Category: General News

Protection
By Ibukun Emiola
Ibadan, June 6, 2024 (NAN) National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged the management of Ajayi Crowther University (ACU), Oyo, to do more in protecting its students.

The NANS Senate President, Babatunde Akinteye, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Thursday.

NAN reports that a NANS delegation had, on Wednesday, gone to the university on a fact-finding mission on some indents that happened in the institution recently.

NAN also recalled that a female student of the university was allegedly raped by two security personnel within the campus, while another was killed by a group of other students over alleged phone theft.

The 200-level Mechanical Engineering student, Alex Timilehin, was said to have been beaten from 6 p.m. on May 24 to about 6 a.m. on May, 25.

Akinteye, however, said that the association was not satisfied with the measures put in place by the institution’s authorities to prevent such ugly occurrences from happening.

He said though the management had beefed up security in and around the campus, the hostels were still porous.

Akinteye also added that part of the pledges made to NANS by the school authorities was that the the Chief Security Officer (CSO) would be replaced.

“If not for the incidents that happened, we wouldn’t know the lapses on the campus.

“We checked through the hostels and saw that they are still porous. So we told them to improve the hostel facilities.

“We also told them to ensure that security guards are always on ground and that the porters should be inside the hostels during the working hours.

“So, if they are doing shifts, the porter on duty should not leave until the person taking over from him is around,” he said.

The NANS senate president also emphasised the need for re-orientating the students rather than waiting for something bad to happen before taking precautionary measures.

He called on the school authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the escape of one of the suspects in the killing of the student from the campus.

NAN reports that a total of 25 students of the university were arraigned before an Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan on Wednesday in connection with the killing of their colleague.

NAN also reports that they had since been remanded in a correctional centre, pending the commencement of their trial on July 8.

Akinteye, however, said that the association would push for an amendment to the charges preferred against them.

This, he said, was because none of the students was directly charged with murder of their colleague.

“In the videos circulating, it is clear that some people were beating the victim directly, which eventually led to his death.

“So, the charges shouldn’t be the same for everyone involved in the incident,” he said.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the university, Mr Femi Atoyebi, confirmed that a NANS delegation was on the campus on a fact-finding mission on Wednesday.

He, however, said that the association was satisfied with the steps taken by the institution’s management after they had been briefed by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Timothy Adebayo.

Atoyebi said: “NANS leadership from Abuja and zonal leaders in the South-West came to meet the management of the institution to hear the university’s side of the story.

The vice-chancellor, Prof. Timothy Adebayo, was able to tell them exactly what happened and was able to answer all their questions.

“He specifically told them that the university, as a faith-based school, would never cover up anything and that everything that happened is in the purview of the public. So there’s nothing to hide.”

Atoyebi said that NANS demanded for the list of those arraigned and asked that a thorough autopsy be done on body of the victim so as to can know what exactly happened.

Part of the demands of the NANS delegation, he said, was that the family of the late student be carried along in everything being done by the school authorities.

“They also demanded that the Inspector-General of Police sets up an independent body to investigate the matter.

“These are the issues that the students’ body made and they are things we have already done,” Atoyebi said.

He said while engaging the VC, the association was told that the family was being carried along and that the school had engaged University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, for an autopsy on the body of the student.

On the demand for investigation, Atoyebi said the vice-chancellor told the students’ body that the police had already taken it up, consequent upon which the suspects were arraigned in court on Wednesday.

He also quoted Adebayo as saying that the institution could not release the names of the perpetrators, as it was also part of the suit.

He said the list of the names was with the police and that the NANS officials should contact them for it.

Atoyebi said that after the meeting, the NANS leadership addressed the students at the institution’s main gate without any violence and was also conducted round the hostels.

“They saw transparency in all the management has done,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
IBK/WAS
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq

Complaints

By Bosede Olufunmi

Kano, June 6, 2024 (NAN) A Kano-Based NGO, Centre for Legal Orientation and Humanitarian Aid Initiative (CELOHA), says it received 121 complaints bothering on community disputes and human rights abuses in the state between January and May.

CELOHA’s Case Managing Officer, Alhaji Auwal Yunusa, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Kano.

Yunusa said that out of the total number of cases, the centre had already treated 110 while 11 were pending.

