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

• Reps Ask NNPC To Suspend Companies That Imported Adulterated Fuel

Members of the House of Representatives have called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to suspend the four companies which recently imported adulterated fuel into the country. The lawmakers also mandated its committee on petroleum downstream to investigate the release and sale of the off-spec Premium Motor Spirit by petrol stations across the country and to bring the culprits to book. The issue was raised on Thursday as a motion of urgent public importance by the Chief Whip of the House, Mohammed Monguno.

The NNPC GMD on Wednesday explained how ‘adulterated’ Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from Belgium and listed the companies – MRS, Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium, Oando, and Duke Oil responsible. He said NNPC investigation revealed the presence of Methanol in PMS cargoes of the companies.

Members of the House of Reps during the plenary on Thursday also expressed concern over the effect of that adulterated petrol on vehicles and how the cost of transportation, goods, and service has increased. Some of the lawmakers lamented that the system is completely compromised, considering the processes which the fuel must go through before reaching the fuel stations. They asked that Nigerians whose vehicles and equipment were directly affected by the adulterated fuel be compensated.

• NNPC may spend N201bn to clean 170.25m litres of dirty fuel

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited may need an estimated N201bn worth of clean Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) to bring 170.25 million litres of adulterated product imported the country up to standard, an analysis of industry data has shown. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority had said on Tuesday that for every 200 litres of the adulterated product, 800 litres of petrol with good quality would be required for the blending that would be done.

“All the off-spec material (product) will re-blended to very good quality, and it will be certified and recertified before it goes into the market. The component that was in excess was methanol; what we agreed was that for every 200 litres of the affected volume, we need about 800 litres to blend,” the Chief Executive Officer, NMDPRA, Mr Farouk Ahmed, had said during a visit to some depots in Lagos on Wednesday after a meeting with industry stakeholders.

• Bad fuel: Buhari, Reps talk tough, say heads must roll

President Muhammadu Buhari and the House of Representatives talked tough yesterday over the bad fuel imported in to the country, saying those behind it must be held accountable. In fact, the House at its plenary, said heads must roll, if the situation was to be averted in future. The President and lawmakers’ positions came on a day marketers distanced themselves from controversies around who brought the bad fuel into the country.

It will be recalled that the Nigeria National Petroleum Company, NNPA, Limited had late Wednesday night, listed four marketers as those responsible for bringing in the bad fuel.

This is even as Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, was shielding its leaders behind the importation of the product. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said in a statement yesterday that President Buhari ordered that producers and providers of the bad product be held accountable for sub-standard services.

• Scarcity: NNPC counters MRS, says marketer, three others imported adulterated fuel

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has countered MRS Oil Nigeria Plc as regards the recent importation of adulterated Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, into the country. NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, named MRS and three other dealers as the firms that imported the contaminated products into Nigeria. This was, however, in contrast to the position of MRS.

A speech shared to selected broadcast media quoted Kyari as saying, “On January 20, 2022, NNPC received a report from our quality inspector on the presence of emulsion particles in PMS cargoes shipped to Nigeria from Antwerp-Belgium. “It is important to note that the usual quality inspection protocol employed in both the load port in Belgium and our discharge ports in Nigeria do not include the test for per cent methanol content and therefore the additive was not detected by our quality inspectors.”

He noted that in order to prevent the distribution of the petrol, NNPC had ordered the quarantine of all un-evacuated volumes and the holding back of all the affected products in transit (both truck and marine). “All defaulting suppliers have been put on notice for remedial actions and NNPC will work with the authority to take further necessary actions in line with subsisting regulations,” Kyari stated.

But MRS had on Wednesday denied any involvement in the imports of the adulterated products, as it explained that methanol was prohibited in petrol imported into Nigeria. It said, “Due to current subsidy regime, NNPC is the sole supplier of all PMS in Nigeria. Consequently, NNPC through their trading arm Duke Oil, supplied a cargo of PMS purchased from international trader Litasco and delivered it with Motor Tanker Nord Gainer.

• Oyo State Government seals IBEDC offices in Ibadan

Offices of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State, have been sealed on the order of the state government over outstanding tax debts. It was gathered that the organisation had earlier disconnected electricity supply to the State Secretariat due to the huge amount of money owed by the state government.
In its swift reactions, the Oyo State Government, through Dr Wasiu Olatubosun, the State Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, said the state government, confirmed the closure of IBEDC offices due to debts owed by the company.

An official of IBEDC, who pleaded anonymity, told newsmen: “Yes, IBEDC owes some tax, but the amount is not as huge as the electricity bill the state government is owning. So, now we are saying that if they pay their electricity bill, we will pay the tax also,” the official said. The IBEDC Chief Operating Officer, Mr John Ayodele, in a statement said “We appealed to the state government to look into the matter so as not to exacerbate the situation. “He said the Oyo State Government is owing IBEDC a whopping consumption outstanding of N450 million for over a period of three years.”
He said that the company, as part of efforts to get the outstanding pay initiated, several engagements, through correspondences and physical meetings, took place, but all these efforts yielded no result.

Olatubosun said that there was no truth in the news making the rounds that the state government sealed off the IBEDC offices in Ibadan, because the company disconnected the government office. He said that the company had been owing revenues, totalling over N400 million in the last two years.
Olatubosun said that the state government had approached the High Court of Justice in Ibadan to seek an order to seal off the premises of IBEDC.
He said that this was because the company had been ignoring bills served it by the State Board of Internal Revenue Service for the past two years.

• Queues: FG confirms supply of adulterated fuel

The Federal Government through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority on Tuesday said adulterated petrol, fuel with methanol quantities above Nigeria’s specification, was discovered in the supply chain. In a statement, it said the supplier had been identified and appropriate sanction would apply. It also said oil marketers had been directed to ensure sufficient supply of quality petrol in all outlets in the country.

• Adulterated petrol: FG may return fuel to suppliers, 100 million litres affected, say marketers

The Federal Government through its Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority may return to the overseas supplier, the contaminated Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, which was imported into the country by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. Oil marketers estimated that about 100 million litres of contaminated petrol were imported into Nigeria and had been recalled by the Pipelines Product Marketing Company, a subsidiary of the NNPC.

