News

LP, PDP knock Tinubu, as rising food prices frustrate Nigerians

Published

3 months ago

February 7, 2024

Main opposition parties, Labour Party (PDP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the rising food prices causing hardships in the country.

The skyrocketed prices which some sections of Nigerians couldn’t withstand again resulted in protests in Kano and Niger State.

The protesters are seeking the Federal Government’s intervention in ameliorating their pains and also mitigating food costs.

In Niger state, a group of women blocked the ever-busy Minna-Bida Road at the popular Kpakungu Roundabout and called on the administration of President Bola Tinubu to address the problem of ‘hunger in the land.’

Attempts by security operatives to quell the protest by firing tear gas canisters into the crowd and making some arrests were rebuffed by the mob.

While the APC on Tuesday accused opposition parties in the country of orchestrating the protests that took place simultaneously in Kano and Niger States on Monday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the opposition side tackled the ruling party, mentioning that it is politising the prevailing economic hardship in the Country.

In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Felix Morka, in Abuja on Tuesday, the ruling party accused opposition parties of being the brain behind the protests, which it claimed were not mere coincidence.

Morka added that it was a desperate move to portray the APC-led administration as underperforming.

The statement read, “The protests in Minna and Kano on Monday were the manifestation of this devious and unpatriotic plot. That the protests happened simultaneously in both cities is not coincidental. It bears the bold stamp of an orchestrated and coordinated effort to instigate unrest and undermine the government.

“This mercenary opposition tactic is a clear and present threat to public peace and national security.

“While we recognise the right of citizens to engage in peaceful protest, we urge our good people to be vigilant and not lend themselves to the treacherous attempt by the opposition to promote social strife by its incendiary rhetoric and manipulative plots.

“The President Bola Tinubu-led administration is solidly committed to doing everything in its power to mitigate the transient pains of critically important reforms that are crucial to economic recovery and sustainable prosperity for all Nigerians.

“It behooves us as good citizens of our beloved country to stand fast with our government in this noble stride. In due time, these policy reforms will yield an enduring beneficial transformation of the material conditions of life in the country.

“We implore Nigerians to shun the guile and unpatriotic attempt by opposition elements to destabiliSe the country for their own base and parochial political gains.”

Responding, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Obiora Ifoh, said, “The APC-led government is aloof and doesn’t understand the mood of the nation. They are still living in highfalutin estates for not understanding that virtually everything in Nigeria has gone up. They need not look at where to anchor their frustration. It is all out there unless they have markets different from the ones Nigerians use.

“It is not about the opposition parties orchestrating protests against the government. The work of the opposition is to remind the Federal Government that it is derailing and that a hungry man is an angry man. How can they be living in luxury while the nation is burning?

“There is anger when a man can no longer feed his wife and the family. You can’t expect such a man to laugh. We (the opposition) are only asking them to live up to expectations. When they were sworn in in May last year, they said a whole lot of things they promised to do. Nine months down the line, they have not done any and Nigerians are bearing the brunt.

“The food storage is empty. Even the farmers producing don’t have facilities to store when people refuse to buy. That is why we are having a food crisis. A bag of rice now costs N70,000 and you are still calling out opposition. The opposition are also Nigerians and have the right to speak when things are not going well.”

The PDP in response accused President Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government of allegedly politicising Nigerians’ protests against the current economic hardship and worsening insecurity in the country.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, described APC’s action as insensitive.

“The action of the APC in threatening Nigerians for exercising their democratic and Constitutional right to protest in the face of misrule, agonising poverty, hunger, killings, and other harrowing experiences under the Tinubu administration shows that the APC is insensitive and relishes the life-discounting situation in the country,” he said.

He said the approach by the APC, instead of listening to the people, is not only offensive but akin to pushing Nigerians to the wall and daring them to do their worst.

The statement read in part: “It is an assault on the sensibility of the people that rather than providing answers to how the Tinubu-led APC government in a space of nine months, turned the nation’s economy upside down leading to terrifying food scarcity and catastrophic high cost of living, the APC is seeking to label and clamp down on the suffering masses.

“The APC is insensitive to the fact that because of its policies more than 104 million citizens have sunk deeper into poverty; Nigerians can no longer afford their daily meals with families now going to bed on empty stomachs as poverty rate soars to over 46 percent.

“Any government that has an idea of macro-economic policy management ought to have recognised that the suffocating policies of abrupt increase in the pump price of petroleum products, high cost of electricity and arbitrary floating of the Naira as executed by the Tinubu administration without due considerations, would have excruciating consequences to the economy as being witnessed today.

