the fate of those who cannot access it? The psychological trauma the students will be subjected to due to the loan while still in their studies will affect their performances negatively.

“The thought that they would graduate with a loan of N4million and above without the capacity to pay back is another psychological torture on them.”

He said the Bauchi zone of ASUU was working on getting the statistics of students who may likely drop out of school at the end of the current session, with the hope of making the government review its decision on the issue of the loans and replace it with grants.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the ATBU branch chairperson, Comrade Ibrahim Inuwa, assured that ASUU would continue to act as a socially responsible union by fighting for the collective interest of quality tertiary education.

He stressed that the scholarship award, which is a yearly event would always seek out brilliant but indigent students for recognition and award. Some of the benefitting students commended ASUU for the kind gesture, saying that without the award they would have dropped out of school.

Why I cant suspend Nyesom Wike from PDP – National Chairman opens up.

The Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, has said the National Working Committee under his leadership will not suspend or dismiss any ‘disloyal’ member.

This is coming on the heels of the recent admonition by some stakeholders within the PDP, asking Damagum to sanction former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and many others for alleged anti-party activities during the just-concluded general elections.

Damagum, who dismissed this while addressing the PDP Mobilisers Group in Abuja, revealed that the NWC had approved to set up a committee to review and reconcile all aggrieved members.

The chairman said the party was more interested in reconciliation and bringing more people into the party than sanctioning any alleged anti-party, which, according to him, may destroy the party.

He said, “They are always telling you these people are not doing the right thing. But when you are in a position of leadership, you are bound by a set of rules, and these rules, even though they are itching you, you don’t apply them—not because of anything, but so that you don’t destroy the house.

“I have been seeing the agitations within our platforms, saying the NWC was not doing this or doing that. This is an opportunity for me to explain.

“Somebody has said that sometimes when you are not knowledgeable about certain things and you go on saying about your thinking, it will always injure the sensibility of others to understand you.”

Damagum also described the 2023 presidential election defeat as “most painful”, cautioning members of the party against a blame game.
He said, “I am very proud to say that this party was started by me as a driver. Today, I am the acting national chairman by the grace of God. I have never calculated that I will be given this title. I believe in this party, I believe that this party is the best in this country.

“The NWC has already come up and approved a 2023 election review and reconciliation committee. They will go and investigate. We’ll give them the mandate to form subcommittees. However, there is only one national committee that will review the 2023 election and also review from 2015 to 2019. This is so that at the end of the day when they bring the reports, we will meet and take decisions.”

Damagum, who admitted that many members were involved in anti-party activities at different levels, said, “If I said we should start suspension, I will end up suspending many people because they were involved in anti-party activities. So, please bear with us. We intend to keep this party together and to manage it. This my mandate.

Why Nigeria has 1,411 delegates at COP28 despite econonic hardship – Presidency explains.

Temitope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, has responded to the controversies surrounding the 1,411 Nigerian delegates at the ongoing Climate Summit, COP28, in Dubai.
The high number of Nigerian delegates, the third-highest at COP28, has generated a lot of controversies and social media conversations in the last 24 hours amid the economic suffering of the citizens.

Reacting to the criticism on Sunday morning in an article titled ‘Nigeria at COP28: Separating the facts from fiction,’ the presidential aide, Temitope Ajayi, stated that the 1,411 delegates are not all government-funded.

He said the delegates also include civil society actors, journalists, businesspersons, climate activists, and others who have different roles to play at the conference.

“In Nigeria, like so many other countries, interested parties comprising government officials from both federal and sub-national governments, environmentalists, climate activists, business leaders, journalists and agencies of government such as the NNPC and its subsidiaries, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, NIMASA, and the NDDC are present in Dubai.

“Many youth organisations from Nigeria, especially from the Northern and Niger-Delta regions, whose lives and livelihoods are most impacted by desert encroachment and hydrocarbon activities, are also represented.

The President of Ijaw Youth Council, Jonathan Lokpobiri, leads a pan-Ijaw delegation of more than 15 people who registered as parties from Nigeria. Among delegates from Nigeria are also over 20 journalists from various media houses,” he wrote.

However, the presidential aide did not state the exact number of delegates being funded by the government among the 1,411 delegates.