FRESH FM TOP NEWS THIS WEEK

The hottest and most trending news articles for this week in all categories are captured in one shot. Find articles ranging from News to Sports, to Politics, to Entertainment, to Economy, to Metro plus, and many other categories. See below the top news for the week:

NEWS

• Terrorists threaten to kidnap Buhari, El-Rufai

Terrorists, who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train on March 28, have threatened to kidnap President Muhammadu Buhari and the Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai. The terrorists who released a fresh video, vowed to sell and kill the remaining captives if their demands are not met. They flogged the remaining captives, who cry and wail due to severe pain.

“This is our message to the government of Nigeria and just as you have seen these people here, by God’s grace, you will see your leaders; your senators and governors will come before us. These ones you are seeing here, we will keep some as our slaves and sell them off just as our Imam told you in the past

“Just like the Chibok girls that were sold off, we will equally sell these ones as slaves. If you don’t adhere to our demands, we will kill the ones we need to kill and sell the remaining. By God’s grace, el-Rufai, Buhari, we will bring them here,” one of the terrorists said in the video.

• Terrorist threats to kidnap Buhari laughable, says FG

The Federal Government, on Wednesday, described threats by some terrorists to abduct President Muhammadu Buhari as laughable. It also reacted to threats by some lawmakers in the upper chamber of the National Assembly to remove the President over the rising insecurity nationwide, saying the government is “working 24 hours” to bring the situation under control.

Addressing State House correspondents shortly after the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by Buhari, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, commended the lawmakers for their patriotism but added that work was ongoing to restore order. This follows the release of viral video footage showing terrorists—including an escapee from the July 5 Kuje Prison attack—whipping the remaining 43 of over 61 passengers kidnapped from a Kaduna-bound train on March 28.

In the video, the terrorists threatened to kidnap the President and the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. Replying to queries on the President’s safety, Mohammed described the terrorists’ threats as “laughable” adding that it is mere “propaganda”. “As to those who have issued threats to Mr. President, I think it’s mere propaganda. It is laughable,” he said.

Also, Senators elected on the platforms of the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, on Wednesday, threatened to remove Buhari if the worsening security crises nationwide are not contained within six weeks. While fielding questions on the issue, the Information Minister said “As to the resolution passed by the Senate, it was passed when we were deliberating (at the FEC meeting). We thank them for their patriotism and their concern. But we are working around the clock 24 hours to ensure that the situation is brought under control.

• Buhari Not Aware Of Terrorists’ Threat To Abduct Him Until I Told Him —El-Rufai

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari was not aware of the recent threat by the terrorists who abducted the Abuja /Kaduna train passengers to abduct him until he told him.  El-Rufai made the disclosure during a phone-in radio programme in Kaduna on Wednesday night. He insisted that he was the one who told the president of the threats to his life.  A video released at the weekend showed one of the terrorists threatening to abduct both President Buhari and Governor el-Rufai. 

The governor who said he was not surprised with their threats said over the years, he had been advocating for the bombing of terrorists’ camps wherever they are as the only solution to the problem.  El-Rufai said, “Insecurity is a major challenge and the disturbing thing is that despite our efforts at the state level, the situation is getting worse. 

“The insecurity is really set- ting us back. Our hope is that the Federal Government will use its military might and other security apparatus to deal with these terrorists, because I have always said it and people of Kaduna State know that we should use the land and air army to bomb these people out of existence. There is no way to end this challenge, except we do that. Now, it has gotten to a level where terrorists will go to Kuje prison and free their people. And they even did a video where they were threatening to abduct President Muhammadu Buhari and meand take us to their jungle. 

What happened within this week was what made me to seek to see the president, and I called him that I needed to see him. He gave me appointment for Sunday and I went to see him.  “Then, I told him about the recent developments, particularly the video released by the terrorists. “In fact, up till that moment, he was not even aware. So, I told him and the following day, the Zamfara State governor, Bello Mattawalle, confirmed to him that he even saw the video. We need to take action.  The President told me that he met with the Service Chiefs the previous week be- fore I met him, and that he gave them very clear directive that they must carry out comprehensive military operation to finish these people.”

• Killings: Lawmakers knock Buhari, President meets security chiefs

The opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly on Thursday said there was no going back on their plan to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari, if he failed to resolve the insecurity in the country within six weeks. The lawmakers, consisting of the Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Grand Alliance members, contended that insecurity had reached the peak under Buhari’s regime.

They spoke about the same time that the President was meeting the nation’s security chiefs under the auspices of the National Security Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. This happened as bandits again raided Pinau village in the Wase Local Government of Plateau state and killed six persons. But restating their six-week ultimatum to the President at a press briefing in Abuja, the opposition lawmakers said they were tired of the worsening insecurity in the country and could no longer keep quiet over the state of the nation.

Addressing journalists after a closed-door session, the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu said they were ready to fight the President ‘tooth and nail until the insecurity issues had been resolved.’

• INSECURITY: Nigerian Army redeploys senior officers, many generals affected

Hours after the leadership of the Nigerian military told President Muhammadu Buhari that it had adopted a ‘new strategy’ to tackle the insecurity in the country, the army announced the redeployment of senior officers. The Chief of Army Staff, Faruk Yahaya, approved the posting and appointment of some top officers to command, instructional and staff positions across formations and units.

The appointments were announced in a statement issued by the Director, Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, on Thursday in Abuja. Mr Nwachukwu said the new postings and appointments were done in an effort to reposition the army for operational efficiency.

According to him, those affected in the redeployment include some Principal Staff Officers of the Army Headquarters, General Officers Commanding, Corps Commanders, Commandants of training institutions, Brigade Commanders, Commanding Officers, amongst others.

• Terrorists ambush Guards Brigade in Abuja, forces closure of schools

Barely 24 hours after terrorists, who hijacked the Kaduna-bound train released a video, where they threatened to kidnap President Muhammadu Buhari and Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, insecurity fears heightened at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), leading to the immediate closure of all unity schools in Abuja.

This was after three soldiers sustained injuries in an ambush by Boko Haram terrorists in Bwari Area Council of the FCT. The soldiers from the elite Guards Brigade guarding the FCT as well as the presidential seat of government were ambushed along Bwari Kubwa road, while on patrol of Bwari Area where the Nigerian Law School and the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) is located.

• ISWAP plots massive attacks on Lagos, Kaduna, others

There were strong indications on Tuesday that two terrorist groups, the Islamic State West Africa Province and Boko Haram, were planning to attack some states in the North-West, North-Central and South-West. It was learnt that security agencies had got a security report that ISWAP and Boko Haram planned to attack Lagos, Kaduna, Kogi, Katsina and Zamfara states as well as the Federal Capital Territory.

Earlier on Tuesday, there was a leaked memo from the headquarters of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, which alerted state commands to the planned attacks. The NSCDC spokesman, Shola Odumosu, when contacted said the memo did not originate from the security agencies. However, a state commandant, who confirmed the memo, said security officials had been directed to keep mum over it in order not to cause panic.

The commandant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, ‘’Yes, it is true that they (headquarters) issued a security alert to us that we should be careful and we should instruct our men to be watchful. We protect the critical infrastructure and places of worship. “It is also important that we inform the people so they can be vigilant.”

Following the alert, security was on Tuesday beefed up in Abuja to forestall a possible attack by ISWAP and Boko Haram. On Sunday, the elite Presidential Guards Brigade was attacked by gunmen along the Bwari-Kubwa road where a captain, lieutenant and six soldiers reportedly lost their lives. To foil the planned attack by ISWAP, the Nigeria Army and the Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday deployed troops and policemen in strategic locations across the FCT.

• Insecurity: Account for $1bn security fund jointly contributed by states, Ortom tells FG

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State yesterday asked the Federal Government to account for the $1 billion security funds jointly contributed by the 36 states of the federation to fight insurgency giving the worsening insecurity in the country. Speaking before presiding over the State Security Council meeting in Makurdi, the Governor asked, “What have they done with the $1 billion the Governors Forum gave on behalf of the local governments for security?