He further stated that 20 of the cases bothered on community disputes, 43 were about gender based violence while 22 of them centred on human trafficking.

“About 11 of the cases bothered on human rights violations, 15 on migration related issues, while 10 were on responsibility,” he said.

The CELOHA official said that the centre remained committed to upholding human rights and promoting access to justice.

“We provide legal assistance and support to individuals affected by human rights violations, we refer very complicated cases to the police and other agencies,” he said.

Yunusa urged members of the public to always exude tolerance and patience in the interest of cordiality and peaceful coexistence.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

BO/DCO/AZU

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Edited by Deborah Coker and Azubuike Okeh

Leaked documents on fiscal policy proposals not official – FG

Documents

By Salif Atojoko

Abuja, June 6, 2024 (NAN) The Presidency said that two fiscal policy documents in circulation being given wide coverage by the mainstream media and social media platforms were not official.

Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

He said one of the documents titled: “Inflation Reduction and Price Stability (Fiscal Policy Measure etc) Order 2024” was being shared as if it was an executive order signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to him, the second one is a 65-page draft document with the title, “Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan (ASAP), which contains suggestions on how to improve the Nigerian economy.”

He explained that a copy of the draft was received by President Tinubu on Tuesday.

“We urge the public and the media to disregard the two documents and cease further discussions on them. None is an approved official document of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“They are all policy proposals that are still subject to reviews at the highest level of government. Indeed, one has ‘draft’ clearly written on it,” said Onanuga.

Quoting the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, he said, “It is important to understand that policymaking is an iterative process involving multiple drafts and discussions before any document is finalised.

“We assure the public that the official position on the documents will be made available after comprehensive reviews and approvals are completed.”

According to Edun, emanating from the two documents have been reports second-guessing government’s policy on customs tariffs, fuel subsidy and other economic matters.

“The government wants to restate that its position on fuel subsidy has not changed from what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared on 29 May 2023.

“The fuel subsidy regime has ended. There is no N5.4 trillion being provisioned for it in 2024, as being widely speculated and discussed,” Edun stated.

The Coordinating Minister of the Economy further clarified: “As previously stated by government officials, including myself, President Tinubu announced the end of the fuel subsidy programme last year, and this policy remains firmly in place.

“The Federal Government is committed to mitigating the effects of this removal and easing the cost of living pressures on Nigerians.

“Our strategy focuses on addressing key factors such as food inflation, which is significantly impacted by transport costs.

“With the implementation of our CNG initiative, which aims to displace high PMS and AGO costs, we expect to further reduce these costs.

“Our commitment to ending unproductive subsidies is steadfast, as is our dedication to supporting our most vulnerable populations.”

He urged the media to always exercise necessary checks and restraints in the use of documents that did not emanate from official channels so that the members of the public would be properly informed, guided and educated on government policies and programmes. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

SA/VIV

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Editing by Vivian Ihechu

Autonomy

By Vivian Emoni

Abuja, June 6, 2024 ( NAN) The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) on Wednesday called for full autonomy for Local Government Councils (LGCs) to ensure efficient governance in the country.

The Chairman of the RMAFC, Mr Mohammed Shehu, made the call while addressing newsmane in Abuja.

According to Shehu, the call backs the Federal Government in its ongoing efforts to free LGCs from the firm control of state governments through legal means by giving effect to the provisions of constitution.

“The LGCs, as the third tier of government domesticated at the grassroots level, ought to be outside the control of state and Federal Governments as they were solely established to ensure effective governance at the grassroots level.

“The constitution of Nigeria recognises federal, state, and local governments as three tiers of government and the three recognised tiers of government draw funds for their operation and function from the federation account created by the constitution,” he said.

Shehu said that the state governments’ dominance over the affairs of LGCs emasculates their political, administrative and fiscal independence.

He emphasised on the LGCs inability to provide quality service delivery in the area of infrastructure and social services to the grassroots as provided for in the constitution.

He said that the political control of LGCs had made it virtually difficult and almost impossible for the masses to decide who becomes their leaders at that level of governance, which was closest to the people.

He added that the commission believed that giving full autonomy to LGCs would reduce the rate of poverty, rural-urban migration, and bring more dividends of democracy to the people.

“This will attract more qualified candidates for council elections that will improve the governance system at all levels in the long run.

