POLITICS
Reps Member Urges Community to Take Ownership of ICT Center in Calabar
From Ene Asuquo, Calabar
House of Representatives member representing Odukpani /Calabar Municipality, Hon Bassey Akiba has called on the people of Aki Efa Community to take ownership of the ICT facilities in their Area, not to allow vandals to have their way by destroying them.
He made the call when wireless infrastructure providers operating under the aegis of ATC Nigeria wireless infrastructure limited commissioned a multiple million naira information and communication technology ICT Resource Centre to expose Akai Efa Community youths to digital education.
The reps member hailed the firm for setting up the facility that would encourage e-learning in the community, stressing that plans are in advanced stage sponsorship of over one hundred students of tertiary Institutions to acquire skills in various aspects of information and communication technology within a period of one.
“By the grace of God,our people will be coming here to learn and know how to access the entire world.
“And for us, we are coming here on September 8, 2024, on that day known as literacy day with about one hundred students from the tertiary Institutions to train them, and equip them with skills in various areas of ICT.
“We are going to launch an APP for our people to come here and apply for the first hundred students in the tertiary Institutions who will be supported by us”.
“I want them to come here, open the website, open the website and apply. Apply for jobs everywhere”.
“On behalf of our royal fathers, village head, the leadership and entire people of Akai Efa community, on behalf of ATC Nigeria wireless communication services, I want to on behalf of everyone today August 31, 2024, commission and open this centre for you”. He maintained.
Also speaking at the ceremony, representative of ATC Nigeria who facilitated the project at Akai Efa community, Franklin Danmoul, averred that over 24 youths in Akai Efa community will be trained at the resource centre at a time adding that though the firm operates across 20 states of Nigeria, its operation is limited to communities where Peace thrived.
“Most of the things that we are going to teach during the training session are things that are taught in schools,” he said.
In her remarks, female traditional ruler and village head, Akai Efa community Her Royal Highness (HRH), Henrietta Efa-Akpera, who attracted the project to her domain, canvasses stakeholders’ support for sustainability and protection of the facility against vandal’s attacks
The monarch lauded the development partner, ATC Nigeria Wireless Infrastructure Limited, creating a platform for acquisition of digital education by the community youths and commended the reps member Hon. Bassey Akiba for providing quality representation that has ushered in development in the constituency.
POLITICS
Assembly Passes Edo N675bn 2025 Budget for Assent
The Edo House of Assembly on Monday passed the state 2025 budget of N675 billion for assent.
The passage followed the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Budget and Project Monitoring at plenary in Benin.
Presenting the report, the chairman of the committee, Sunday Fada, (PDP Esan Central) said the budget was made up of N225 billion recurrent expenditure and N451 billion capital expenditure.
Fada noted that the committee came up with the increase in the budgetary allocation to enable the governor carry out his five points agenda in the state.
The House at the committee of Supply, considered the budget clause by clause and subsequently, approved the increase from N605.
7 billion to N675 billion.The Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, thereafter directed Mr Yahaya Omogbai, the clerk of the house to forward clean copies of the budget to the governor for his assent. (NAN)
POLITICS
Poverty, Behind Deadly Stampedes Across Nigeria, says Falana
By Mike Odiakose, Abuja
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, on Sunday attributed the deadly stampede that claimedmore than 105 lives in stampedes during food and cash distribution events to “poverty-induced neoliberal economic policies” and “criminal negligence.
”In a statement released on Sunday, Falana, who chairs the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond ASCAB, demanded justice for victims of the tragic events, saying, “These tragic events are a national shame, the victims were not just statistics but human beings driven to desperation by systemic poverty and the gross incompetence of those entrusted with their safety.
”On December 21, 12 people died and 32 others were injured in Okija, Anambra State, during a scramble for rice distributed by a philanthropist.
On the same day, a stampede at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, resulted in the deaths of 10 individuals, including children, as over 3,000 people jostled for palliatives.
Just two days prior, on December 19, 35 children lost their lives in a stampede at a Christmas funfair at an Islamic High School, Basorun. in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“The loss of these innocent lives is heart-wrenching,” Falana lamented.
“It underscores the indignity that poverty imposes on our people.”
Falana also criticized the elite for their treatment of the poor during such events, stating, “No member of the elite invites others to lunch by throwing the food,” and condemned what he termed “class prejudice” in the distribution of humanitarian aid.
He also announced plans to mobilize lawyers to pursue civil suits against the organizers of these events.
“We will ensure survivors and families of the deceased are adequately compensated,” Falana affirmed. “Those responsible for these avoidable tragedies must be held accountable.”
POLITICS
2025 budget: LP Chieftain Lauds Tinubu for Diving Priority to Security, Others
Dr Ayo Olorunfemi, National Deputy Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) ,has commended President Bola Tinubu for giving priority to security and other key sectors in the 2025 Appropriation Bill .
Olorunfemi gave the commendation while speaking with newsmeon Thursday in Lagos.
NAN reports that the President had on Wednesday presented the N47.
9 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill , christened “Budget of Restoration, Securing Peace and Rebuilding Prosperity” , to a joint session of the National Assembly .The President listed highlights of the 2025 budget allocations to include: defense and security: N4.91 trillion; infrastructure: N4.06 trillion; Health: N2.
48 trillion and Education: N3.52 trillion.Reacting , Olorunfemi described security as an enabler of development.
He called on the President to ensure proper implementation ,saying budgets had always been well-crafted but usually lacked monitoring and implementation.
“There is nothing that can happen if there is no security. This is good if the budget is properly utilised for the purpose.
“Our problem is not about policies and budgets, it is about monitoring and implementation.
“There is nothing wrong in bringing a budget proposal forward in terms of expectation, what we want to do, how we want to do it, and how much we want to spend.
“Now, the most important thing is the implementation,, budgets in Nigeria have always been properly crafted,” the LP boss said.
Olorunfemi called on the President to build strong institutions to prevent sabotaging of his policies.
“If this government wants to do anything, it must wake up to the responsibility of monitoring policies and ensure severe penalty for anyone who attempts to sabotage such policies.
“We need institutions that no one will be able to interfere with. We must allow these institutions to work, that is what we expect.
“Once we have strong institutions, most of our problems are solved,” he said.
He also called on the President to take steps to address the problems experienced by Nigerians in the banking sector.
Olorunfemi decried the inability of many Nigerians to get cash at bank’s Automated Teller Machines and the high charges paid to get cash from Point of Sales (POS) operators.
The LP boss also urged the President to devise ways of ending multiple taxations and high fuel price, describing them as major causes of hardship .
Recalled that the President said that the budget was a demonstration of government’s commitment to stabilising the economy, improving lives and repositioning the country for greater performance.
He also said the budget sought to consolidate the key policies instituted to restructure the economy, boost human capital development, increase the volume of trade and investments and bolster oil and gas production. (NAN)