The recall caused severe queues in Abuja, Lagos, Niger, Nasarawa and many other states, as the few petrol outlets that dispensed products were crowded by motorists and other PMS users. It was also gathered that though efforts were being made to address the concerns, the queues and shortage of petrol might drag till this weekend.

• Adulterated Fuel: Buhari Angry, Orders Query of NMDPRA Head

President Muhammadu Buhari was said to have yesterday expressed anger over the contaminated petrol in circulation across the country, a development that has disrupted the nation’s fuel supply chain for several days. The president was said to have therefore ordered that the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr. Farouk Ahmed, should be queried immediately.

An impeccable presidency source told THISDAY that Buhari felt that the first point to begin to unravel how the product came into the country and invariably began circulating should be the agency, which by law acts as the “police” of the downstream and midstream sector. According to the source, who asked not be named, the minister who was at the Presidential Villa to brief the president, following the growing outrage over the issue, was directed to, in a short while, send the query to the CEO of the agency.

The Authority was created in August 2021 in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and encompasses a merger of three defunct regulatory agencies: Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Petroleum Equalisation Fund (Management) Board (PEFMB), and the Midstream and Downstream Divisions of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). It is responsible for the regulation of the midstream and downstream petroleum operations in Nigeria which includes technical, operational, and commercial activities.

• Increase VAT, Remove Fuel Subsidy Now, IMF Tells Nigeria

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called on the Federal Government to urgently consolidate its fiscal policies to create space and reduce debt sustainability risks. It specifically urged the government to increase Value Added Tax (VAT) from the current 7.5 percent and remove fuel subsidy without further delay in order to enhance long-term, inclusive growth. This is contained in the 2021 IMF Executive Board Article IV Consultation with Nigeria, which was concluded on January 31, 2022, and released Tuesday.

Highlighting the urgency of fiscal consolidation to create policy space and reduce debt sustainability risks, the IMF Executive Board “called for significant domestic revenue mobilisation, including by further increasing the value-added tax rate, improving tax compliance, and rationalising tax incentives. Similarly, the “Directors also urged the removal of untargeted fuel subsidies, with compensatory measures for the poor and transparent use of saved resources. They stressed the importance of further strengthening social safety nets.”

POLITICS

• Court Dismisses Suit Seeking To Remove Matawalle As Zamfara Governor

A Federal High Court in Gusau has struck out a suit seeking to remove Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, from office. Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state had filed the suit against the governor over his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Presiding over the case on Monday, Justice Bappa Aliyu said the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case. He, however, held that since it was neither a pre-election nor post-election matter, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not prohibit a governor from defecting from a party.

The judge added that the constitutions of the APC and PDP do not make it unlawful for a governor to decide and defect to any other constitutionally recognised political party operating within the country. He stated that the suit should have been filed before an election petitions tribunal, if it were a pre-election case, stressing that only the tribunal or the State House of Assembly has the power to remove the governor on the grounds of defection.

• 2023 Presidency: Any party with northern candidate will lose, says Akeredolu

Ondo State Governor and Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), on Tuesday, warned that any political party that fields a northern candidate in the 2023 presidential election will lose. Akeredolu said the 17 governors in the Southern part of the country under the auspices of the Southern Governors’ Forum are determined to ensure that the next President comes from the south.

The governor spoke in his office during a courtesy visit by members of a group, Power Rotation Movement, led by the Chairman, Pogu Bitrus, who also doubles as the Chairman, Middle Belt Forum. Akeredolu, who said those pushing against the power rotation in the country are tinkering with the existence of Nigeria, added that he believes in one fair and equitable Nigeria.

• 2023 presidency: Why Osinbajo won’t contest against Tinubu –APC chieftain

A member of the All Progressives Congress, Daniel Bwala, has claimed that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will not be contesting for presidency in 2023 against former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Bwala spoke when he appeared as a guest on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Tuesday. Bwala emphatically claimed that “Yemi Osinbajo is not running for President. He is not interested.

“I think I know the wisdom behind why VP Osinbajo is not running and he is shooting down every attempt to point towards that. He may have understood that the general principle of equity and fairness is that one good turn deserves another. He had a principal who supported him for eight years and because Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) has indicated interest, morally, not legally, it would be injurious for the Vice President to express interest.

• Osun 2022: APC screens Oyetola, others ahead of Feb 19 primary

The All Progressives Congress has screened the three governorship aspirants ahead of the February 19 primary election in Osun State. The aspirants include the incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola, former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Yusuff Lasun, and former Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti who recently returned to the ruling APC in June 2020, from the Action Democratic Party. The three aspirants were screened at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja by a seven-man committee led by Osagie Iyamu, on Thursday.

• 2023: Tinubu not doling out N25,000 grants, says support group

The Tinubu Support Group says All Progressives Congress chieftain and 2023 presidential hopeful, Bola Tinubu, is not giving out grants. The group described as fraudulent, an online portal promoting what it termed the ‘Tinubu Support Grant’. The portal reportedly asked Nigerians to ‘Hurry now and check if you are eligible to receive N25,000 support fund as part of Tinubu Support Grant’.

But in a statement on Thursday, the spokesman for the pro-Tinubu group, Tosin Adeyanju, said “the portal is fake and certainly does not enjoy the authorization of Tinubu.” Adeyanju said, “The objective of the criminals behind this scam is to defraud unsuspecting members of the public by advertising the identity of Alhaji Tinubu as being associated with the fraud. “We warn supporters of Alhaji Ahmed Tinubu and the general public not to patronize any portal called Tinubu Support grant.

ECONOMY

• Non-Oil Exports: CBN Announces Programme For Repatriation Of $200bn In Three-Five Years

The Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele on Thursday announced a programme that seeks to repatriate $200bn exclusively from non-oil exports over the next three to five years. The RT200 FX Programme, according Mr. Emefiele, targets increased exports, value addition and improved foreign exchange for the government. He made the announcement while briefing on the outcome of the Banker’s Committee meeting in Abuja.

Another segment of the plan includes a non-oil rebate scheme, a central warehousing scheme as well as a concessionary and long term funding for non-oil exporters. Mr Emefiele noted that while the goal itself may appear unattainable to some, he was resolute that it could be achieved. He added that the programme is not intended to be a silver bullet to all the nation’s problems in the export sector.

“Rather it is a first step meant to ensure that the CBN is able to carry out its mandate in an effective and efficient manner, which guarantees preservation of our scarce commonwealth, and the stability of our national currency, the Naira,” he said. It is only by boosting productive and earning capacity of this economy that we can truly preserve the long-term value of our currency, as well as the stability of our exchange rate.”

• CBN To Stop Sale Of Forex To Banks By Year End

The Central Bank of Nigeria has revealed that it would stop the sale of foreign exchange to banks by the end of the year. CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, said the banks must begin to source their forex from export proceeds.

He made the comments at a briefing during the launch of the bank’s new forex repatriation scheme, RT200, held after the Banker’s Committee meeting on Thursday, in Abuja. According to Emefiele, the decision is in line with the CBN’s new commitment to boost the country’s foreign reserves through proceeds from non-oil exports.

“Nigeria cannot continue to depend on FX earnings to fund its import obligations from revenue coming from earnings from products where we cannot determine both price and quantity,” he also said.

• Nigeria’s Capacity To Repay Us Is Adequate – IMF

The Nigerian economy is recovering from a historic downturn benefitting from government policy support, rising oil prices, and international financial assistance, said the International Monetary Fund (IMF). As a result of the recent economic developments in the country, the global financial institution believes Nigeria has the capacity to repay its loan.

This follows the conclusion of the Article IV consultation [1] with Nigeria by the Executive Board of IMF on Monday last week. “Directors noted that Nigeria’s capacity to repay the Fund is adequate,” the Fund said in a statement on Monday. “They encouraged addressing data gaps to allow timely and clear assessments of reserve adequacy.”

According to the IMF, Nigeria exited the recession in the fourth quarter of 2020 and its output rose by 4.1 per cent (y-o-y) in the third quarter, with broad-based growth except for the oil sector which is facing security and technical challenges. The directors highlighted the urgency of fiscal consolidation to create policy space and reduce debt sustainability risks and called for significant domestic revenue mobilisation, including by further increasing the value-added tax rate, improving tax compliance, and rationalising tax incentives, in that regard.

• Vibrant Housing Market Will Boost Nigeria’s Economy, People’s Livelihood – Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), has said that to address the issue of inadequate housing in the country, the Buhari administration remains determined in its vision to build a nation where low income earners have the dignity of a decent home and livelihood. According to Professor Osinbajo, this will not only improve the quality of lives of Nigerians, but also boost the economy through a vibrant housing market.

The Vice President stated this on Friday in Masaka, Nasarawa State at the commissioning of 248 housing units and commemoration of the 1,000th home built by the Millard Fuller Foundation, MFF. The Vice President emphasized that the Buhari Administration is taking the challenges seriously by addressing the concerns. The most recent initiative regarding this is the N200 billion National Social Housing Programme under the N2.3 Trillion Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), which is aimed at delivering homes for Nigerians on low income, as well as providing jobs for the local industry.

According to Prof. Osinbajo, to ensure that these initiatives are sustained, the Federal Government is in the final draft stages of a comprehensive 10-year National Housing Strategy. The strategy is the first of its kind with input from the private and public sector players. The VP disclosed that under the ESP Social Housing programme, which will create up to 300,000 homes, 18 States have so far given land for free, while 19,478 homes have been built, including 582 purchased from the Millard Fuller Foundation.

BUSINESS

• Lagos Train Tickets To Cost N200 – N300 Per Trip, Says Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has assured residents of affordable and accessible train rides ahead of the completion of the red line rail project of the government. He gave the assurance on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily while highlighting his administration’s efforts to tackle the gridlock on roads across the state.

“We believe that the cost will come down significantly for the citizens (residents),” said the governor. It is not going to be in thousands, … certainly, it is nothing close to that. So, you will still be in your regular N200, N300 per journey and that is what we are looking at.”

On Wednesday last week, the state government announced that it had acquired two new sets of 10 cars Talgo 330kmph trains for its Red Line rail project, as part of efforts to improve traffic management and transportation. The governor completed the acquisition deal of the two new speed trains on January 18 at an event held inside the Milwaukee facilities of Spanish train manufacturer, Talgo Incorporated in the United States.

HEALTH

• COVID-19: Cosmetic surgery industry records 11% drop in demand

The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has revealed that aesthetic plastic surgery procedures worldwide were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ISAPS disclosed this in its 2020 Global Survey released in December 2021. The yearly global survey recorded a 10.9 per cent decrease in aesthetic plastic surgery procedures worldwide. ISAPS also revealed that around 85 per cent of nonsurgical procedures were performed on women.

The report also said nonsurgical procedures, primarily fillers, and hair removal treatments, continued to increase, but by lower proportions than seen in previous years. ISAPS further revealed that the most common surgery, being breast augmentation remained the same making up 16 per cent of all procedures recorded for the year in review. This, it said, is followed by liposuction making up 15.1 per cent of the surgeries followed by eyelid surgery 12.1 per cent, rhinoplasty 8.4 per cent and abdominoplasty 7.6 per cent.

However, despite the overall reduction in surgeries, rhinoplasty and brow lift surgeries continued to increase, and nonsurgical facial rejuvenation showed a 13.9 per cent increase compared to a decrease in both 2019 and 2018, the report said. Commenting on this, the Chair of ISAPS’ Global Survey Committee, Dr. Arturo Ramirez-Montañana, said this was due to safety and financial concerns.

• Medical tourism: Reps propose seven-year imprisonment, N500m fine for officials

A bill seeking to prescribe a jail term of seven years and/or a fine of N500m for officials who spend public funds on foreign medical trips narrowly passed second reading at the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Sponsored by Sergius Ogun (PDP, Edo), the proposed legislation is titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to amend the National Health Act, 2014; and for related matters’.

Leading the debate on the bill, Ogun noted that the objective of the proposed law was to amend the Act “so as to make provision for sanctions against any public officer, who violates the provisions of the Act, especially Section 46 of the Act”.

The lawmaker urged members of the House to look at the merits of the bill and let it pass “in the interest of our nation, which is currently going through trying times and requires drastic steps to bring it back on its footing”. Ogun listed the merits of the bill to include the reduction of the exodus of doctors from Nigeria to other countries.

• Ondo resident doctors suspend warning strike

Members of the Association of Resident Doctors, University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, have suspended their two-day warning strike.
This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Akure by the president of the association, Mr. John Matthew. The resident doctors of the hospital had on Wednesday embarked on a warning strike after a member was allegedly assaulted on Tuesday by relations of a patient.

The statement said that the strike was suspended after the intervention of Mr. Francis Faduyile, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health.
“This is to inform you that the two-day warning strike embarked upon by members of our association yesterday, February 9, has been suspended and our members are back to work at 8 am today. This decision is borne out of the assurances of the special adviser to the governor on health, to among other things, address the immediate and remote cause of the barbaric act of assault against doctors and other healthcare workers in our institution.

• NDLEA seizes codeine worth N2bn at Lagos port

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted 40,250 kilogrammes of codeine worth over N2bn imported in two 40-foot containers from India. The drug bust comes on the heels of a similar seizure of 14,080kg codeine syrup and 4,352.43kg cold caps used to conceal the former in a 40-foot container imported from India, on February 2, 2022, at the Apapa Seaport. The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday.

He said both seizures followed intelligence reports from foreign partners and the cooperation of other port stakeholders such as the Nigeria Customs Service, Department of State Services, Nigerian Navy, among others.
Babafemi explained that the latest consignments, intercepted on February 8, were brought into the country in two containers marked HLBU 2239792, with 1,125 cartons of the drug, and HLBU 1067338, with 1,751 cartons, with a market value of N2,012,500,000.

He said, “The consignments were seized at the Port Express Bonded Terminal, Berger-Apapa, after they were discovered concealed behind cartons of hypergra 200mg and deluxe chilly cutters, after which the agency’s sniffer dogs were brought in to identify the illegal substance.”

EDUCATION

• FG’ll look into ASUU’s grievances, strike threat – Ngige

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, on Wednesday, stated that the Federal Government would look into the threat by the Academic Staff Union of Universities. The minister also said most of the union’s grievances were domiciled in the ministries of Education and Communications and Digital Economy. Ngige stated this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

ASUU had issued several threats of an indefinite strike over what the union tagged the failure of the Federal Government to honour some of the agreements it signed with it in the past. In 2020, ASUU went on a nine-month strike, which was called off in December of that year. In 2021, the union issued fresh threats and gave the Federal Government a three-week ultimatum to address its grievances. The union later shelved the move following the payment of N22.1bn earned allowances and the release of N30bn revitalisation fund to the universities.

Some members of the Nigeria Inter-religious Council, led by the co-chairmen, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar III, and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Dr Samson Ayokunle, visited President Muhammadu Buhari over the failure to implement the Memorandum of Understanding the government signed with ASUU in 2009 and other agreements. At the meeting, Buhari said the government remained committed to fulfilling the promises made to the union. Despite this, ASUU issued directives to its chapters and encouraged members to continue mobilising for the impending strike.

• Strike: FG owes varsities N880bn revitalisation fund, says ASUU

Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Ibadan chapter on Tuesday stated that the union will resist the alleged plan of the Federal Government to refuse to sign the renegotiated agreement. Rising from their Congress at the University of Ibadan presided over by the Chairman Prof. Ayo Akinwole, on Tuesday, the congress of the University of Ibadan ASUU said it was fully supporting the decision of the leadership of the union to fight for the welfare of her members whose welfare, it said, had been neglected for over 13 years.

While briefing newsmen shortly after the congress, Akinwole, flanked by other UNIBADAN ASUU executives, said lecturers had been pushed to the wall and would now fight back. He said, “While Nigerian politicians are among the highest paid in the world, Nigerian lecturers are among the poorly paid in the world with professors earning less than $1,000 dollars in a month.”

The ASUU chairman said the Federal Government had employed all formal and informal tactics to delay the renegotiation of 2009 agreements for four years and the new agreements were supposed to have been effective if the government had signed them in 2021. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has once more expressed disappointment over the refusal of the federal government to honour the agreements it freely entered into with the union in December 2020, saying Nigerians should hold the government responsible if they embark on another industrial action.

• N189bn Education Tax: TETFund Questions FIRS’ Low Remittance

The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Fund (TETFund), Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, has decried the poor remittance of N189 billion to its coffers by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as education tax collected for the year 2021. The TETFund boss noted that the agency “wants to presume from reports and available data that the FIRS met and surpassed its target for the Year 2021 tax revenue,” expressing concerns why the EDT collection “for the same was far below the target set for the year.”

He warned that the current amount below previous remittances would endanger the provision of critical infrastructure in the nation’s tertiary institutions if allowed to continue. Bogoro stated this in Jos on Tuesday during a joint interactive forum between TETFund and FIRS officials to enhance education tax collection and the agencies’ relationship. He was represented by the agency’s Director of Strategic Planning, Mr. Erivwo Inene.

• JAMB Announces Additional Code For UTME Registration, Introduces WhatsApp Platform

TheJoint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the adoption of an additional code, 66019 to its already existing 55019 code for registration, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported. The board disclosed this in its Weekly Bulletin of the Office of the Registrar, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

JAMB said that it adopted the 66019 as an optional USSD code to its 55019 code which had been operational since 2018, for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and its other services. Similarly, JAMB said that it had also introduced the use of a Whatsapp platform as an additional support and complaint platform for clients. The board said that the platform was also part of measures to effectively attend to diverse needs of candidates and its other clients alike.

• Senate approves establishment of six new law school campuses

The Senate has approved the establishment of six new campuses of the Nigerian Law School across the six geopolitical zones of the country, in addition to the existing seven. The 13 schools exclude that of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Smart Adeyemi, sponsored the bill. Approval of the new law schools followed the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters on the Legal Education Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

Accordingly, the Senate approved the Jos Law School Campus, Plateau State; and Kabba Law School Campus, Kogi State for the North-Central geopolitical zone. The Yola Law School Campus, Adamawa State; and Maiduguri Law School Campus, Borno State to serve the North-East zone. In the North-West, the Senate approved the Kano Law School Campus, Kano State; and Argungu Law School Campus, Kebbi State. In the South-East, the chamber gave approval for the Enugu Law School Campus, Enugu State; and Okija Law School Campus, Anambra State.

The Senate also approved the Yenagoa Law School Campus, Bayelsa State; Port Harcourt Law School Campus, Rivers State; and Orogun Law School Campus, Delta State for the South-South zone. In the South-West, the chamber approved the Lagos Law School Campus, Lagos State; and Ilawe Law School Campus, Ekiti State.

• Oyo govt proposes new name for LAUTECH

In its effort to change the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology from a technology university to a conventional university, the Oyo State Government has approved a Bill titled ‘2022 LAUTECH Amendment Bill, to be forwarded to the Oyo State House of Assembly. The Bill, which proposes to amend the name and objectives of the university to accommodate other fields of study and alter its present status as a strictly technology institution, as well as allow it to make provision for workers’ pension scheme, was approved at the Executive Council meeting held on Tuesday.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the state’s Attorney-General/Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo, stated these while briefing journalists shortly after the meeting.

According to the commissioner, the LAUTECH Amendment Bill, when passed into law, will enable the institution to offer courses in different fields of studies outside the field of technology, and also allow the establishment of more courses in Humanities, Law and other fields of studies. He maintained that the amendment will also correct an omission by allowing the university to make provision for the establishment of a pension scheme for its staff, adding that the pension scheme is regulated now in line with state policy on pension.

• Marwa Seeks ‘Integrity Test’ In All Universities To Combat Drug Abuse

Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) has asked all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to make drug integrity tests an institutional policy for both new and returning students as part of efforts to fight the menace of drug abuse among Nigerian youths.

Gen. Marwa who made the call at the University of Abuja while launching the ‘drug-free university campaign’ on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, also called for a partnership between the NDLEA and the university system that will allow the agency set up outposts on campuses to further strengthen the authorities in fighting the scourge.

According to him, “The Drug Integrity Test is anticipated to metamorphose into an anti-drug policy for all higher institutions of learning in Nigeria. It is expected that the University of Abuja, being the “University of National Unity”, will be the first public university in Nigeria to adopt the Drug Integrity Test for fresh and returning students of the institution”. Marwa added that “the Drug Integrity Test is not a punitive measure; rather it is an early detection tool to ascertain an individual’s drug use status for appropriate intervention, and timely treatment and care.

WORLD

• Russia All Set For Military Move On Ukraine, Says Norway

Russia is operationally ready to conduct a wide range of military operations in Ukraine and the Kremlin just needs to make the call, the head of Norway’s military intelligence service said Friday. The Russians “have all they need to carry everything out, from a minor invasion in the east to minor attacks here and there in Ukraine, or a complete invasion, with, possibly, an occupation of all or parts of Ukraine”, vice admiral Nils Andreas Stensones said. “Now, it is up to President Putin to choose if he wants to proceed or not”, he said.

Stensones made his remarks at the presentation of the Norwegian intelligence services’ annual threat assessment report. According to him, Russia has “more than 150,000 combat troops” massed at the Ukraine border, along with the country’s “most advanced weapons” and all the necessary logistics. “It’s very difficult to say if (an offensive) is likely or unlikely, because it is solely up to the Russian president to make the decision”, he said.

• Ex-Pope Benedict XVI Asks For Forgiveness Over Sex Abuse Scandal

Ex-pope Benedict XVI asked for forgiveness Tuesday for clerical child sex abuse committed on his watch, but aides rejected allegations of a cover-up while he was archbishop of Munich. “I can only express to all the victims of sexual abuse my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness,” the 94-year-old said in a letter published by the Vatican.

The letter from the former pontiff — who stepped down in 2013 — was released in response to a German inquiry last month that criticised his handling of cases involving paedophile priests in the 1980s. “I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church. All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate,” he wrote.

However, organisations representing abuse victims criticised the lack of specifics in his comments. Last month’s German investigation accused the former pope of knowingly failing to stop four priests accused of child sex abuse when he was archbishop of Munich between 1977 and 1982.

Benedict, who is in frail health, asked a team of aides to help him respond to the lengthy findings by law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl (WSW), charged by the archdiocese of Munich and Freising to examine abuse between 1945 and 2019. The aides insisted in an accompanying statement Tuesday that “as an archbishop, Cardinal Ratzinger was not involved in any cover-up of acts of abuse”, using the pope’s birth name, Joseph Ratzinger.

• UN Court Orders Uganda To Pay DR Congo $325mn War Damages

The UN’s top court on Wednesday ordered Uganda to pay the Democratic Republic of Congo $325 million over a brutal war two decades ago, just a fraction of what Kinshasa demanded. The ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) comes as a blow to DR Congo after it sought a massive $11 billion in reparations over the devastating conflict that lasted from 1998 to 2003.

Judges said Kinshasa had failed to prove its African neighbour was directly responsible for any more than 15,000 of the hundreds of thousands of people believed to have died in the war. “The court sets out the total amount of compensation awarded to the DRC, which is 325 million US dollars,” said Joan Donoghue, the chief judge of the Hague-based court.

Breaking down the figure, the court said Uganda must pay $225 million for damage to persons, including deaths, injuries and sexual violence, and $40 million for damage to property. It must also pay $60 million for damage to natural resources, including the looting of coltan, a metallic ore used in phones and computers, and other raw materials as well aor deforestation and the destruction of wildlife.

