News
Taraba residents celebrate Nyame’s release
Some residents and political stakeholders in Taraba on Tuesday expressed delight over the release of a former governor of the state, Rev. Jolly Nyame, following his pardon by President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement signed by Mr Aaron Atimas, the state Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the spokesperson for a political pressure group, Bwacha Governorship Campaign Organisation, said that the people of Taraba were highly delighted to join others in commending and welcoming the release of Nyame.
“No doubt, the wide Jubilation and excitement which greeted Nyame’s release not only attests to his wide acclamation and reverence by people of Taraba but also cements his place as the undisputed leader of our dear State.
“The APC members in Taraba hereby express deep appreciation to the federal government and all those who in one way or the other played a role, in ending this unfortunate saga.
“As a party, we strongly believe that the release of our beloved leader at this critical political period truly restores our hopes for a new united Taraba, with responsible leadership,” he said.
According to him, the APC look forward to Nyame’s arrival in the state to reunite with his family and fill the leadership void.
“We further call on the people of the state to continue to pray for peace and tranquility as we face the election period,” he said.
Similarly, Mr Andy Teran, the Taraba publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), told the Newsmen that the party joined other well meaning people to celebrate Nyame’s release.
According to him, Nyame is the political father of the state and what happened to him was so unfortunate.
Teran said that the party believed that Nyame would use is experience as a three-time governor of the state to team up with the state government to take the state to greater heights.
It was recalled that the National Council of State on April 13 granted state pardon to former governors Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame of Plateau and Taraba respectively, who were serving terms in jail for corruption.
The governors were among 159 prisoners pardoned by the council at a meeting presided over by President Buhari.
Among the beneficiaries are a former military general and minister under the Sani Abacha regime, Tajudeen Olanrewaju, an army lieutenant colonel, Akiyode, who was an aide of former deputy to Gen. Sani Abacha, Oladipo Diya; and all the junior officers jailed over the 1990 abortive Gideon Orkar coup.
News
Lagos disburses N1.3bn to 11,386 households – Commissioner
Lagos State government has disbursed over N1,346,030,000.00 to 11,386 households through its bi-monthly Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, said this at the 2024 Ministerial Briefing on Thursday at Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.
“We have 12 local governments that have benefitted from this programme and they are Apapa, Amuwo Odofin, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Agege, Badagry, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos Island, Shomolu, Ifako-Ijaye and Alimosho.
“The implementation of the CCT programme has contributed to the improved livelihood of beneficiaries through savings group mobilisation activities.
“Also the unit implemented the NG cares programme where transfer of N343,200,000 million was made to 2,145 beneficiaries in Eti-Osa, Kosofe, Mainland, Iru, Victoria Island, Agboyi -Ketu, Ikosi Isheri and Yaba,” he said.
Ajigbotafe reiterated the commitment of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration to wealth creation and employment for residents of the state.
“Under the visionary leadership of Gov. Sanwo-Olu, no stone is left unturned. Come July we’ll inaugurate our leather hub at Matori Mushin, a N4 billion leather industry in Lagos.
“We got our machine and equipment from Italy. This will create more employment for the good people of our dear state,” he said.
He also said Lagos State was particular about the growth and development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), with the initiative to assist start-ups, artisans and entrepreneurs in the state.
“The MSME loan programme in 2023 disbursed N859 million to 1,271 MSMEs in the state.
“Also Lagos Care supported 1,425 MSMEs with grants worth N358 million across the three disbursement linked indicators, which are credit, operation and IT enhancement,” he said.
Lagos Care is a World Bank sponsored intervention designed to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.
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ASUU faction dissociates self from UniAbuja strike
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Nigeria’s economy to experience significant growth soon – Shettima
Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed the optimism that the Nigerian economy would experience significant growth soon.
Shettima stated this on Thursday in Abuja at the 2nd Chronicle Roundtable, organised by 21st Century Media Services, publishers of 21st Century Chronicle.
The event was as part of group’s public service enlightenment series.