The Governor expressed sadness Nigeria as the giant of Africa had become helpless to tackle its security challenges, saying “it is very painful to see the country where it is today.” Ortom noted that security issues should be the concern of all, emphasising that it should not be tailored along political lines as protection of lives and property of citizens ought to be prioritized. While commending the sacrifices of security operatives in the state, he also acknowledged the challenges security officers in the State face in the discharge of their duties.

• DSS shared 44 intelligence reports before Kuje Prison attack — Deputy Speaker

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, yesterday said the Department of State Services, DSS, shared 44 intelligence reports before the attack on Kuje Prisons. Wase spoke on the floor of the green chamber during the plenary.He made the remarks while speaking on a motion sponsored by Abubakar Yallemen from Jigawa State, on the need to halt the federal government’s proposed nationwide ban on commercial motorcycles.

On July 5, gunmen attacked the correctional facility in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and freed hundreds of inmates, including suspected Boko Haram members. Wase said though the ban on commercial motorcycles will affect transportation system in local areas, it is necessary to check insecurity. “For most of us — 90 percent of my community if not 99 percent — this is the only means of transportation,” he said.

In his motion, Yallemen had said the proposed ban on motorcycle operations “will render millions of Nigerians jobless, which could be catastrophic for a nation grappling with high unemployment and poverty rates”. According to him, the ban “will inflict untold hardships on the generality of Nigerians as it is a common means of transportation among the citizenry, and may provide the terrorists with a pool of desperate youths to recruit”. He, however, stepped down the motion after Wase advised that the ban is aimed at tackling insecurity.

• Emefiele: Reps to bar CBN chiefs from politics

The House of Representatives has begun the process of disqualifying politicians and persons with political affiliations from taking leadership positions in the Central Bank of Nigeria. Serving top officials of the apex bank will also be barred from politics. This is being proposed in the Central Bank of Nigeria (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which is seeking to amend the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007, which passed second reading at the plenary on Tuesday.

The legislation is titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Amend Section 11 of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Act 2007 to Add More Conditions for Disqualification and Cessation of Appointment as Governor, Deputy Governor or Director of the Bank; and for Related Matters.’ The bill is particularly seeking to amend Section 11(2) of the CBN Act by inserting a new Paragraph (f) to read thus: “(f) Is a member of a political party or involved in partisan politics.” Criticisms had trailed the affiliation of the current Governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele, with the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, where he aspired to run for president.

Sponsor of the bill, Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), while leading debate on the legislation, noted that the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007 is the legal instrument that establishes the Central Bank of Nigeria and the office of the CBN governor. He also noted that by virtue of Section 7 and 8 of the Act, the CBN is answerable to the President, the National Assembly and the apex bank’s Board of Directors.

• Water Bill: No plan to impeach Gbajabiamila — Reps Northern caucus’ leadership

The northern caucus in the House of Representatives has refuted a plot to commence impeachment process on the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila. It would be recalled that an online platform (not Vanguard) had reported a grand plot by the northern caucus to impeach the speaker in the event that he failed to support the passage of the controversial Water Resources Bill into law.

The bill, which met stiff opposition and dropped in the 7th and 8th Assemblies, was recently reintroduced by the Chairman, House Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli. At a briefing at the end of yesterday’s plenary, the chairman, Northern Caucus, Sarkin Area, who was accompanied by the Majority Leader, Ado Doguwa; Minority Leader, Ndidu Elumelu; Chairman, Water Resources Committee, Sada Soli, among other lawmakers, said the online publication was untrue and existed in the imagination of the news platform.

He said: “It’s a day of mixed feelings. I don’t know how to describe it, whether to say sad. In my opinion, it’s a sad day. At a time we should be talking of how to unify this country to move forward together to provide good leadership, we are being dragged down by agents of destruction and destabilisation. Sada Soli, the House Chairman, Committee on Water Resources, said such a report was based on ignorance.

• No candidate violated law on multiple forms –INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission has affirmed that no candidate violated the provisions of Section 115 of the Electoral Act 2022 relating to the nomination of candidates. This is as the commission explained that it is not vested with the power of arrest and investigation of criminal matters. INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, made this known in an interview with our correspondent on Tuesday.

Okoye was responding to reports that President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State; Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and some others who obtained multiple forms ought to have been arrested as defined in Section 152 of the Electoral Act. Lawan, Ayade and Umahi who were presidential aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress were also said to have purchased senatorial forms.

Section 115(1) (d) of the Act provides that any person who signs a nomination paper or result form as a candidate in more than one constituency at the same election commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment. Section 152 of the Act defines a candidate to mean a person who has secured the nomination of a political party to contest an election for any elective office. Reacting, Okoye said those who obtained and signed multiple forms were aspirants, and not candidates as defined by Section 152 of the Electoral Act.

• Labour threatens to shut down economy, plans strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress and its affiliate unions on Tuesday defied warnings by the Federal Government and took to the streets of major cities in the country to protest against the failure of the Federal Government to resolve the five-month strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities. Specifically, the NLC said the money the two major political parties – the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party – generated from the sale of forms to aspirants could address ASUU’s demands.

In Akwa Ibom, Uche Nweke who represented the NLC National Chairman, Ayuba Wabba, faulted excuses that there were no funds to meet the demands of the university workers. Apart from Akwa Ibom, other states which witnessed protests included Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Kwara, Enugu, Benue, Sokoto, Lagos and Plateau. Others who took part in the protest were: The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions, Nigeria Union of Teachers, The Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union of Nigeria and other affiliate unions of NLC were at the protest.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, last week had claimed that a security report also sent to his office by the Department of State Services, strongly warned against holding the protest. Also, Ngige had in an interview in March said government did not have money to meet ASUU’s demands, which included revitalisation funds for universities. He stated, “The N1.3trillion you are talking about was promised by the (Goodluck) Jonathan government. Oil was selling between $100 to $120 per barrel then and the revenue of the federation was rich.”

However, the unionists expressed their anger over the Federal Government’s inability to address their grievances, adding that it had become necessary for the current government to leave. ASUU had also asked the government to increase funding of tertiary institutions and pay outstanding allowances.

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), who also took part in the protest, asked the Federal Government to invest the recovered loot in education. Falana said rather than stay at home to fix the country’s problems, President Muhammadu Buhari, continued to engage in irrelevant travel like his recent trip to Liberia.

• Reps extend subsidy payments probe to Jonathan administration

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, extended the scope of its investigation of payments for subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, to the last administration led by President Goodluck Jonathan. The House had on June 29, 2022, resolved to investigate payments for subsidy on petroleum products especially petrol under a period that fell under the regime led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, had set up an ‘Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate the Petroleum Products Subsidy regime from 2017 to 2021,’ which was mandated to report back to the House within eight weeks for further legislative action.

At the plenary on Tuesday, Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Abubakar Fulata, moved a motion to call for an extension of the probe. The motion was titled, ‘Need for Extension of the Mandate of the Special Ad hoc Committee to Investigate the Petroleum Products Subsidy Regime (Pursuant to Order One, Rule1(2) of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives.’

Fulata, therefore, prayed the House to “extend the mandate of the Ad Hoc Committee on Petroleum Products Subsidy Regime to cover the period of 2013 to 2022 as well as subsidy payments and forex allocations from 2013 to date.” The lawmakers unanimously adopted the motion.

• Nigerians ‘tired’ of insecurity, turning to self-help –Monguno

The National Security Council, Thursday, said it would implement new strategies to address the fast-spreading insecurity and terrorist attacks nationwide as Nigerians are growing “tired” of the menace and are now turning to self-help. The National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd), revealed this to State House correspondents at the close of Thursday’s security council meeting chaired by President, Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Monguno who spoke alongside the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, said the President is well aware of the dire security challenges the country finds itself in at the moment. However, he said the solution will not come from a single strategy. “We are in a difficult situation. The council understands. The President understands. But there is no straight, cut and drive method around this unless we collectively fight it. People are getting tired and are beginning to gravitate into other means of self-help. But the truth is that help is rooted in everyone working together to end this,” he said.

Citing last Friday night’s attack on the 7 Guards Battalion of the Nigerian Army Presidential Guards Brigade, the NSA argued that no country can win an asymmetric warfare without the help of its citizens.

• RESIDENTS OF IBADAN STORM INEC OFFICES AS DEADLINE FOR VOTER REGISTRATION APPROACHES

Oyo state residents today stormed the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in a last minute rush as the Continuous Voters’ Registration deadline approaches. During a visit to the INEC headquarters in Agodi Area of Ibadan, Fresh FM Correspondent, Sola Filani observed that over 600 persons in attendance today are on a look out to get registered.

Some of the residents who lent their voices lamented challenges faced in the process of participating in the exercise while others hammered on the need to effect change in the country’s system of government through the ballot.

Speaking on the development, Head of publicity Unit, INEC,Oyo State, Olayiwola Awolowo highlighted several means put in place by the government to ensure that all citizens participate in the exercise before the deadline. Awolowo therefore enjoined eligible residents who have not registered to seize the remaining few days to enrol for their Permanent Voters’ Card, PVC.
The Ongoing voter registration exercise would come to an end on Sunday, 31st of July 2022.

POLITICS

• Presidential Primary Aftermath: Wike Slams Atiku, Vows To Remain In PDP

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has reacted to the events that have unfolded in the aftermath of the presidential primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He spoke on Friday at the Port Harcourt International Airport in the Rivers State capital shortly after he returned from a foreign trip. “I have decided to be quiet because PDP is a party I love so much,” said the governor during a briefing with reporters. “I have moved on to conclude my social contract with the people of Rivers. However, it is time to let Nigerians know the truth.”

Governor Wike faulted the speech by the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on the day he unveiled Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate. He also accused the former vice president of telling lies against him, as well as using some chieftains of the main opposition party to spread falsehood against his person.

The governor vowed to respond to both the party’s flagbearer and the party chieftains whom he described as Atiku’s ‘attack dogs’ one-by-one and line by line in due time. He said posterity would not forgive him should he fail to set the record straight and promised to clear the air after the commissioning of the projects lined up for inauguration by the state government.

On the reconciliation committee set up by the PDP leadership, Governor Wike stated that former Vice President Atiku had yet to send any delegation to him. He, however, said a former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, met with him in Spain, although in his personal capacity. According to the governor, the former vice president came to his house to beg for support but suddenly does not know the way to his house any longer. He went on to challenge anyone to identify that he or she was sent by the PDP candidate to speak to him about the issue in the PDP and the aftermath of the party’s presidential primary.

• Impeachment: What Happened Today Was Just Bravado, It Won’t Go Beyond That – Presidency

The presidency has called the bluff of Senators from opposition parties who on Wednesday issued a six-week ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle the security challenges bedeviling the country. Earlier in the day, the lawmakers staged a walkout from the Senate and threatened to commence impeachment proceedings against President Buhari should he fail to address the insecurity within the period given by the lawmakers.

Reacting to the development on Channels Television’s Politics Today, presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, was of the opinion that the statesmen were merely playing to the gallery, adding that there is not much they will do after the drama which played out in the Upper Chamber.

“I think it was just bravado, and sadly, security is not something you subject to bravado. You don’t begin to issue flippant ultimatums in something that is a matter of life and death,” Adesina asserted. He further averred that “those who spoke today are the minority of minorities, they will have their say as is needful in a democracy but it will not go beyond that.”

“They know in their heart of hearts that they cannot achieve what they are saying, they are just wasting the country’s time, wasting the time of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, they know that they cannot achieve it.

• University Strike: FG Must Stop Sending Public Officers On Foreign Trainings – Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has criticised the Federal Government over what he described as misuse of public funds.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, he advised the government to stop sending public officeholders on trainings abroad with taxpayers’ money while workers in the nation’s public universities are on strike. According to the presidential candidate, the government should stop misplacing its priorities and ensure the youths who are the nation’s future are not neglected.

• Northern Christian leaders back Muslim-Muslim ticket

Christian leaders in the North have thrown their weight behind the Muslim-Muslim ticket fielded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) , Presidential flagbearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu , as a group under aegis of Progressive Christian Clerics, North-West Zone said Christian faith encourages brotherliness, hence their decision to support the Tinubu/Shettima ticket .

The group with members across 19 northern states including Federal Capital Territory,Abuja said Nigerians should be more concerned about electing leaders with capacity to tackle daring security challenges and economic problems militating against the country’s progress rather than issues of religious and ethnic sentiments .

In a statement signed by the North-West Zonal Chairman, Reverend Moses Bitrus of Arise and Shine Prophetic Ministry Kaduna, they said instead of joining to fight and grudge over the issue of Muslim-Muslim ticket ,”we have resolved to pray to God to give us leaders with the wisdom and knowledge to govern Nigeria.”

According to the statement, the group noted that “Nigeria is collapsing and needs leaders with proven track record of performance that are adequately equipped to fight the threats by insurgency with all seriousness.We need committed leaders with the capacity to deliver on campaign promises without excuses once elected “.

• Buhari’s ex-minister asks court to disqualify Tinubu, Atiku

The immediate past Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, and a group, Incorporated Trustees of Rights for All International, have filed an originating summons before a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order declaring Nwajiuba as the authentic Presidential candidate of the APC. The plaintiffs are also praying for the cancellation of the votes garnered by the Presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu; and the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar.

The first to sixth defendants in the case with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/942/22 are: the APC, the PDP, Tinubu, Atiku, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Independent National Electoral Commission. Nwajiuba, who purchased the APC presidential form for N100m, but polled only one vote at the June 8 primary, accused Tinubu of bribing delegates with dollars.
The plaintiffs also attached as evidence a video recording showing the immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, lamenting that delegates to the APC primary sold their votes.

Specifically, the ex-minister asked the court to determine whether the composition of the delegates contravened Article 11(A) 12(1) and 13(1) of the constitution of the APC. The ex-minister also asked the court to determine if the composition of the delegates at the PDP primary contravened Section 33(1) and (5) (c) of the constitution of the party.

The plaintiffs prayed the court to determine whether having regards to the clear unambiguous and express provisions and tenor of Sections 6(6) (A) (B) and (C) read alongside Section 15(5) of the 1999 Constitution, the court has the inherent judicial powers to nullify, cancel and declare as illegal the Presidential primaries of the APC and the PDP. He asked the court to determine if all the votes cast in favour of Tinubu and Atiku at the special national convention of the APC and PDP are illegal, null and void and of no effect whatsoever on the grounds of corruption and selling of delegate votes and voter inducement.

ECONOMY

• FG mulls 5% tax on call, text, Data

Nigerian telecommunications consumers may need to tighten their belts in the days ahead as Federal Government has concluded plans to impose 5% Excise Duty on all telecommunications services ranging from calls, SMS and data services. This is coming as major stakeholders in the sector, the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) have kicked against the move, describing it as anti-people, provocative, strange, insensitive and irresponsible.

They made the position known on Thursday at a stakeholders’ forum organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC on the proposed implementation of the Exercise Duty on all telecommunications services in Nigeria held in Abuja. They argued that such imposition would further aggravate the suffering of the Nigerian masses who had already been pushed into hardship and extreme poverty. The new 5% Exercise Duty is part of the new Finance Act signed into law by the President in 2020.

It is meant to be collected by the Nigerian Customs Service following the directives of the President Mhammadu Buhari that it should enforce the law on all telecom service providers in the country on all local and foreign goods and services. In her presentation, the Minister of Finance, Budget and Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed urged stakeholders to support the implementation of the 5% exercise duty on telecommunications services, saying that the decision was informed by the dwindling revenue of the Federal government from oil and gas.

• We Are Working To Avert Naira’s Further Fall Against Dollar, CBN Assures Nigerians

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has advised Nigerians to resist the urge of succumbing to the speculative activities of some players in the foreign exchange market. It gave the advice in the face of rising demand for foreign exchange for both goods and services by Nigerians. CBN’s Director of Corporate Communications, Osita Nwanisobi, who briefed reporters on Thursday in Abuja said the apex bank remained committed to resolving the foreign exchange issues confronting the nation and as such has been working to manage both the demand and supply side challenges.

While admitting that there was huge demand pressure for foreign exchange to meet the needs of manufacturers and for the payment of tuition, medical fees and other Invisibles, Nwanisobi said the bank was concerned about the international value of the naira. He added that the monetary authority was strategising to help Nigeria earn more stable and sustainable inflows of foreign exchange in the face of dwindling inflows from the oil sector. Specifically, Nwanisobi said the recent initiatives undertaken by the bank such as the RT200 FX Programme and the Naira4Dollar rebate scheme have helped to increase foreign exchange inflow to the country.

According to him, the bank’s records showed that foreign exchange inflow through the RT200 FX Programme in the first and second quarters of 2022 increased significantly to about $600 million as of June 2022. The CBN spokesman disclosed that the Naira4Dollar incentive also increased the volume of diaspora remittances during the first half of the year.

He said interventions such as the 100 for 100 Policy on Production and Productivity, Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) and the Non-Oil Export Stimulation Facility (NESF), among others, were also geared toward diversifying the economy, enhancing the inflow of foreign exchange, stimulating production and reducing foreign exchange demand pressure. He gave an assurance that the bank would continue to make a deliberate effort in the foreign exchange sector to avert a further downward slide in the value of the naira which he observed was fuelled by speculative tendencies.

• Nigeria, Algeria, Niger Discuss Gas Pipeline To Europe

African energy giants Algeria, Nigeria and Niger signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday on a vast gas pipeline project offering Europe potential future alternatives to Russian supplies, state media reported. The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) would transport billions of cubic metres of gas some 4,128 kilometres (2,565 miles) from Nigeria in West Africa, north through Niger and on to Algeria. From there it could be pumped through the Mediterranean undersea Transmed pipeline to Italy, or loaded onto liquefied natural gas tankers for export.

On Thursday, Algerian Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab hosted his counterparts from Nigeria and Niger, Timipre Sylva and Mahamane Sani, for talks on the project, state news agency APS reported. The contents of the memorandum of understanding were not disclosed, but the long-dormant project has seen an uptick in interest in recent months as gas prices have surged following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

BUSINESS

• Manufacturers Ask FG To Remove 7.5% VAT On Diesel

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the Federal Government to urgently remove the 7.5% Value Added Tax on diesel. President of MAN, Mansur Ahmed made the call on Thursday at the 25th Annual General Meeting of the Kaduna State branch of the association. He also asked the government to create a national strategic response to the disruptive impact of the ongoing Russian – Ukraine war on the global supply value chain and its debilitating impact on Nigeria’s economy.

Ahmed stated that such a strategic response will help to identify viable options to ameliorate the negative impact of the disruption, assuage other pain points in the business environment and activate innovative solutions to familiar and emerging macroeconomic and Infrastructure challenges as well as provide a lead way for resilience in the economic ecosystem.

Represented by the chairman of MAN, Bompai branch in Kano State, Sani Saleh, the President said the removal of VAT on diesel should be pending the normalisation of the international supply system as well as resolve the complexity surrounding the seamless implementation of the eligible customer initiative in order to enable manufacturers to take of the advantage of stranded electricity.

Over the years, Nigeria’s manufacturing sector has been acknowledged as the highest contributor to job and wealth creation, skill development and technology transfer. However, the sector has in recent times been confronted with several challenges ranging from insecurity, inconsistent and unfavourable government policies and global economic crisis among others.

• Bakers end strike, hike bread price again

The Premium Breadmakers Association of Nigeria says it has suspended its four-day warning strike which began on Thursday. Speaking in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday, the PBAN President, Emmanuel Onuorah, said his members had resolved to increase prices of bread in order to cushion the impact of the harsh operating environment.

He said, “We have ended the warning strike/withdrawal of services. We finished it on Monday and we have resumed business. We have begun production and selling of bread since yesterday (Monday). Master Bakers have started too. We ended it at the same time. You know it was a joint resolution from the Master Bakers and PBAN. So, we have started work. We did increase the price of bread. We increased our bread price by 10 per cent, master bakers increased their bread price by 20 per cent. Inasmuch as we wouldn’t have loved to implement any price increase, it is the only way we can remain in business.”

According to Onuorah, despite the recent hike the bakers are still operating at a deficit, adding that members have been forced to adopt several survival strategies to remain in business. A statement signed by the association said operating a bakery in Nigeria had become almost impossible as the incessant increases in the prices of baking materials and diesel had affected the industry negatively.

“The reasons for the withdrawal of services included an incessant increase in the price of baking materials, Federal Government’s 15 per cent wheat development levy on wheat imports, NAFDAC’s N154,000 penalty charged for late renewal of certificates, the inability of its members to access grants and soft loans being given by the Central Bank of Nigeria to Micro, Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises and multi-agencies regulation of the bread-making industry.”

• Naira: EFCC Storms Bureau De Change Hub In Abuja

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday stormed Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, home to most bureau de change operators in the Federal Capital Territory, A source said the raid was a covert operation to dislodge currency speculators who are alleged to be massively mopping up available foreign currencies. The raid is said to be product of weeks of surveillance in which agents of the EFCC have been monitoring the activities of most of the Bureau de change operators in the Wuse 4 axis.

The anti- graft agency is said to be working on intelligence that some forces with massive naira inflow have mobilized resources and are busy buying up available foreign currencies especially the United States dollar, to either hoard or smuggle the same out of Nigeria. Some operatives of the Commission have also been spotted at major airports in the country, in what a source said is a coordinated nationwide operation that will be extended to all the major commercial cities such as Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt.

There has lately been a run on the value of the Naira with the currency exchanging for over N700 to a dollar. The EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, was not immediately available for comment.

EDUCATION

• Protests: Govt toying with uprising like #EndSARS — NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday began a two-day nationwide protest against failure of the Federal Government to resolve the strike embarked upon by unions in the nation’s university system, warning the government not to toy with another people’s uprising comparable to the 2020 #EndSARS protest. The strike has lasted five months so far. NLC, therefore, gave the government the ultimatum to resolve the issues within the two-week time-frame President Muhammadu Buhari gave Education Minister, Malam Adamu Adamu, to resolve the matter.

The Congress gave the warning through the chairperson of Lagos State chapter of the union, Mrs Funmi Agnes Sessy, during the solidarity rally organised in support of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU and other unions in the university system on Tuesday.

Also speaking at the rally which took off from Under Bridge in Ikeja to Alausa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, expressed disappointment that those in authority now, who he described as his age group, appeared to be keen on killing the education sector in the country. He recalled the good old days that students in tertiary institutions fed on 50 kobo per day, with quality meals.

Falana, who asked Nigerians not to buy the claim of paucity of funds being peddled by the government, said: “It is not true that the government has no money to fund education and other critical sectors. At the beginning of the year, the government said it would spend N443 billion on fuel subsidy, but now it has increased to N6.5 trillion.

• ASUU: Knocks as Gbajabiamila attends Havard

Some Nigerians on social media, Tuesday, expressed displeasure over the resumption of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila in a university in the United States of America amidst the lingering strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

Academic activities in public universities in Nigeria have been shut down for 162 days. ASUU had on February 14, 2022, announced the commencement of industrial action following the failure of the government to meet some lingering demands of the union.

Gbajabiamila had on Tuesday tweeted via his verified Twitter handle, @femigbaja that he had gone back to the Harvard Kennedy School. “Back to class. In a leadership course @havard @Kennedy_school. Forget the number of grey hairs, one is never too old to learn.”

Commenting on the development, a Twitter user @Santos tweeted, “Sir? What is your take on the five months ASUU strike in Nigeria as the leader of law-making arm of Nigeria govt? The university students have being at home for five months. “Do you honestly think that showing us pictures your Harvard lecture class is the best at this moment?”.

• Senate passes bill to strengthen Secondary Education

The Senate, Tuesday, passed the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Bill, 2022.
The bill’s passage was sequel to the consideration of a report by the Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary).

Senator Akon Eyakenyi (PDP – Akwa-Ibom South), in a presentation on behalf of the Committee’s Chairman, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam (APC – Yobe East), said the bill which has 33 clauses, seeks to repeal the existing Act on National Secondary Education Commission. According to Eyakenyi, the bill when assented into law, would strengthen the legislative framework for the functioning of the Senior Secondary Education sector.

The lawmaker added that, “it also seeks to address the unfortunate abandonment of the Senior Secondary Education in Nigeria in terms of regulatory and financial intervention which hitherto has been extended to Primary and Junior Secondary Education through UBEC, and the Tertiary Education Institutions through TETFUND, NBTE, NCCE.”

• ASUU seeks bill to regulate foreign education for public officers’ children

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have called for a bill to regulate how children of public officers enrol in schools outside the shores of Nigeria. Prof. Kingdom Tombra, Chairman of the University of Niger Delta University Wilberforce Island chapter of the union, made this known at the solidarity protest organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday in Yenagoa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NLC embarked on the nationwide protest in solidarity with the ASUU and other affiliate unions over the lingering industrial action in public universities in Nigeria.

“If this is done, it will build a better society by developing formidable educational institutions and improve funding of the university system in Nigeria. This struggle is not against government, but about the working class and against the ruling class and we are very committed to it. If the rich and poor go to the same university or institution, I don’t think the strike will occur again. If they school here and their children are here they will show total support for the university system and the tertiary institutions in Nigeria,” he said.

• Nasarawa shuts schools over security threats

Nasarawa State government has shut down schools in the state over threats of impending attacks by armed bandits. In a statement signed by the state commissioner for education, Hajiya Fatu Jimaita Sabo, the government, Governor Abdullahi Sule directed an immediate closure of both public and private secondary schools in the state.

According to the statement, the closure of schools was informed by the recurring incidences of security breaches and threats in parts of the country including some neighboring states. The Commissioner described the directive as a precautionary measure.

The statement reads partly, “Accordingly, all Principals and Head Teachers of Secondary Schools are directed to release their students/pupils to their parents and guardians.” Sabo, however, noted that students currently undertaking the NECO/SSCE examinations are to remain, saying the government has put measures in place to ensure their safety during their examinations.

• FG not committed to ending varsities’ strike –NAAT

The National Association of Academic Technologists has warned the Prof Nimi Briggs-led Committee against any action that negates the principles of collective bargaining as it relates to salaries and allowances in the ongoing industrial action by university unions. The union said awarding any percentage increase in salary or allowances to NAAT members unilaterally against all negotiations anchored on the principles of collective bargaining as contained in the International Labour Organisation Convention 98 is immoral.

NAAT President, Ibeji Nwokoma, who addressed newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, said the Federal Government has shown no intention of resolving the ongoing strike action by university unions, noting that the government has remained adamant and recalcitrant in addressing the germane issues. He said, “It is precisely 129 days today that we have been on this needless strike action; if only we have a responsive government that makes education a priority.

The president further noted that since the commencement of renegotiation, no discussion had been held on the issue of salaries and allowances. He further decried several futile meetings held between government and NAAT with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, as the facilitator and conciliator, all of which resulted in many partially implementation in 2017, 2020 and 2021.

The union, therefore, called on the Briggs committee to reconvene and conclude the re-negotiation process and further adopt a more robust approach to the negotiation, describing the committee as “slow and spineless in its ability to take decisions on behalf of the government.” Nwokoma restated the demands of his union, which include the full implementation of the 2009 FGN/NAAT Agreement; the implementation of CONTISS 14 and 15 for academic technologists; payment of the arrears of earned allowances; and provision of funds for the upgrade of public universities’ laboratories, workshops, and studios.

HEALTH

• Lagos leads as monkeypox spreads to 26 states

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has confirmed 133 cases of monkeypox in 26 states.
The NCDC disclosed this in its latest monkeypox situation report released on Thursday.
Monkeypox is a rare viral zoonotic infectious disease transmitted from animals to humans that occur sporadically, primarily in remote villages of Central and West Africa near tropical rainforests. Nigeria is one of the countries in Africa where the disease is endemic.

The agency said from January to July 24, 2022, three deaths were recorded in three states – Delta (1), Lagos (1) and Ondo (1). The report also showed that there were at least 357 suspected cases of the disease in the country. The report read in part, “There were 19 new suspected cases reported in Epi week 29, 2022 (July 18 to 24, 2022) from 12 states – Ondo (4), Bayelsa (3), Taraba (2), Lagos (2), Rivers (1), Kogi (1), Kano (1), Imo (1), Delta (1), Anambra (1), Akwa Ibom (1) and Abia (1).

A Medical Laboratory Scientist at the Department of Microbiology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Obinna Chukwudi, tasked the government on vaccine production and availability. Chukwudi said, “At the moment, the best thing to do is to make sure vaccines are available; you can’t always be too careful. To tame the infection, the government needs to ensure that everybody is properly vaccinated and the early we start the vaccination, the better for us. Also, the immediate past President of the National Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, urged the Federal Government to increase funding for the health sector.

• 2022 World Population Day: FG restates commitment to family planning

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has restated Federal Government’s commitment to fertility reduction through intensive monitoring and implementation of Family Planning (FP) services. He made the government’s position known at an event by the National Population Commission (NPC) to commemorate the 2022 World Population Day (WPD) in Abuja on Thursday. The WPD is annually celebrated on July 11 to raise awareness on various population issues such as the importance of FP, gender equality, maternal health and human rights.

Represented at the event by Dr Salma Anas-Kolo, the Director, Family Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Ehanire said it would be difficult for Nigeria to achieve human capital development without fertility reduction. He, therefore, reiterated Federal Government’s commitment to reduction of fertility, saying the focus was on sustainable domestic financing. The minister affirmed the determination of the ministry to mobilise the private sector in the advancement of access to family planning commodities.

The NPC Chairman, Alhaji Nasir Kwarra, who called for a shift from quantity to quality population and from liability to assets, expressed the commission’s commitment to work in tandem with the Revised National Population Policy. He described the policy as people-centred and would continue to promote the rights of individuals and couples to freely and responsibly decide when and how to space their children. Ms Erika Goldson, the Deputy Country Representative of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), emphasised the need for bodily autonomy and protection of women and children. Goldson identified rights and choices as critical components in transitioning the global population to assets where no baby would be unwanted.

Dr Amina Dorayi, the Country Director, Pathfinder International, said the protection of women and girls is paramount in achieving human capital development. Dorayi explained that such could best be achieved through access to family planning and empowerment of women. She called on stakeholders to collectively ensure that women and girls enjoyed optimal Reproductive and Sexual Health Rights (RSHR). Dr Ejike Oji, the Chairman, Technical Management Committee, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP), commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to population management. He called on all to continue to support the call for fertility reduction, aimed at not only achieving Demographic Dividend but averting
population disaster.

• NIPRD pledges support for AfDB’s pharmaceutical foundation

The National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development has pledged support for the emergent African Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation recently approved by the African Development Bank’s Board of Directors. NIPRD’s Director-General, Dr. Obi Adigwe, stated this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Lagos. He stated that the Foundation would enhance Africa’s access to technologies that underpin the manufacture of medicines, vaccines, and other pharmaceutical products significantly.

Adigwe added that the NIPRD had galvanised resources and stakeholders to enable it to play a crucial role in the continental initiative. According to him, the Foundation fully aligns with NIPRD’s objective of conceptualisation of strong pan-African initiative where it has recorded many strides, particularly since the outbreak of COVID-19.

The director-general added that NIPRD had been involved as a sponsor and as a technical partner in a number of control trials to scientifically prove the efficacy of some conventional medicines currently in the clinical trial phase. He stated also that the institution emerged as a continental leader in the use of nanotechnology and Artificial Intelligence in drug discovery.

He added that the institution played a seminal role in the articulation of the Medicines’ Security concept that links local manufacturing with access to healthcare and socioeconomic development.
This, he explained, was especially in areas of job creation, technology transfer, and revenue generation.

