Category Nigeria News

The lawmaker representing the Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopamuro of Kogi State, House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, says the review of fees for Customs agents isn’t discriminatory but is to align with the modern reality.

Abejide, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Customs, stated this on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Friday.

“It’s not about discrimination, it’s about doing the right thing. One container before did not cost ₦5 million. Because of the devaluation of naira, you will see that one container can cost ₦20 million or even more.

READ ALSO: I’m Landlord In ADC, Coalition Will Collapse Completely In September — Reps Member Abejide

” For them to adjust this cost in reality with what is happening in the economy, it is not a bad idea. I believe those operators, too will understand. It is about the reality on the ground, “he said.

The licensing fee for agents and freight forwarders had reported been increased by the Nigeria Customs Service by 20-fold to ₦10 million.

With the increase, Customs agents and freight forwarders applying for new licences will pay ₦10 million, rather than the current ₦515, 000 charge.

Renewal fees will also rise from ₦215, 000 to ₦N4 million, while importers and exporters will need to obtain bank bonds of up to ₦20 million, from the current ₦350, 000, as a financial guarantee.

For bonded warehouses, the licence fee will skyrocket from ₦60, 000 to ₦20 million.

Renewals will cost ₦10 million from the current ₦60, 000.

Terminals will be required to obtain bank bonds of ₦500 million, a 900 per cent increase from the ₦50 million currently required.

Watch the video below:

Eze Chikamnayo, a former Abia State commissioner for information and strategy, has requested from Governor Alex Otti to provide proof that the state government funded the state’s 51 schools with $54 billion.

He claimed that it was troubling that the governor intimidated those who questioned his decisions but was not receptive to criticism.

Chikamnayo, who was a guest on The Morning Brief, a breakfast program on Channels Television on Friday, urged the governor to discuss the need to hear from the state’s opposition.

Read more about Otti’s decision to dismiss APC defection rumors.

The former commissioner, as Otti previously stated, also denied asking the governor for permission to work with the state government.

“I never visited him, and I never will.” When asked to respond to Governor Otti’s claim, he responded, “I am a member of the APC”.

Watch the video below:

The newly remodeled 100-room Hotel Presidential in Enugu, the state capital, was inaugurated by the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah.

Michael Okpara, the then-prime minister of the old eastern region, founded the hotel in 1963.

Mbah praised the hotel’s revitalization as a result of his campaign promise to recover Enugu’s moribund assets and boost the state’s economy in a significant way while also mentioning that the hotel had been moribund for 15 years.

He explained how a public-private partnership had been established to ensure the sustainability of class and service delivery.

INCLUDE   Enugu Air Starts With Approval From NCAA

Our forebears were ruled by Dr. Dr. for sixty-two years. This landmark was constructed by Michael Okpara as a testament to the resilience, elegance, and entrepreneurial spirit of the Eastern Region.

Time and neglect have progressively eroded that light. This magnificent structure has been a source of conflict for about 15 years because it goes against our pride.

We established a strong commitment to recoup the wealth of our people and turn idle assets into productive ones; transform liabilities into growth engines.

This unveiling is more important than just opening a hotel door; Enugu’s confidence is reopened as a result. When we say Enugu is open for business, we mean business, which is a tangible sign.

According to him, this hotel serves as a strategic enabler of our growth strategy, which includes the ambitious goal of doubling Enugu’s economy by at least $30 billion and achieving a poverty-free workforce rate.

He assured that the administration had put an emphasis on the hotel’s standards so that when Enugu says “welcome,” our hospitality infrastructure has the same credibility as our policies because the hotel’s renovation standards were truly world-class.

The adjacent five-star, 345-room ICC Hotel, which is under construction, will provide premium ‘keys’ for large events, according to Mbah, who stated, “Our hospitality ecosystem today is simply inspiring.

Enugu Air, which gave our dreams wings and revealed our global vision, has now been replaced with a full-service icon.

Nothing about this is spooky, really; On a large canvas, they are connecting dots. These resources are necessary to fulfill our goal of welcoming three million visitors annually to Enugu, making it Africa’s conference capital.

A former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Tukur Buratai, believes defeating insecurity in Nigeria requires a holistic approach, claiming the problem stems from politics.