“These thoughtless policies by President Tinubu and the APC are responsible for the crippling of the productive sector with a 28 percent inflation rate, crashing of the Naira from N167 to over N1,500 to a Dollar, closure of millions of businesses and mass exodus of international companies from Nigeria resulting to a distressing 41 percent unemployment rate and unbearable pressure on millions of families across the country.

“Is it not provocative that in the last eight years and nine months, instead of deploying the nation’s resources for the improvement of critical infrastructure and the productive sectors, Nigerians have witnessed massive looting of over N20 trillion by APC leaders and its officials in government through direct pillaging of government vaults, budget padding, contract inflation, oil subsidy scam, palliative racketeering and phony programs which have no benefit and consequence to the lives of the citizens?

“Moreover, the APC and the Tinubu administration have remained insensitive to the mass killings, kidnapping, and other acts of terrorism ravaging the country without proffering any concrete action plan and policies to address this multifarious consuming carnage.

“Since President Tinubu took office on May 29, 2023, no fewer than 5,000 Nigerians have been killed by terrorists emboldened by the laidback attitude and body language of Mr. President who has failed to show seriousness on issues of security or empathy to victims either by words or action.

“It is sad that in all of these, President Tinubu is missing in action as he holidays in France at the expense of the Nigerian treasury.

“The APC must understand and come to terms with the fact that there is frustration in the land because of the suffocating economic and social policies; laidback attitude to security and massive corruption in the Tinubu administration,” he said.

News

LASG connects over 688,000 poor households with stakeholders for poverty reduction

Published

7 hours ago

May 4, 2024

NewsDirect

…Certifies 603 pre-payment certificates for projects across 20 LGAs

By Sodiq Adelakun

The Lagos State Government has taken a significant step towards reducing poverty in the state by connecting 688,759 poor and vulnerable households on the register with SFMDAs, development partners, corporate organizations and other relevant stakeholders.

This was announced by the Honourable Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ope George, at the 2024 Ministerial Briefing held on Thursday at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.

According to the Commissioner, the Ministry has successfully registered 688,759 heads of poor and vulnerable households, comprising 2,681,507 members, as validated by the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), Abuja.

He revealed the registration has enabled the state government to provide a holistic approach to poverty reduction, improving the livelihoods of households through connections with Social Fund for Millennium Development (SFMDAs), development partners, corporate organisations, and other stakeholders.

According to him, “As a Social Protection Nexus and the custodian of the Lagos State Single Social Register (LASSR),

“The Ministry has been able to register 688,759 Heads of Poor & Vulnerable Households and 2,681,507 Members of Households as validated by the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), Abuja. The LASSR is hosted on the State’s website.

“These efforts aligned with Mr. Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu’s T.H.E.M.E.S+ agenda.

“Deepening the Mining Process, the Ministry is currently mining data for various stakeholders, including Socio-Functional Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, Development Partners, Civil Society Organizations and Philanthropists to facilitate access to Social Intervention programmes aimed at uplifting the Poor and Vulnerable Households.

“A total of 592,602 Poor and Vulnerable Heads of Households (PVHHs) have benefited from various social interventions Statewide.”

Also, while speaking the commissioner announced the certification of 603 Pre-Payment Certificates (PCs) for projects executed across all 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.

He said the certified projects were carried out collaboratively by 46 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in partnership with 410 contractors, covering both direct labor and outsourced services.

The projects span across nine sectors, including Economic Affairs, Education, Environmental Protection, General Public Services, Health, Housing and Communities Amenities, Public Order and Safety, and Social Protection.

According to the breakdown of Pre-Payment Certificates PCs, it was gathered that across nine critical sectors reveals a concentrated effort towards economic advancement, education, environmental protection, public services, health, housing, and public safety.

With 256 PCs allocated to the Economic Affairs Sector, 77 to Education, 75 to Environmental Protection, 62 to General Public Services, 47 to Health, 77 to Housing & Communities Amenities, and 9 to Public Order and Safety, the Ministry underscores its commitment to holistic development and sectoral progress.

Also, the Ministry has made significant strides in its efforts to promote economic growth and development in the state.

“The State through this Ministry has led another milestone delivery, as the first State to publish a State specific economic update tagged ‘Lagos Economic Development Update’ (LEDU) Report.

“The report summarises the State’s macroeconomic outlook, economic journey and prospects; projects the economic landscape and gives insight into the sector’s productivity for ease of access to economic growth and development,” He reiterated.