WORLD

• Global Recession May Be Imminent As Inflation Surge, IMF Warns

Surging inflation and severe slowdowns in the United States and China prompted the IMF Tuesday to downgrade its outlook for the global economy this year and next, while giving an even starker assessment of what may lie ahead. “The outlook has darkened significantly since April,” said IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas. “The world may soon be teetering on the edge of a global recession, only two years after the last one.” The world’s three largest economies, the United States, China and the euro area are stalling with important consequences for the global outlook,” he said at a briefing.

In its latest World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund cut the 2022 global GDP estimate to 3.2 percent, four-tenths of a point lower than the April forecast, and about half the rate seen last year. Last year’s “tentative recovery” from the pandemic downturn “has been followed by increasingly gloomy developments in 2022 as risks began to materialize,” the report said.

Ongoing Covid-19 lockdowns and a worsening real estate crisis have hindered economic activity in China, while the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes are slowing US growth sharply. But the bad news may not stop there, IMF warned, saying that “risks to the outlook are overwhelmingly tilted to the downside,” and if they materialize could push the global economy into one of the worst slumps in the past half-century.

• EU To Cut Russian Gas Use As Missiles Strike Ukraine

The European Union agreed to reduce gas consumption to break its dependence on Russia Tuesday, as missile strikes on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast cast doubt on a grain export deal. The effort to help Germany wean itself off Russian gas for the winter came as Turkey announced a meeting in Russia next week between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Erdogan wants Turkey — on good terms with both Moscow and Kyiv — at the centre of diplomatic efforts to halt the five-month war, just as the EU took another big step to cut ties to Moscow. The EU gas use cut, approved by energy ministers in Brussels, was hailed as an effective response to Russia’s manipulation of its energy wealth as an economic weapon.

The plan nominally commits EU countries to reduce their gas use by 15 percent during the winter, although exceptions were carved out for some countries and Hungary rejected the deal as “useless”. Hungary was the only country to oppose the plan, which passed on a majority vote, further isolating Budapest as the only member state reluctant to go further against Russia.

• Asia’s Richest Woman Loses Half Her Wealth In China Property Crisis

Asia’s wealthiest woman lost more than half her fortune over the past year as China’s real estate sector was rocked by a cash crunch, a billionaire index showed Thursday. Yang Huiyan, a majority shareholder in Chinese property giant Country Garden, saw her net worth plunge by more than 52 percent to $11.3 billion from $23.7 billion a year ago, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Yang’s fortune took a major hit on Wednesday when the Guangdong-based Country Garden’s Hong Kong-listed shares fell 15 percent after the company announced it would sell new shares to raise cash. Yang inherited her wealth when her father — Country Garden founder Yang Guoqiang — transferred his shares to her in 2005, according to state media. She became Asia’s richest woman two years later after the developer’s initial public offering in Hong Kong. But she is now barely holding onto that title, with chemical fibres tycoon Fan Hongwei a close runner-up with a net worth of $11.2 billion on Thursday.

Chinese authorities cracked down on excessive debt in the property sector in 2020, leaving major players such as Evergrande and Sunac struggling to make payments and forcing them to renegotiate with creditors as they teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. Buyers across the country, furious at lagging construction and delayed deliveries of their properties, have begun withholding mortgage payments for homes sold before completion.

While Country Garden has remained relatively unscathed by industry turmoil, it spooked investors with a Wednesday announcement that it planned to raise more than $343 million through a share sale, partly to pay debts. Proceeds from the sale would be used for “refinancing existing offshore indebtedness, general working capital and future development purposes,” Country Garden said in a filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange.

China’s banking regulator has urged lenders to support the property sector and meet the “reasonable financing needs” of firms as analysts and policymakers fear financial contagion. The property sector is estimated to account for 18-30 percent of the country’s GDP and is a key driver of growth in the world’s second-largest economy. Analysts have warned that the industry is mired in a “vicious cycle” that would further dampen consumer confidence, following the release of dismal Q2 growth figures that were the worst since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

• US Senate Passes Bill To Boost Domestic Chip Manufacturing

The US Senate passed a bill on Wednesday to boost domestic production of semiconductors, the in-demand microchips that power everything from smartphones to cars to weapons. Global semiconductor supplies were disrupted by fallout from Covid-19 shutdowns, sparking widespread shortages of the chips — many of which are made in Asia. The legislation, which now goes back to the House of Representatives for final passage, provides $52 billion to increase domestic semiconductor production and more than $100 billion over five years for research and development.

The CHIPS Act was passed in the Senate by a rare bipartisan vote of 64 to 33, with 17 Republicans joining hands with Democrats. President Joe Biden welcomed Senate passage of the legislation that he said will “accelerate the manufacturing of semiconductors in America, lowering prices on everything from cars to dishwashers.” Global chip shortages notably slowed production of new automobiles last year, causing prices to increase.

But Beijing hit out at the details, with foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian saying that while the act “claims to be aimed at improving the competitiveness of US technology and chips, (it) contains provisions that restrict normal scientific and technological cooperation between China and the United States.” “China is firmly opposed to this,” Zhao told reporters at a regular briefing on Thursday. The version of the CHIPS Act passed Wednesday provides $39 billion to finance semiconductor manufacturing plants in the United States and another $13 billion for research.

Senate passage of the bill came a day after the South Korean group SK announced a huge investment in US semiconductors and other cutting edge industries. The conglomerate said in a statement it plans to “increase its new investment in the United States by $22 billion in areas including semiconductors, green energy, and bioscience, creating tens of thousands of new high-tech, high-paying American jobs.”

• New York Asks WHO To Re-Name ‘Stigmatizing’ Monkeypox

New York City asked the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday to rename the monkeypox virus to avoid stigmatizing patients who might then hold off on seeking care. New York has seen more cases of the disease, which the WHO declared a global health emergency over the weekend, than any other city in the United States, with 1,092 infections detected so far.
New York City public health commissioner Ashwin Vasan said in a letter to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus dated Tuesday.

The WHO had floated the idea of changing the name of the virus, which is related to the eradicated smallpox virus, during a press conference last month, a proposal Vasan mentioned in his letter. Vasan referenced the “painful and racist history within which terminology like (monkeypox) is rooted for communities of color.” He pointed to the fact that monkeypox did not actually originate in primates, as the name might suggest, and recalled the negative effects of misinformation during the early days of the HIV epidemic and the racism faced by Asian communities that was exacerbated by former president Donald Trump calling Covid-19 the “China virus.”

“Continuing to use the term ‘monkeypox’ to describe the current outbreak may reignite these traumatic feelings of racism and stigma — particularly for Black people and other people of color, as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ communities, and it is possible that they may avoid engaging in vital health care services because of it,” Vasan said.

Anyone is susceptible to contracting monkeypox, which has long been endemic in Central and Western Africa, but so far its spread in Europe and the United States has been mostly concentrated among men who have sex with other men. The first symptoms can include a fever and fatigue, followed a few days later by a rash that can turn into painful, fluid-filled skin lesions, which may last for a few weeks before turning into scabs that then fall off. No deaths have been reported so far in Europe or the United States.

More than 16,000 confirmed cases have been recorded in 75 countries so far this year, the WHO said on Monday. A limited number of doses of a smallpox vaccine found to protect against monkeypox, called Jynneos, have been administered in New York, mostly to gay and bisexual men.

ENTERTAINMENT

• Headies disqualifies Portable over criminal investigation

The organisers of Nigeria’s prestigious music award show, The Headies, have disqualified popular singer, Portable, as a nominee. The organisers noted that the singer had garnered negative attention from the Nigeria Police and the general public. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the organisers also cited the criminal investigations carried out by the police over the singer’s recent misdemeanours.

Part of the statement read, “We regret to announce that following numerous indicting statements made by Mr. Habeeb Okikiola popularly known as ‘Portable’, and the incessant negative attention that Mr Okikiola has garnered from the Nigeria Police and the general public in recent times, the organisers of the Headies have resolved to disqualify Mr Okikiola as a nominee at the forthcoming 15th Headies Awards. “Being subject of an investigation relating to criminal activities, Mr Habeeb Okikiola is hereby disqualified from both categories of awards at the forthcoming 15th Annual Headies Awards scheduled to hold later this year.”