Buratai was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily and thinks leaving the fight against insecurity to the military alone won’t help the country.

“It was started through some political actors, and it was essentially a political issue. This insecurity is essentially political, and now, it’s been left to the military, and the political actors are staying behind.

READ ALSO: &nbsp, Terrorists Using Gold To Fund Operations, Says Defence Chief

” So, this is something that is needed for a total review of the security aspect in terms of political associations or political involvement and so on, “the former army chief, who served in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, said on the breakfast show. &nbsp,

In parts of the country, bandits have abducted scores of persons, killing others and destroying homes.

Kidnapping for ransom and other crimes have also continued to fester in many states of the federation, raising concerns among Nigerians and even international bodies. &nbsp,

However, the former security chief suggested a more robust approach to resolve the perennial issue. &nbsp,

Buratai listed economic challenges as some of the contributing factors to the rising levels of insecurity in Nigeria. &nbsp,

” It’s very clear that apart from the military, we have the economic line, you know, we have the social line, we have the political line — very important, “said Burutai. &nbsp,

Buratai dismissed claims that the military was hindering the fight against insecurity, and instead said“, They are the solution — one aspect of the solution — and they will play their role very well if they have good support”.

” You cannot demoralise him, “Buratai said about troops scattered in many parts of the country fighting insurgents and other criminals. &nbsp,

” If you demoralise him, or you despise him, make things difficult for him, then you are endangering his life and that of his family, and you are endangering the life of the whole of Nigerians. “

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, had revealed that terrorists in Nigeria are increasingly using gold as a means to finance their operations.

General Musa, during a guest appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday, explained that terror financiers relied on complex networks, including international connections, which make it difficult to immediately expose or prosecute them.

When asked about the main source of financing for these groups, the defence chief replied”, Gold. They try to circulate this money, and that is why it is important for us to be able to track these things.

The Niger army said that it had killed a leader of the jihadist group Boko Haram in the Lake Chad basin, where the country borders Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon.

Bakura was killed during a “surgical operation” on an island in the Diffa region of southeast Niger last week, a statement read.

He was said to have led a splinter group loyal to former Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, refusing to join rival faction the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and moving to the islands on the Niger side of the lake with his fighters.

Boko Haram’s insurgency against the government to establish an Islamic caliphate in northeast Nigeria began in 2009, and has to date left some 40, 000 people dead and forced more than two million to flee their homes.

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The Niger army said in its statement that Bakura was targeted by a fighter jet early on August 15, calling him a “feared leader” of the group.

“Very early in the morning of August 15, an air force fighter aircraft launched three targeted and successive strikes on the positions Bakura used to occupy in Shilawa”, it added.

Bakura, whose real name was given as Ibrahim Mahamadu, was said to be about 40 and originally from Nigeria, the Niger army said.

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486 pharmacy locations in Nigeria have been closed by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) for various regulatory violations, including using unqualified personnel, operating without licenses, and selling controlled drugs without authorization.

Suleiman Ciroma, the head of enforcement at the PCN headquarters, made the disclosure while giving a press briefing at the end of a week-long enforcement exercise in Minna.

He claims that there are 290 unlicensed outlets, 127 patent medicine stores, and 69 pharmacies in the affected areas. He disclosed that one person had been detained and faces charges for allegedly obstructing PCN inspectors while performing their duties.

According to Ciroma, “672 premises, including 136 pharmacies and 536 patent pharmacies, were inspected across nine local government areas,” including Agaie, Bida, Tafa, Chanchaga, Lapai, Paikoro, Bosso, Suleja, and Gurara.

He explained that the operation’s strategic focus was on evaluating workplace, employee, and pharmaceutical practices to ensure that basic standards for safe and high-quality service delivery are followed.

The enforcement team found numerous breaches, including illegal apprentice training, operating in unlicensed facilities, and not adhering to regulatory regulations.

Ciroma urged the public to always check their licenses as a sign of caution against quackery by pointing out that licensed pharmacies and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) can be identified from the visible display of their legitimate licenses.

He continued, noting that the nationwide enforcement exercise is intended to sanitize the pharmaceutical industry, safeguard public health, and stop the production of substandard and fake medical products.