Pension: Board launches e-verification for military retirees
In a move to enhance the verification process for military retirees, the Military Pension Board (MPB) has officially transitioned from physical to electronic verification. This initiative, first announced on February 15, 2024, aims to address several critical issues faced by veterans during the verification process. He said, “The MPB is committed to ensuring that all retired military personnel are well-informed and adequately prepared to use the new system. Failure to complete the verification process will result in the suspension of pension payments. The MPB boss stressed the importance of active participation in the verification exercise to ensure the continued receipt of pension benefits.
Source:The Guardian
June 30, 2024 01:46 UTC
Arewa youths accuse Wike supporters of explosive plot
The Arewa Youth Consultative Movement has accused supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of detonating an explosive near the Presidential Hotel in Rivers State during a protest on Tuesday. The Rivers State Government announced on Wednesday that they had apprehended a suspect linked to the incident. The explosion , believed to be caused by dynamite, occurred in the vicinity of the Presidential Hotel on the busy Aba expressway in Port Harcourt, sparking widespread panic. READ MORE: Group condemns explosion during Rivers protest, calls for arrestTheir statement reads: “Supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, detonated an explosive near the Presidential Hotel in Rivers State during a protest. “They targeted the vicinity of the Hotel Presidential on the busy Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway, where federal lawmakers were lodging.
Source:The Guardian
June 29, 2024 21:31 UTC
Further thoughts on being sick and tired about Nigeria
When I wrote my column last week about being sick and tired of being sick and tired, I had not the slightest inkling that it would resonate with such vast and varied strata of the Nigerian public sphere. Let me make this clear: I won’t stop writing, haven’t given up on Nigeria, and have resolved to resist the disempowering but tempting tyranny of cynicism and surrender. I was merely giving vent to my disillusion at our prolonged infancy as a country, and it was therapeutic. I am glad that it also helped provide conscious language for others to articulate their bottled-up mental and emotional exhaustion. In today’s Nigeria, for instance, conspicuous consumption—big cars, glitzy houses, expensive phones, sartorial extravagance, lavish gastronomic indulgence, etc.—has been uniformized as the only legitimate marker of success.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
June 29, 2024 18:02 UTC
To break the free fall of Super Eagles
Having so far performed dismally in the qualifiers for the next world cup, the country’s fate is hanging in the balance. That gold paled in comparison to the World Cup because it is an age grade competition. However, no foreign coach has won the FIFA World CUP for any country. Conversely, the late Shaibu Amodu, and the late Stephen Keshi lost their jobs as national coaches on account of lame excuse such as insistence on calling the shots. Finally, the NFF must develop financial capacity to pay the salaries and other emoluments of whoever they appoint as national team coach.
Source:The Guardian
June 29, 2024 15:23 UTC
Campaigners reject death penalty for drug peddlers
Instead of the death penalty for drug offenders proposed by the Nigerian Drug and Law Enforcement (NDLEA), human rights campaigners have called on the National Assembly to focus on appropriate proactive measures to block the pipeline through which people can access illicit drugs. READ ALSO: Senate okays death sentence for makers of illicit drugsHope Behind Bars gave this warning in Abuja at an event to commemorate the International Day Against Drug Abuse And Illicit Drug Trafficking. Adeoye went on: “A review of data from Southeast Asia, including countries like Singapore and Indonesia, shows that the death penalty has not led to a substantial reduction in drug trafficking. “This indicates that the death penalty does not solve the underlying issues related to drug crime and may divert attention and resources from more effective strategies such as harm reduction and rehabilitation. “This is typically defined as those involving intentional killing of which drug offenses do not meet the threshold.”She called for the development of detailed guidelines for appropriate imprisonment and fines for drug offenses by categorising them based on the type of narcotic and specific quantities involved.
Source:The Guardian
June 29, 2024 11:52 UTC
Avoid playing politics with PWDs’ welfare, gov’s aide warns
The Special Adviser to Ekiti State government on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Adetoun Agboola, has warned critics to avoid playing politics with government’s efforts aimed at improving the living standards of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs). This followed complaints by the new leadership of the Joint Association of Persons Living with Disabilities on members’ welfare. The government, she said, has integrated technology into special schools and established three new special schools catering to the deaf, blind, and physically challenged. But Chairman, Joint Association of Persons Living with Disabilities, Ekiti State, Tokunbo Familusi, identified inaccessible buildings and insufficient implementation of the disability law as some of the issues. He called for more job opportunities, scholarships, and additional special schools, particularly in rural areas.
Source:The Guardian
June 29, 2024 08:43 UTC
CUPP raises alarm over alleged plot to frame Ikenga Ugochinyere
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has raised an alarm over alleged intelligence received about a grand plot to frame Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the spokesperson for the G60 opposition lawmakers, with fabricated charges of murder, rape, kidnapping, gun running, and other crimes. A statement from the CUPP stated that the alleged plot is reportedly linked to Ugochinyere’s stance on the Rivers State Crisis and his defence of democratic principles and intra-party procedures. The CUPP has urged the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police commissioner, Ben Igwe, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate the intelligence and ensure that no police unit is involved in any plot to frame Ugochinyere. He is also a ranking member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the ruling party in Rivers State.