“Full autonomy will engender good governance, transparency and accountability at the local level.

“ Security challenges like banditry, kidnappings, terrorism, electoral violence, among others will reduce to the barest minimum if the quantum of funds meant for local governments is channeled towards rural development.”

“ This will raise agricultural productivity, increase income generation, arrest rural-urban migration, create wealth and generally improve the socio-economic living conditions of the rural populace,” he said.

The chairman said that the current spate of insecurity in all parts of the country could be arrested if LGCs are granted full autonomy.

He said that as local government administration was the closest level of government for effective participation of population in the country in its governance system, it would avail the local population greater independence to determine their development needs.

He emphasised the importance of granting full autonomy to LGCs, allowing them to recruit, manage staff, raise finances, make bylaws, and discharge their functions without state government interference.

According to him, this will ensure their full bureaucratic autonomy.

Shehu said that financial autonomy of local government entailed the freedom to impose local taxation, generate revenue within its assigned sources.

He added that allocating its financial and material resources,  would determine and authorise its annual budgets without external interference.

“It will relate to the disposition of tax powers, retention of revenue, and methods adopted in sharing centrally collected revenue by the constitutional responsibilities of all levels of government.

According to Shehu, it is worth noting that the constitution made it explicitly clear that there must be a democratically elected local government system in place.

“The constitution has not made provisions for any other systems of governance at the local government level other than democratically elected local government system.

“It is the position of the RMAFC that local governments should be granted fiscal autonomy by paying statutory allocations from the federation account directly to their coffers.

“The commission, therefore, fully supports the ongoing suit instituted by the Federal Government asking for an order permitting the funds standing in the credits of local governments to be directly channeled to them from the Federation Account”.

He said that RMAFC would continue to be a strategic partner in the efforts to reposition local government councils to discharge their constitutional responsibilities in the country.

He, therefore, called on Civil Society Organisations, (CSOs) and the media to be at the forefront of efforts to ensure that local government autonomy becomes a reality in Nigeria. (NAN)(www.nan.ng)

VOE/VIV

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Edited by Vivian Ihechu

Mining
By Henry Oladele
Lagos, June 5, 2024 (NAN) A renowned conservation biologist, Prof. Excellence Akeredolu, has tasked the Federal Government on policies against unregulated mining of mineral resources in the country.
Akeredolu said this at an event organised by the Federal Ministry of Environment, Lagos Zonal office, in commemoration of the World Environment Day on Wednesday in Lagos.
He enjoined the Federal Government  to tighten policies against unregulated mining of mineral resources, open grazing, unsustainable agricultural practices, and deforestation to ensure economic growth.
He explained that these policies if not tightened could undermine the nation’s efforts at actualising the global mandate to restore degraded ecosystems and halt desertification.
In his lecture tilted: ‘Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience’, he observed that the environment had been hugely degraded affecting lives and livelihoods.
“Following unregulated human activities like unsustainable agricultural practices, open grazing and mining, the environment has been hugely degraded with attendant consequences of lacking the ability to support lives and livelihoods,” he said.
He added that  in line with the United Nations Decade of ecosystem restoration, the nation should adopt sustainable agricultural practices, conserve forests and massively plant trees, amongst others.
The expert who stressed the need to prioritise land restoration and combat desertification said everyone must get involved to sustainably protect and conserve the nation’s environment.
The Federal Controller, Ministry of Environment and Zonal Director, South-west, Mrs Margaret Akinyemi, in her address, called on every  Nigerian to plant at least a tree.
Akinyemi said this would be in support of the government’s 50 million trees target towards achieving the goal of this year’s World Environment Day celebration.
She said that the ministry had committed itself to planting 50 million trees within the next five years.
Akinyemi said that this year’s event, the 52nd edition, emphasised the land as the determinant of the future and must be protected at all costs.
According to her, land across the globe is under threat of diverse disasters including desertification, land degradation, pollution, and drought.
She added that all hands must be on deck in tackling them.
Akinyemi identified tree planting as the most sustainable strategy for tackling most environmental issues.
The event was attended by pupils and students from schools in Lagos, who made presentations to further convey the message of the event.
The high point of the event was the distribution of tree seedlings to all the participants to inculcate in them the culture of tree planting. (NAN)
HOB/JNC
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Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma