Category Nigeria News

An unnamed number of female worshippers were abducted during the service at a church in Zagani village, Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, on Sunday.

Hussaini Aliyu Bena, the LGA chairman of Danko-Wasagu, claimed that the women had fled after the gunmen stormed the village, which is located just a few kilometers away from the Zamfara border.

Due to the region’s poor network, we are yet to receive their names. No communication with the victims has yet been made, according to Bena.

He expressed concern over what he described as a growing trend and claimed that bandits now view Kebbi as a soft target for attacks and kidnappings because they believe they have reached an agreement with the Zamfara State Government.

Bena noted that the Kebbi State Government attempted to dispatch military personnel there last year, but the rainy season prevented that effort. However, he made it clear that new arrangements had been reached for a significant deployment to secure the border communities.

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He added that some villages that were previously under siege, like Dan Kade and Yar Tasha, have now been secured as a result of increased military presence, which has allowed displaced farmers to reclaim their farmland and caused the camps for internally displaced people to close.

Bena said such details were not yet available but would be made as rescue operations progress. Bena referred to the names of the affected churches and the abducted victims’ identities.

The Kebbi State Government has also confirmed that about 10 worshipers were kidnapped during the attack.

According to Ahmed Idris, the governor’s chief press secretary, some worshipers also suffered injuries during the invasion, according to a statement made by our correspondent on Sunday evening.

The Labour Party presidential candidate for the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has stated that the only coalition he is interested in is the one that fights hunger, poverty, and Nigeria’s terrible healthcare and education. There are growing rumors of a coalition among opposition leaders to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Obi stressed that he was not in need of any position during his visit to the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kubwa in Abuja on Monday.

“I am a coalition member against hunger, poverty, and poor health.” Politics is about doing the right thing, not my opinion.

We talk politics in this country and ignore what is important. He said that the topic of conversation should be about how to educate the children.

Read more:  Nigeria’s Poverty Rate Is Higher Than China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, Peter Obi, Combined.

In the 2023 election, Obi placed third behind Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP), president, and many people believe a coalition led by him, Atiku, and other opposition parties will defeat Tinubu.

The former governor of Anambra State refrained from claiming that those who claimed he had an agreement to run for vice president in 2027 were engaging in selfish political ambitions that would harm the nation’s development.

Additionally, Obi contributed money to a diocesan school project.

He claimed that the church had to bear the enormous cost because the government has failed miserably to provide a free and high-quality basic education.

Following Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration Mass at the Vatican on Sunday, Obi and Kayode Fayemi, a former governor of Ekiti State, exchange greetings with President Tinubu.

The former governor of Anambra responded to that statement by saying that the protocol only gave him the courtesy he needed in Rome.

The recent distribution formula adopted by the Federal Government for the distribution of the $ 50 billion approved by the Federal Government for university-based unions has been rejected by the Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non Academic Staff Union of Allied Institutions (NASU).

The 50 billion will be split between SSANU, NASU, and NAAT.

The non-academic unions expressed disappointment that only 20% of the funding was split between SSANU, NASU, and NAAT, despite receiving 80% of the funding from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

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This disparate arrangement is “grossly unfair, provocative, completely unacceptable, and capable of creating industrial disharmony,” adding to the teaching/non-teaching dichotomy in Nigerian universities.

The statement stated that the non-teaching staff at Nigerian universities are not second-class citizens but are vital stakeholders who make a significant contribution to the system’s daily functionality, administrative efficiency, research excellence, technical operations, and overall development.

The unions argued further that “we will not accept in silence” the most recent attempt to diminish our role and worth through this unfair distribution.

This is not a union-wide contest, we want to make it clear. Instead, it is about all employees, who make up the Nigerian University system’s backbone, receiving fair treatment, recognition, and equal treatment.

When all stakeholders are treated with respect, dignity, equity, and fairness, only a harmonious and productive academic environment can be created.

“The government should not be forgotten of the crucial and important roles that non-teaching staff have (and will continue to play) in stabilizing the Nigerian University system. The government and its organizations are aware of the significant contributions made by SSANU and NASU to maintaining our universities’ stability, functionality, and excellence.

Their decisions must therefore reflect this understanding and adhere to the principles of justice and equity.

The university system can ill afford this crucial situation, according to SSANU and NASU, and they urged the Federal Government to immediately review and reverse the recommended allocation formula.

Together, SSANU and NASU demand justice, fairness, and recognition of our constitutional position within the university community.

“We won’t fold our arms as our members are treated with disdain and our rights are violated.”

On July 1, the Lagos State government announced that it would start enforcing the single-use plastics ban completely.

Tokunbo Wahab, the Environment Commissioner, made this known in a statement on X on Monday.

He explained that 18 months of dialogue, engagement, and transition had resulted in the state government acting strategically and intentionally.

Wahab noted that the government had a number of stakeholder engagements with these product marketers and producers in the span of almost 18 months.

Read more about Lagos beginning the “very soon” enforcement of the ban on single-use plastics.

The state government enacted a ban on Styrofoam usage throughout the state in January 2024, which sparked outcry from residents, particularly those who were involved in a deal to sell the product.

However, the commissioner claimed that the government had taken advantage of international best practices, noting that what is unacceptable elsewhere cannot become accepted in Lagos.

“We once more emphasised this position as a result of a courtesy visit by TETRA PAK West Africa Limited’s management, led by the managing director, Haithem Debbiche.

It’s about environmental responsibility, they say. Additionally, we have taken the necessary steps to adhere to international best practices. What is unacceptable elsewhere cannot be accepted in Lagos. We must invest in our future and pursue good deeds.

“We’re not here to win any points,” the statement read. The purpose of our presence is to accomplish the work. We will insist on accountability and responsibility, just like we did with the Styrofoam ban’s successful enforcement. If everyone plays their part, we could have a cleaner, healthier Lagos.

The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), also known as KAI, destroyed 5 million pounds of Styrofoam packs in one month at various locations throughout the state.

The agency collaborated with Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) officials to carry out the exercise in the state’s Epe region.

Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole, the corps commander of the LAGESC, said there was no way to go back on the state’s declaration of zero tolerance on the sale, use, and distribution of Styrofoam packs.

The Federal Government declared a one-use plastic ban in all government ministries, departments, and agencies in June 2024.

Iziaq Salako, the minister of state for environment, made this statement after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which was being led by President Bola Tinubu, in Abuja.

READ ALSO: FG Bans Single-Use Plastics In Ministries, and Other Places.

According to the minister, some types of plastic, the majority of which are single-use, will be outlawed in Nigeria by January 2025, according to the National Policy on Plastic Waste Management, which was adopted in 2020.

According to Salako, the ban complied with the government’s commitment to addressing the country’s threats to climate change, biodiversity loss, and plastic pollution.