The Vice President implored Nigerians to be patient with the administration of President Bola Tinubu as he steers the ship of state through the economic turbulence and storm he met on ground on assumption of office.
” Soon, Nigeria’s economy will experience significant growth once we’ve overcome these sacrifices.
” Positive changes will soon be evident across all economic indicators – inflation, per capital income, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), poverty reduction, food security -, and all aspects close to the hearts of our people,” he said.
Shettima, who was the Guest Speaker at the roundtable explained some key policy decisions taken by the Tinubu administration as well as its economic and social agenda, including the removal of subsidy on petroleum products.
He described the removal of fuel subsidy as the ‘biggest elephant in the room’ before Tinubu took charge.
“We met on ground, especially the nation’s ailing economy which was already tottering towards an eclipse.
“We look forward to the positive impact on the economy that will be brought by some of our new initiatives in some sectors including, oil and gas, creative arts, steel and solid minerals, housing, blue economy, and digital.
” There is no doubt that there’s a time to plant and a time to reap.
“In between those times, we appeal for patience and seek collective sacrifice from all, especially from us.
“We wish there were a way to treat this ailment without surgery,” he said
The Vice President noted that the decision to remove fuel subsidy was quite tough considering its negative impacts on the lives of the citizens.
He said the removal, however, became an inevitable option when it was discovered that the immediate past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari did not make provision for it in the 2023 budget.
Shettima said that Tinubu chose the option that would save the life of the nation, instead of one that would merely prolong its imminent and predicted economic death.
“We understood why our predecessor made the decision not to budget for fuel subsidy in their final fiscal year, because Nigeria’s debt service-to-revenue ratio had grown to 111.8 per cent.
” The anticipated debt crisis may sound like fancy economic jargon to the man on the street.
“However, you and I are in a better position to understand how such miscalculations have played out in other countries. It’s an economic death sentence,” he said.
Shettima added: “In plain terms, our debt servicing was such that if you earned, say, N100,000, the entirety of the money wasn’t only paid to your debtor; you were forced to borrow an additional N11,800 to pay the debtor.
“How do you intend to survive this, and how many more loans before you become a pariah?
“We are not even discussing the nation’s budget deficits, diversions of resources from critical sectors of the economy, and corruption masterminded in the subsidy regime”.
The Vice President noted that, whoever had succeeded the previous government, would have either chosen to steer the ship through the storm as Tinubu is doing or jumped ship and let the country implode.
He said those who contested the presidency with Tinubu were not morally justified to question the decision to remove fuel subsidy because it was part of the solutions they also tabled before Nigerians.
“This was because, whether in handling the subsidy matter or the forex crisis, they had also promised the solutions we had adopted.
“Those who attempted to eat their words were instantly proven wrong by data, history, and their antecedents—those emotionless reality checkers,” he said.
Shettima said, for long, Nigeria had endured economic sabotage, leading to the resolve by the CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to neutralise the overpowering influence of currency manipulators.
The manipulators, according to the Vice President, had conspired to frustrate government reforms.
” Today, I stand proud to say that their interventions have translated into desired results, and Naira’s pushback against all odds is an inspiring journey that doesn’t have to be learned in Buenos Aires, as some would want us to do,” he said
Earlier, the Chairman, Ministry of Finance Incorporated and former Finance Minister, Dr Shamsudeen Usman, praised the content of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration.
He described it as one of the most detailed and carefully crafted policy document in the history of the country.
He stressed the need for the Renewed Hope Agenda document to be reviewed and integrated into the medium and long-term development framework of the country.
Usman noted that policy consistency with a long-term vision to transform critical sectors of the economy, was the way to go.
He commended the administration’s establishment of a central coordination delivery unit to track the performance of programmes, policies and key interventions of the Federal Government.
He insisted that the monitoring of key performance indicators in the policy document was critical to the success of the government.
Malam Mahmud Jega, the Chief Executive Officer of 21st Century Chronicle Media Services, said the media has the responsibility to critically analyse government policies and programmes.
Doing so, according to him, would translate to contributing in shaping the nation’s development trajectory.
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