Portable was nominated in the Best Street Artiste and Rookie of the Year categories.
Following his nomination, the singer had threatened other nominees of the award, which the organisers also reacted to.

Smooth Promotions Limited, the parent company of the Headies, had written a petition to the Nigerian Police Force, formally notifying them of the singer’s threat to other nominees of the award. They also asked the singer to tender an apology for his statement, which the singer later did. However, in recent times, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, has called for the singer’s investigation after the latter insinuated that he founded cult groups.

• Falz releases official video for ‘Knee Down’ with Chike, Osas Ighodaro

Nigerian multi-talented Afrobeats star Folarin Falana “Falz” has released the official music video for his song ‘Knee Down’ featuring Nigerian Singer Chike. ‘Knee Down’ is the third video off Falz’s 2022 album titled ‘BAHD’. This special song inspired the short musical film about Love & Betrayal which features sensational Nollywood actress Osas Ighodaro and talented singer and actor Chike.

Falz says ‘Knee Down’ paints a picture of a tense love story. “Whether you’re in love already or planning to take a big step in that direction, this is an anthem for everyone”. Falz has established himself as one of Nigeria’s top entertainers through his incredible work as a singer, rapper, and actor as well as his award-winning solo albums.

His works have earned him various awards and accolades, some of which include the BET Awards (2016 Best New International Act), Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (2016 Best Actor in a Comedy) , The Headies (2019 Best Rap Single), Headies 2019 (Album of the Year), The Headies 2021 (Best Rap Single).

• Tems makes solo debut on Billboard Hot 100

It is a winning season for Nigerian award-winning singer, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, as she made her solo debut on Billboard Hot 100 chart with her 2020 song, “Free Mind” off her For Broken Ears EP. “Free Mind” made it to the chart on Monday, a day after Tems featured on the soundtrack of the trailer for Marvel’s Black Panther sequel, “Wakanda Forever”. The trailer, released on Sunday, was soundtracked by Tems’ rendition of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright”. For her debut solo entry, Tems peaked at No. 90, making it her fourth time appearing on the prestigious Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In May, Tems made her debut at the No. 1 spot on Billboard Hot 100 charts with her feature on “Wait For U” by American rapper, Future. The track also featured Canadian artiste, Drake, and is the seventh on Future’s latest LP album, I Never Liked You. Tems had debuted earlier on the Hot 100 last October, with her feature on “Essence” remix. The hit song by Wizkid also featured Justin Bieber, and peaked at No. 9 on the charts. She got her previous entries into the chart from guest appearances in Drake’s “Fountain”.

In June 2022, Tem broke a record as the first Nigerian female artiste to clinch the Best International Act at the BET Awards 2022. The 2022 award ceremony was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The BET Awards celebrate Black excellence in music, culture and sports. The talented singer beat Fireboy, Dave from the UK, Dinos from France, Fally Ipupa from Congo, Little Simz from the UK, Ludmilla from Brazil, Major League Djz from South Africa, and Tayc from France. Receiving the award, Tems urged women and girls to continue on their chosen path, adding that the hard work will soon pay off.

• Omah Lay reveals Justin Bieber is easiest collaboration he ever had

Afrobeats superstar singer, Stanley Omah Didia popularly known as Omah Lay has revealed his delightful experience working with American Grammy-winning global pop star, Justin Bieber. Omah Lay said their friendship started after he put out his first project ‘Get Layd’ EP in 2020. Justin Beiber texted him on Instagram and followed him as both singers became friends; establishing a great relationship.

Omah Lay’s highly anticipated debut album ‘Boy Alone’ was released on July 15th, 2022. It has been described by critics and fans to be a bold, honest, and perfectly curated project. In a display of the connection between the two talented music stars, Omah Lay has performed the single alongside Justin Bieber on his 2022 ‘Justice Tour’.

The revelation is another huge win for Afrobeats as the genre is gaining palpable international recognition, fame, success as well as respect and acknowledgment that will further position Nigerian superstars for global success.

SPORTS

• Tobi Amusan on Her Record-Breaking Achievement

The World’s fastest woman in the 100 meters hurdles, Tobi Amusan has reflected on her achievement at the just concluded World Athletic Championship.

Amusan wrote her name in Gold as she set a new world record with a time of 12.12 seconds, a feat she achieved in the semi-finals of the competition. She expressed her delight at an interview with Channels Television while in transit, according to her the goal was to win the Gold medal.

Amusan ran a time of 12.06 seconds in the final which was supposed to be the new World record, but the time won’t be recognized as a world record due to a tailwind of +2.5 m/s.

• 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES KICKS OFF IN GRAND STYLE IN UK

The 2022 Commonwealth Games kicked off in the United Kingdom on Friday 29th of Jul 2022. The 12 days sporting event opened officially last night at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, England. About 6,500 athletes and officials from 72 nations including Nigeria are expected to participate in 22 sport events.

• Commonwealth Games: British Manufacturer Wades Into Team Nigeria’s Kit Crisis

A British sportswear manufacturer had to answer an SOS call from Nigeria’s Commonwealth Games team after they were left with no kit. Gino Ruffinato, manager of the MG Sportswear firm, which is based in a town near host city Birmingham, at first thought it was a “wind-up” before launching his 14 staff into action. “As it progressed I started getting emails with orders on, so at that point, I thought, hang on, I think this is serious,” he told the BBC.

“When they hit us with the deadline saying it needs to be there for Friday and today was Tuesday… there’s all the fabric, the print, the designs to get out in two days. It was a bit hair-raising.” His team had to make 200 pieces of kit including running vests and shorts, staff tracksuits, and even 400 Nigerian badges.

Ruffinato said it had been “panic stations” but his staff had embraced the challenge. He said he would pay even keener attention to the Games after providing the emergency help.

• Pinnick says Nigeria may co-host 2025 AFCON

Nigeria may host Africa’s continental football showpiece twenty-five years after it hosted that which it lost to Cameroon in the final. Nigeria and Ghana co-hosted the African Cup of Nations in year 2000 where two stadia – one in Lagos and another in Kano, were used in Nigeria. Ghana also presented two.

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick said the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is likely to withdraw the hosting right of the 2025 AFCON from the West African country.

With Guinea risking being stripped of the hosting right for the 2025 edition, Pinnick revealed that he has gotten the backing of the Minister of Sports to submit a co-hosting bid with Benin Republic. Nigeria has hosted the continent on only two occasions – 1980 and 2000.

• Rooney Wins ‘Wagatha’ Libel Case Against Fellow England Football Wife Vardy

A UK judge Friday effectively branded England footballer’s wife Rebekah Vardy a liar, rejecting her “Wagatha Christie” libel suit against Coleen Rooney following a trial that lifted the lid on celebrity skullduggery. High Court judge Karen Steyn found that allegations made by Rooney against Vardy were “substantially true” and that Vardy was complicit in the release of damaging stories to The Sun newspaper by her agent. Vardy’s husband Jamie plays for Leicester City, while Rooney is the wife of former Manchester United star Wayne. The 12-day trial in May laid bare tabloid double-dealing and the lives of the rich and famous.

The women’s lawyers had also represented Hollywood actor Johnny Depp and Chelsea Football Club’s former owner Roman Abramovich. Legal costs reportedly ran to around £3 million ($3.6 million), most of which will now fall to Vardy. Rooney said in a statement that she was “pleased” by the outcome.

But she regretted the case was brought to court “at such expense in times of hardship for so many people, when the money could have been far better spent helping others”. There was no immediate comment from Vardy.

• Ronaldo Insists On Leaving Man Utd As Talks Breakdown

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Tuesday meeting yielded no positive outcome as he has asked the club to end his contract to allow him to join a Champions League side. Despite Ronaldo’s stance, Manchester United have insisted the forward is not for sale as they are yet to receive any formal bid for his services. Talks over the 37-year-old to make commitments to the Red Devils proved abortive but he is expected to carry on professionally.