• Ugandan President Museveni Appoints US Blacklisted Spy Head Of Police Force

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has appointed a former military intelligence chief, who is blacklisted by the United States over alleged rights violations, to the top command of the country’s feared police force. Major General Abel Kandiho was recalled late Tuesday from his posting as security envoy in South Sudan barely two weeks after being dropped as spymaster.

Kandiho has “been appointed to the position of the Joint Staff of the Uganda Police Force,” Uganda’s military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Kakurungu said in a statement. Until last month, Kandiho was the commander of Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence and has faced accusations of abuses including beatings, sexual assault and electrocution.

The US Treasury slapped Kandiho with sanctions last December over alleged human rights violations committed under his watch. People arrested by his bureau were “subjected to horrific beatings and other egregious acts by officials, including sexual abuse and electrocutions, often resulting in significant long-term injury and even death,” it said in a statement.
Uganda has long suffered a series of crackdowns aimed at stamping out dissent, with journalists attacked, lawyers jailed, election monitors prosecuted and opposition leaders violently muzzled.

• WHO Urges Rich Countries To Pay Up For COVID-19 Plan

The WHO Wednesday urged rich countries to pay their fair share of the money needed for its plan to conquer Covid-19 by contributing $16 billion as a matter of urgency. The World Health Organization said the rapid cash injection into its Access to Covid Tools Accelerator could finish off Covid as a global health emergency this year. The WHO-led ACT-A is aimed at developing, producing, procuring and distributing tools to tackle the pandemic: vaccines, tests, treatments and personal protective equipment.

The scheme therefore wants $16 billion up front from wealthy nations “to close the immediate financing gap”, with the rest to be self-funded by middle-income countries. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the rapid spread of the Omicron variant made it all the more urgent to ensure tests, treatments and vaccines are distributed equitably. Meanwhile only 10 percent of people in those nations have received at least one vaccine dose.

The WHO said the vast inequity was not only costing lives and hurting economies, it was also risking the emergence of new, more dangerous variants that could rob current tools of their effectiveness and set even highly-vaccinated populations back by many months.

• Russia Begins Joint Military Drills With Belarus

Russia and Belarus launched joint military drills Thursday despite concerns in Western countries that Moscow is plotting a major escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. The exercises, scheduled to continue until February 20 in Belarus, had begun and would centre around “suppressing and repelling external aggression,” Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement.

Soldiers would practise beefing up sections of the Belarus border to block the delivery of weapons and ammunition into the country, among other scenarios, it said. The games have exacerbated deeply strained ties between Russia and the West, which accuses Moscow of massing approximately 100,000 troops around the borders of Ukraine for a potential invasion.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was in Moscow Thursday for talks with her Russian counterpart to urge the Kremlin not to attack or face “massive consequences” from Western sanctions. Responding to Western concerns, the Kremlin has insisted that it has no intention of leaving the troops permanently on Belarusian territory.

• France’s Nobel Winner For Co-Discovery Of HIV Virus Dies

French scientist Luc Montagnier, who won the Nobel prize for medicine for his co-discovery of the HIV virus that causes AIDS, has died aged 89, the mayor of the Paris suburb where he was hospitalised said Thursday. Montagnier died on Tuesday in the American Hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine northwest of the centre of Paris, its mayor Jean-Christophe Fromantin told AFP. Fromantin said he was in possession of the death certificate.

Montagnier shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with his colleague Francoise Barre-Sinoussi for their “discovery of human immunodeficiency virus” (HIV), which causes AIDS. But he was sidelined by the scientific community in later years as he took up positions judged to be increasingly outlandish, notably against vaccines.

His pariah status only increased during the Covid-19 pandemic when he claimed the virus was laboratory-made and that vaccines were responsible for the appearance of variants. A former star among French researchers, he had lost their support over the past decade over positions they felt they could not share.

ENTERTAINNMET

• Don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, it’s satanic -Mummy GO

Controversial Nigerian evangelist, Funmilayo Adebayo, popularly known as Mummy GO, has faulted the celebration of Valentine’s Day across the world, saying “it’s satanic”. The day is not worth celebrating, according to Mummy GO in a viral video. She explained that Valentine’s Day was initiated by the kingdom of darkness to destroy people.

The evangelist said, “The story that happened that they said they are celebrating as Valentine does not deserve celebration. The story has nothing to celebrate, but the enemy just chose it because that man — Valentino or what did they call him — they knew everybody loves him because he is a good person, who helped people and showed love to everyone. Yet, how did he die? He died a useless, terrible death. He died of dejection if you know the story very well. Is that something that needs to be celebrated? No.

“But they purposively chose it because the kingdom of darkness needs a day dedicated for falling, destruction and how do you convince people to celebrate immorality: they use popular figures loved by others.” Valentine’s Day is usually celebrated by lovers all over the world on February 14. It is renowned for being the most romantic day of the year.

• Sextape: It’s abnormal to condemn Tiwa Savage, praise Oxlade —Gov Okowa’s aide

Ossai Success, an aide to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, has said singer Ikuforiji Olaitan Abdulrahman, popularly known as Oxlade, should apologise over a sextape allegedly involving him. The sextape which has gone viral on social media had many Nigerians hailing Oxlade for the sexual prowess displayed by the male figure believed to be the singer.
However, there were some comments criticising the singer who is yet to address the sextape as of the time of filing this report.

Reacting, Success, in a post on his Facebook page, said those hailing Oxlade over the video are a corrupt set of people. This is as he cited a sextape involving singer Tiwa Savage which was widely condemned by many Nigerians. He wrote, “Stop praising Oxlade, he should apologise to us.

“Praising Oxlade when you condemned Tiwa Savage’s video is abnormal. You can’t praise Oxlade and condemn Tiwa Savage knowing fully well that Oxlade’s video is not different from Tiwa’s video. The youths who are hailing Oxlade over that video are a corrupt set of people. This is the major problem we are having in this country. We love praising wrong things instead of condemning them.