News

Oyo Govt unveils free technology skill training for 1,000 students

Published

7 hours ago

May 4, 2024

NewsDirect

As part of its effort to ensure quality and sustainable development in the education sector in line with the Omituntun 2.0 Agenda of the state governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, the Office of the Human Capital Development has revealed its readiness to train 1,000 senior secondary schools students on free coding and non-code technology skills.

The Executive Assistant to the Oyo State Governor on Administration, Revd. Idowu Ogedengbe, stated this on Friday, during a Press Briefing held at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

Ogedengbe noted that the initiative, which is aimed at launching a groundbreaking technology programme to empower senior secondary school students across the 33 Local Government Areas of Oyo State, with technology skills, will be implemented in partnership with some private investors in the technology sector.

He maintained that the training, which will be held between July 15th and July 19th at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, will begin with selected schools in all the eleven (11) local governments in Ibadan Main and Less Cities, while other beneficiaries from the remaining local governments will be trained at a subsequent date.

He said, “This pilot programme will witness an unprecedented event where 1,000 senior secondary school students from the 11 local governments of Ibadan will receive specialised training in coding and non-code tech skills.”

“The next phases of the initiative would see us taking the training to the remaining LGAs with a view to ensuring that the impact is widespread and even across all the constituencies in Oyo State.

“This initiative marks a significant milestone in our commitment to providing quality education and preparing our youth for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

“CodeGarage Africa has been at the forefront of promoting digital literacy across Africa, and we are delighted to partner with them in this endeavour with the support of Zeeh Africa and 386Konsult. We aim to equip our students with the tech skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in the increasingly digital world.

“The importance of coding or non-code tech skills cannot be overstated in today’s society, from driving innovation to solving complex problems, tech skills are a fundamental skill that opens doors to countless opportunities.

“Introducing coding education to our senior secondary school students will allow us to lay the foundation for a future where they can excel in technology-driven fields and contribute meaningfully to the development of our state and beyond.”

Ogedengbe added that the programme is in tandem with the vision of Governor Makinde on education, as his government’s policy is not only to invest in the future of the youths but to also position Oyo State as a hub for innovation and technological advancement.

He, therefore, encouraged stakeholders, including parents, educators, and the private sector, to support and participate in the laudable programme to unlock the full potentials of the young stars to become leaders in the digital age.

In their remarks, the partnering private investors, CodeGarage Africa, Miss Dolapo Ayeni and her counterpart, Zeeh Africa, Mr David Adeleke, said training the students from the grassroots level is very useful to the ecosystem.

They added that it is another way of catching them young and also exposing them to entrepreneurship, even as they called for more partners to collaborate with the Oyo State government.

News

We registered below 3,000 data controllers, processors despite identifying 500,000 — NDPC Commissioner

Published

7 hours ago

May 4, 2024

NewsDirect

By Matthew Denis, Abuja

The National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji has disclosed that the level of compliance for the registration by data controllers and processors given by the commission is still low.

He revealed that they have only registered below 3000 Data controllers, processors despite identifying 500,000 in the country.

The Commissioner made the disclosure during an exclusive interview with Nigerian NewsDirect at his office in Abuja on Thursday.

Recall that the agency has notified all entities, including businesses, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and other organisations that collect personal data of individuals, that registration is mandatory in accordance with Section 5(d) of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.

The Commission had commenced registration on January 30th, 2024 to conclude on June 30th, 2024 and added that entities that fail to register within this time frame will be subject to penalties.

Dr. Olatunji while speaking to NewsDirect said, “the ecosystem is just revolving and a lot of people don’t really understand what we’re talking about regarding Data controllers, Data processors. That’s why we’re going loud to create awareness.”

The Commissioner stressed that they’re done with the first phase and very soon they will commence with the second phase the need for them to register which speaks on the reputation of their organization, compliance and credibility and one thing that this will create is trust and confidence in your data processing activities as an organization.

“We have up to the end of June, 2024 for all of them to register and we’re starting another massive campaign for them to register in the next two weeks.”

According to him in terms of compliance for registration with the commission the situation is still low.

He said, “When we started in 2022 we had about 1,777 data controllers and processors and last year it rose to over 2,000 but it’s very low when compared to the number of data controllers and processors we have identified in the country.

“We have identified about 500,000 and today we’re doing less than 3000 that means we have not even started at all, that is why we’re speaking to stakeholders and bringing everybody onboard.

“We have released the guidelines strategy telling you who qualifies as a Data controllers and processors and their categories in the country.”

The Commissioner emphasised that it’s their expectation that Nigerians will embrace the programme and key into it for the safety of the country with accurate data collection and protection.