Source:The Guardian
June 29, 2024 04:28 UTC
Tiwa Savage debut movie, Water and Garri, for release May 10
Renowned Afrobeat diva and self-acclaimed Africa original bad girl, Tiwatope Savage known professionally as Tiwa Savage has announced the official release date for her highly anticipated debut movie, Water and Garri. The movie is set to premiere exclusively on Prime Video on May 10 and accessible to audiences in over 240 countries worldwide. The announcement was accompanied by a promotional flier featuring herself alongside Nollywood actors, Jemima Osunde and Mike Afolayan. In her announcement post, Tiwa Savage expressed her excitement, addressing her followers as “My beautiful people” and inviting them to mark their calendars for the movie’s premiere. She captioned the post, “See you May 10th @primevideo,” generating a flurry of anticipation and support from her enthusiastic fanbase.
Source:The Guardian
June 29, 2024 02:24 UTC
Of Ayo Banjo, ‘Femi Falana’ and the heydays of student activism at UI
My relationship with Femi Falana was however adversarial and turbulent. And it was the confrontation between us, during the period when student union activism at the University of Ibadan was most critical, that brought Prof. Ayo Banjo as a humane mediator. I cut my student union activism as a member of the executive of the Federation of Oyo State Student Union in 1981. I refused these conditions as a matter of principle, and therefore, lost the election, and Femi Falana was the hatchet man who won. Unfortunately, his tenure set off perhaps one of the most violent student riots in the history of student activism at the University of Ibadan.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
June 29, 2024 01:18 UTC
The Guardian view on the general election 2024: a Labour victory would be a reason for hope | Editorial
In its gut, the party thinks that idealism and big ideas kept Labour out of power, and that it is better off without them. If Labour wants voters to repose hope in it, then the party needs to spell out its ambitions. The Conservatives and Labour have made economic growth central to the political agenda without explaining where it will come from in an unstable world. Unlike the Tories, Labour understands that an accelerated green transition is a necessary act of shifting from the past towards the future. That is why the Guardian would vote, with hope and enthusiasm, for Labour to lead Britain to a better future.
Source:The Guardian
June 29, 2024 00:11 UTC
Flag hoisting at Nassarawa palace, publicity stunt — Kano govt
The Kano State government has downplayed the recent hoisting of traditional and official flags at the Nassarawa Palace, the residence of the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, calling it an attempt to attract public attention. On Thursday morning, the flag was observed to be raised at the Nassarawa Palace, sparking conversations about its implications. There is no confusion or doubt that Emir Sanusi is the Emir of Kano,” he stated to newsmen. The same flag is also hoisted at the Gidan Rumfa Palace, the residence of the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing dispute. The state government maintains that there is no ambiguity about the rightful Emir, affirming Muhammadu Sanusi II’s position as the legitimate Emir of Kano.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
June 28, 2024 21:00 UTC
US supreme court rules unhoused people sleeping outside can be fined and jailed
Conservative blocAlito – MajorityBarrett – MajorityGorsuch – MajorityKavanaugh – MajorityRoberts – MajorityThomas – MajorityLiberal blocJackson – MinorityKagan – MinoritySotomayor – MinorityThe US supreme court has ruled that cities in the US west can criminalize unhoused people sleeping outside even when they lack access to shelter. For some people, sleeping outside is their only option. The appeals court ruled that Grants Pass could not enforce its camping ban if it didn’t provide shelter, saying that criminalizing sleeping outside when shelter is unavailable was an eighth amendment violation. Lawyers for the unhoused residents of Grants Pass said the city’s policies had, in effect, banished unhoused people from existing within the jurisdiction. California counted more than 123,400 people living outside, accounting for nearly half of all unsheltered people in the US.
Source:The Guardian
June 28, 2024 20:24 UTC
Obama rallies support for Biden following debate performance
A former United States of America President Barack Obama has spoken out in support of Joe Biden following what many consider a challenging debate performance. In a statement released via X on Friday, Obama acknowledged the difficulty of debate nights while emphasising the stark choice voters face in the upcoming election. Obama wrote, “Bad debate nights happen. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself. http://joebiden.com.”On Thursday, Biden was locked in a fiery debate in the US state of Georgia against his predecessor, Donald Trump; his (Biden’s) first debate of the 2024 election cycle.
Source:Punch
June 28, 2024 20:04 UTC
PCN seals 531 illegal pharmacies, medicine premises in FCT
The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed up 531 illegal pharmacies and patent medicines premises in the Federal Capital Territory, for various offences. Esumobi noted that they have seen cases where licensed patent medicine shops administer drugs with narrow margins of safety through the intravenous route in unhygienic environments. Orientation and continuing education programmes have been organised for owners of Patent Medicine shops in FCT on a regular basis. Esumobi explained that this is made up of 235 pharmacies, 336 patent medicine shops and 337 illegal premises. The premises sealed include 90 pharmacies, 144 patent medicine shops and 297 illegal medicine shops.”He added, “Non-renewal of premises certificates, stocking and sale of medicines above the approved medicine list for Patent Medicine Vendors, wholesalers carrying out retail activities, Patent Medicine Shops engaging in Clinical Practice, Poor documentation, Poor storage facilities, Stocking of Ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist.
Source:The Guardian
June 28, 2024 18:46 UTC
Akachak Festival: Where culture meets nature
In the heart of Nigeria’s rainforest lies Oban,a peaceful Ejagham community in Cross River State where the Akachak festival, an annual spectacle has found rhythm in the cultural chord of Nigeria. In the midst of these incredible natural manifestations thrives a vibrant cultural ensemble crested Akachak festival. Akachak festival is where nature meets culture in a perfect harmony. It showcases the rich and undiluted cultural heritage of the Ejagham people and the harmonious relationship between the people and nature. The celebration brings together the community, tourists, nature and cultural enthusiasts to revel in this beauty to the supreme favour of the sustenance of this providence.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
June 28, 2024 18:35 UTC