• Kemi Adetiba announces engagement to music producer, Oscar Heman-Ackah

Nigerian movie director and producer, Kemi Adetiba, has announced her engagement to music executive, Oscar Heman-Ackah. Adetiba, whose relationship status has remained mostly private till now, shared a video and pictures of the moment her man popped the question via her Instagram page on Wednesday. “We’ve taken some time to privately enjoy this moment and bask in the celebration of it all. However, we’re beginning to understand it might be next to impossible keeping a lid on this for much longer.

“After thinking long and hard, we ultimately would love for this announcement to be on our own terms and moulded in our own true narrative. Plus, you all here have followed my journey from the start and lovingly root for me – Now if that isn’t family, I don’t know what is. So dear family, on the 28th of January in Ghana, delivered as a beautiful surprise and expression of love, and in the presence of some close friends and family, @oscarhemanackah asked that we spend the rest of our lives together, and I wholeheartedly said YES… without a single reservation,” she wrote in the caption

The King of Boys director also jokingly added that all family members who “conspired” in the surprise proposal should get prepared for her retaliation. Adetiba also requested for privacy as the couple begin another phase of their life journey together.

• Adele wins Artiste of the Year, two others at British music awards

British superstar Adele won three awards, including the coveted Album of the Year, at the Brit awards on Tuesday, during a ceremony that did away with gender specific categories for the first time. Adele won best album for “30”, as well as song of the year for her hit single “Easy On Me” and artist of the year, no longer female or male, after which she acknowledged the changing times.

“I understand why they changed the name of this award, but I really love being a woman, being a female artist, I do,” she said to applause at the packed O2 arena in London. I can’t believe a piano ballad won against so many bangers,” she said after winning song of the year against competition from the likes of A1 & J1, Central Cee, Glass Animals and KSI.

Last month, Adele apologised to her fans for postponing her Las Vegas residency, just 24 hours before the opening night, blaming Covid-19 and “delivery delays”. The Brits said they did away with gendered categories to celebrate “artists solely for their music and work, rather than how they choose to identify or as others may see them.” Sam Smith, who is non-binary, did not submit their album “Love Goes” last year because it did not fit into the male and female categories.

• I’m making myself happy, Kim Kardashian explains reason for divorce

American socialite and business mogul, Kim Kardashian, has revealed the reason behind her divorce. Gracing the cover of Vogues’s March 2022 issue, Kardashian talked about how she qas charting the new waters of life as a co-parent, businesswoman and Law student. While she has been mostly quiet about her relationship with her estranged husband, Kanye West, Kim shed more light on the reason she was parting ways with the father of her children.

In the interview with Jen Wang, Kim stated that she was unapologetically “choosing” herself and making herself happy even though this comes at the cost of her marriage. For so long, I did what made other people happy. And I think in the last two years I decided, I’m going to make myself happy. And that feels really good.

“And even if that created changes and caused my divorce, I think it’s important to be honest with yourself about what really makes you happy. I’ve chosen myself. I think it’s okay to choose you,” she said. The 41-year-old billionaire said her forties will be about being “Team Me.”

• Explaining yourself to people waste of time, energy – Temi Otedola

Billionaire heiress and fashion mogul, Temi Otedola has described the process of trying to change people’s opinions as time-consuming.

Temi, who made her debut as an actress in the movie ‘Citation’, argued people shouldn’t bother expending their energy to change others’ perceptions about their personality which in most cases doesn’t ever change regardless of the effort they make.

She, however, noted that even though she interacts with people void of judgment not everyone can be like her adding, the only person to who you should ever try to prove anything to is yourself.

SPORTS

• D’Tigress Beat France, Keep World Cup Qualification Hopes Alive

The D’Tigress have inched closer to the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup following a 65-67 victory over France in a qualification match on Friday.
Friday’s win was the first time the African champions have beaten their European counterpart. The Nigerian girls were down by 20 points after the opening exchanges but gradually fought back, thanks to a Promise Amukamara’s half-court buzzer-beater at the end of the third.

Midway through the last quarter, Nigeria then took the lead to set up a dramatic ending. Although either of the countries could have gotten a win, it was Nigeria who did the job. Victoria Macaulay had 19 points, 5 steals, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, while France were punished by a massive 25 turnovers in the game.

Before Friday’s game, Nigeria had lost their first match against China. They were beaten 90-76. But the Nigerian coach was optimistic that his team will bounce back from the setback. The FIBA Women’s World Cup is billed for September in Australia.

• Chelsea ‘Desperate’ To Avoid Repeat Club World Cup Flop

Chelsea aim to put a turbulent past couple of months behind them by winning the Club World Cup final against Palmeiras on Saturday, the start of a season-defining period for the European champions. The Blues have fallen off the pace in the Premier League after winning just three of 10 games but are still competing for multiple honours at home and on the continent.

Chelsea are through to the League Cup final against Liverpool on February 27, four days after the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against French club Lille and just before the fifth round of the FA Cup.
A star-studded Chelsea side was beaten 1-0 by Corinthians in 2012 final in Japan, and midfielder Mateo Kovacic is eager for the current group to make amends.

Standing in the way of their second title this season, after a penalty shootout win over Villarreal in the UEFA Super Cup, is a Palmeiras team aching to end the jibes from rival supporters about their failure to win the Club World Cup. The Brazilians will be backed this weekend by an expected 15,000 fans in Abu Dhabi, prompting Chelsea assistant Zsolt Low to say it would be like playing another away game — after Saudi outfit Al Hilal enjoyed the majority of the support Wednesday.

• World Cup Will Be Health ‘Benchmark’ For Global Sporting Events – Infantino

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Thursday this year’s World Cup finals in Qatar will become a “benchmark” for holding future global sporting events during a health crisis. The Qatari organisers of the 32 nation event that starts November 21 and runs till December 18 said they are “cautiously optimistic” it will be the first mass gathering of sports fans for a global sports event since the coronavirus pandemic erupted two years ago.

Spectators have largely been forbidden from attending last year’s Tokyo Summer Olympics — save for a few events outside the Japanese capital — and the ongoing Winter Olympics in China. FIFA announced this week that requests have been made for 17 million tickets for the first World Cup in the Arab region and sought to reassure fans about safety measures during an online health conference organised by the Qatar authorities.