Ronaldo had missed United’s pre-season tour in Thailand and Australia respectively but was available for a medical checkup on Wednesday at which he watched his side’s 4-1 victory against Wrexham behind closed doors.

It is believed the Portuguese superstar will be available for the pre-season fixture against Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford on Sunday. Chelsea had withdrawn their bid for the superstar a while back while Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid appeared to publicly rule themselves out this week. Atletico fans displayed a banner stating “CR7 not welcome” at a pre-season friendly on Wednesday.

Ronaldo had taken a leave of absence from the club two weeks ago to attend to “family issues.” which called for a form of sanctions as he was seen to be breaking contractual obligations by missing the tour. But due to the sensitive reasons for him remaining in Lisbon, United CEO Richard Arnold decided not to sanction him as Arnold is said to be “relaxed” about the fact Ronaldo might miss the entire tour – and is more concerned with resolving the striker’s immediate future.

• Neymar To Be Tried Over Irregularities In Barcelona Transfer

Neymar is due to face trial in October over alleged irregularities in his transfer to Barcelona, judicial sources said on Wednesday. The Brazilian international, his parents and former Barcelona presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu will be tried for alleged corruption related to the forward’s move from Santos to Barcelona in 2013.

Rosell and Bartomeu will also face fraud charges in the trial which is scheduled to take place from October 17 to 31. Neymar left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a world-record 222 million euros, but it is his move from boyhood club Santos to Barca which has caused controversy.

The case stems from a complaint by Brazilian group DIS, the former owner of a percentage of the player’s rights. Barcelona officially said the transfer cost 57.1 million euros ($63.6 million), with 40 million euros going to Neymar’s family and 17.1 million to Santos, but Spanish prosecutors later said it actually cost at least 83.3 million euros.

METRO PLUS

• Hanifa Abubakar: Court sentences killer teacher to death

The Kano State High Court has sentenced Abdulmalik Tanko, a teacher who murdered his pupil, Hanifa Abubakar, last December to death Mr Tanko, the proprietor of Noble Kids College, was sentenced to death by hanging. Mr Tanko, alongside his accomplice, Hashim Isyaku and Fatima Musa, were arraigned before the Kano State High court on a five-count charge of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, confinement, and culpable homicide contrary to sections 97, 274, 277, 221 of the penal code.

Mr Tanko kidnapped and killed Hanifa, a five-year-old pupil on 4 December 2021, while she was returning from Islamiyya school and subsequently buried her in a shallow grave. The judge, Usman Nababa, sentenced, Mr Tanko,38, and Hashimu Isyaku, 38 to death by hanging for the kidnapping, and killing of Hanifa Abubakar. The convicts were sentenced to five years each for conspiracy. One other suspect, Fatima Musa, was sentenced to one-year imprisonment for conspiracy and another one year for an attempt to commit a felony.

Abubakar Abdulsalam, father of the five-year-old pupil murdered by her teacher, Hanifa Abubakar, has expressed happiness that the little Hanifa got justice from the court.
Abdulsalam, who made the remark while speaking with newsmen in reaction to the court judgement that sentenced the killer, Tanko Abdulmalik, and his accomplice, Hashimu Ishyaku, to death by hanging. He also commended the court for the judgment. “I’m happy that Hanifa, my daughter, has gotten justice.

He said since the beginning of the case, he never thought of not getting justice, and thanked the people of the state for the support and encouragement they had given them throughout the trial period. Abdulsalam, who looked calm, prayed to God to reward all those who sympathised and supported them from the beginning up to the end of the trial. “May the Almighty Allah reward all those who stood behind us from the beginning up to the end of the trial period. May He reward them abundantly,” he prayed.

• Another EndSARS may consume police, AIG warns

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 (Lagos and Ogun States), Adeleke Adeyinka, has warned his men to be more professional and civil while dealing with members of the public to avoid a repeat of nationwide protests such as #EndSARS. Adeyinka said another #EndSARS protest may lead to the end of the Nigeria police. The AIG gave the warning while addressing men of the Ogun State Police command during his visit to the command in Abeokuta, the state capital.

The nationwide #EndSARS protest led to the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigeria Police, over its record of abuse of Nigerians. He said, “another EndSARS may lead to the end of the police. “The criminals that perpetrated that act that time are going to come out more experienced. The mistakes they made then, they are not going to make them now and that is why your conduct towards the members of the public must be effective.”

He lamented the high rate of cultism among police officers and warned them against misconduct and other acts that may trigger civil unrest. Adeleke also charged the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, to fish out officers involved in cultism and cybercrime, who according to him, are giving the police a bad name.

• Nigerian graduates working as Canadian guards killed, identified

The identities of the two Nigerian men who were shot dead on Saturday by gunmen at the ATL Lounge in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, have been revealed. According to a GoFundMe account opened by one Adam Abdul, who claims to be a cousin to one of them, the men are Chibueze Momah (22), and Tosin Awaroshegbe (25).

Abdul wrote, “Eze and Tosin were both diligent workers who served as security guards for many lounges in Vaughan. They were loved and cherished by many in the community. Their story was only getting started as they had both recently graduated. Eze was set to make his way into the tech industry and Tosin our beloved engineer. Unfortunately, their time was cut short. It is our hope to raise $50,000 for each respective family to help with funeral costs and to reunite their bodies with their families.”

The York Regional Police, in a statement signed by one Constable Maniva Armstrong, revealed that a 20-year-old female was hospitalised after the shooting. The statement read, “On Saturday, July 23, 2022, at approximately 3.30am, York Regional Police responded to a nightclub in the area of Highway 7 and Keele Street for a report of a shooting. When officers arrived at the scene, they located three victims with gunshot wounds.

• Suspected terrorists attack Niger-Abuja military checkpoint

A military checkpoint close to Zuma Rock, a border between Niger State and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has been attacked by suspected terrorists on Thursday evening.
Information on the attack is still sketchy as of the time of filling this report.

However, it was gathered that the personnel of the Nigerian Army have embarked on a clearance operation after the attack. The incident was said to have caused gridlock in the area. Newsmen also gathered that the Mandala-Kaduna road has been cordoned off by the men of the Nigerian Army

• Owo attackers didn’t come to kill – Akeredolu

The Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Thursday, visited the scene where some bandits carried out an attack, injuring two people. Some hoodlums attacked the yard of the Craneburg Construction Company, at Folahanmi Junction, Owo. Speaking at the scene, Akeredolu said the shooting was aimed at destroying some of the equipment of the construction company and not to maim or kill anyone.

He said, “I want to allay the fear of our people. Clearly, what happened here on Wednesday night was not an attempt to kidnap anybody because they went away with nobody. And we have on the premises over hundred people living there.

“So, it is clear to us that their intention was to attack one or two equipment here, which they did. Their explosives affected the tyres and the windscreen of another vehicle. And we have close to 50 vehicles here. For us we are looking at it. We are not clear yet about their intention, but this is not one that should send unnecessary panic or fear into the minds of our people. This should not cause panic.

• VAPP Act: WARDC laments continuous violence against women, girls

A women advocacy group operating under the aegis of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre,WARDC,has raised concerns over the continuous violence against women and girls in Nigeria even in the face of domestication of Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, VAPP Act by state governments.

But the civil society oganisation,blamed the development on state government which it noted,lacked political will to implement the VAPP Act. Besides,the non-governmental organisation said the improper coordination among various government institutions was a factor to the unwholesome act.

WARDC Executive Director,Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, who said these, Thursday,in Abuja, at a two-day National Consultation and Agenda Setting Meeting on Implementation of VAPP Law in Nigeria, regretted that only four states have been able to domesticate the Act.

Akiyode-Afolabi, who disclosed that although only four states were yet to domesticate the VAPP act aimed at reducing Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Nigeria has made little progress in terms of implementing the law. According to her, the absence of a special court to hasten access to justice for survivors also serves as a barrier to justice for GBV victims and survivors