Football has a duty “to make sure this not only the best World Cup ever but also the healthiest World Cup ever,” Infantino said in a recorded statement for the event. He added that the health and security standards will be “a benchmark for future sporting events of this scale.”

• Zouma Loses Adidas Deal For Kicking Cat

West Ham defender Kurt Zouma has lost his deal with sportswear giant Adidas over a disturbing video showing him dropping, kicking and slapping his cat. He was also fined the “maximum amount possible” for mistreating his cat as the RSPCA charity said it had taken two animals belonging to the France defender into care. The RSPCA animal welfare organisation described the video as “very upsetting” and is leading the investigation while cooperating with police.

Around 200,000 people have signed an online petition calling for Zouma to be prosecuted as the public backlash intensifies in a country renowned for its love of animals. West Ham issued a fresh statement on Wednesday saying Zouma was complying with the RSPCA, including delivering his two cats to the charity for assessment.

“Kurt is extremely remorseful and, like everyone at the club, fully understands the depth of feeling surrounding the incident and the need for action to be taken,” the club said. Separate to the RSPCA’s investigation and pending further sanction once the outcome of that process is determined, West Ham United can confirm that Kurt Zouma has been fined the maximum amount possible following his actions in the video that circulated.

• Mane converts decisive penalty as Senegal win AFCON final

Sadio Mane scored the winning spot-kick – after missing one in the opening minutes of the game – as Senegal claimed their first Africa Cup of Nations title with a 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory over seven-time winners Egypt.
Mane stepped up to make history for the West African nation on Sunday at the Olembe Stadium in Cameroon’s Yaounde, and banished the memories of the team’s 2019 failure when they lost the final to Algeria.

Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saved from Mohanad Lasheen in the shoot-out to allow Mane the chance to seal the win and gain just reward for Senegal, who had been by far the better side in the final but spurned numerous opportunities to win the game. Egypt had their goalkeeper Mohamed Abo Gabal to thank for getting them into the shoot-out as he was outstanding in keeping Senegal at bay in what was the fourth time in as many games they had played extra time in energy-sapping conditions. But Senegal found the net when it mattered to take home the trophy.

METRO PLUS

• Valentine’s Day: Ladies who extort men risk 20 years’ imprisonment, lawyer warns

Ahead of Valentine’s Day celebration, a former publicity secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Douglas Ogbankwa, has warned that ladies who extort men risked 20 years’ imprisonment. Ogbankwa in an interview warned women against false representation aimed at extorting men during the celebration.

He noted that “experiences by some male folks over the years, have shown that some ladies are deliberately poised for extortion during the Valentine season, all in the name of love.”
According to him, ladies, who ignorantly carry out acts of deceit, broken promises or extortion may be held liable under the provisions of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act (419).

Ogbankwa stressed that girls, who were in the habit of collecting money in advance in the guise of transport fare to visit men on such occasions, but deliberately failed to do so, could be charged with fraud and prosecuted under the Act.

• Reps Ask FG To Declare National Emergency On Ritual Killings

The House of Representatives has called for the declaration of a national emergency on ritual killings across the country. This formed part of the resolutions reached by the lawmakers on a motion of urgent public importance entitled ‘Need to Curb the Rising Trend of Ritual Killings in Nigeria’.

Mr Toby Okechukwu, the Minority Leader of the House, moved the motion during Wednesday’s plenary at the lower chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja. The motion comes amid the incessant killing of innocent Nigerians for ritual purposes, with one of the latest being the murder of Sofiat Okeowo in Ogun State.

Worried about the trend, the lawmakers called on the National Orientation Agency (NOA), as well as parents, heads of schools, religious leaders, and the media to undertake a campaign to change the negative narrative bedevilling the society. They resolved to call on the Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board to rise to the mandate of the agency, as the clearinghouse for all movies produced in the country.

While moving the motion, Okechukwu called the attention of the House to the recent incidents of ritual killings which he said have assumed an alarming rate. He condemned the upsurge of reported ritual killings with increasing cases of abductions and missing persons in different parts of the country, saying the culprits in most cases rape, maim, kill and obtain sensitive body parts of unsuspecting victims for rituals.

• Boko Haram Will End Within My Tenure, Says Zulum

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State is confident that the challenges posed by the Boko Haram insurgency will end within the duration of his tenure which expires in 2023. The governor stated this after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday where he appraised the president of progress regarding the surrendered insurgents. He disclosed that the surrendered terrorists, numbering 30,000, are a combination of Boko Haram and ISWAP members.

According to him, dealing with the insurgents would not only require kinetic measures but political solutions as well. Although the Borno State governor declined to give details about the motivating factor behind the willing defections, he believes adequate intelligence is being garnered from the already surrendered insurgents. The governor was also optimistic that with more cooperation from the Federal Government, the insurgency, which has lasted for many years, will end.

Zulum’s comments come a few days after one hundred and four members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and their families surrendered to troops of the Nigerian Army. According to the army, the former ISWAP fighters surrendered their weapons to troops of the 25 Task Force Brigade in Damboa town of Borno State. A breakdown of the figure shows that 22 of those received by the soldiers are men, 27 of them are women and the remaining 55 are children.

• Reps demand nationwide campaign against female genital mutilation

The House of Representatives has called for a nationwide sensitisation against female genital mutilation by the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and the National Orientation Agency. At the plenary on Thursday, the House resolved to commemorate the 2022 International Day of Female Genital Mutilation, which was themed ‘Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation,’ urging Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, and the NOA to “organise nationwide sensitisation programmes discouraging the practice of female genital mutilation.”

The House also mandated its Committees on Women Affairs and Social Development; Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values to ensure compliance with the resolution and report back within four weeks for further legislative action. The resolutions followed the unanimous adoption of a motion moved by Ganiyu Johnson, titled ‘Need to Eradicate the Practice of Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria.’ The lawmaker noted that the move was to create a global awareness of the dangers of female genital mutilation and drum support for the protection of the physical and mental health of women and girls.