NEWS
Buhari Pledges better Life for Flood Victims
President Muhammadu Buhari in the course of the week reiterated his administration’s unwavering commitment to assist victims of floods across the country.
According to the Nigerian leader, he receives regular updates on flooding, which has affected more than 500,000 Nigerians since January.
A statement issued by his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu on Tuesday in Abuja, said the president extended condolences to those affected by the floods.
He assured that the Federal Government would continue to provide the needed emergency assistance to individuals and communities impacted by the disaster.
He also invited public-spirited individuals and organisations to support hundreds of thousands of people in need of urgent help in the affected communities.
The president had also hosted members of Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) led by its Chairman, Gov. Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi, on Tuesday in Abuja.
At the meeting, the president assured Nigerians that the governing party, APC, would bequeath strong political institutions that reflected their choices, through non-interference in elections.
The president cited outcomes of polls in Ekiti, Anambra and Osun States as indicators of his administration’s non-interference in political processes in the country.
According to him, non-interference in elections gives credence to the political processes, ensures participation and inclusiveness, and shows that the governing party respects the electorate.
He said APC, under his leadership, would continue to respect Nigerians by ensuring that their votes count and the people’s voices mattered in choosing political leaders at different levels.
The president also mourned the demise of the last leader of the former Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, who died on Aug. 30 at the age of 91, describing him as “a courageous reformer.”
According to the Nigerian leader, Gorbachev will be remembered for years to come ”because of his immeasurable contributions to world peace and openness in his own once rigidly closed society.”
Also on Aug. 31, the Presidency challenged Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue to name those military personnel who told him that President Buhari had ordered security forces not to move against criminal herdsmen.
Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s media aide, who challenged the governor in a statement, described the claim as ridiculous and patently untrue.
He , however, asked Ortom to name the military personnel who told him this story or forever shut up.
President Buhari ended the week congratulating some prominent citizens happy birthdays.
The affected personalities included Sen. Kashim Shettima, the Vice Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
Iwuanyanwu, a businessman, publisher and sports enthusiast celebrated his 80th birthday, on Sunday.
On Shettima, Buhari said ”the former governor of Borno is above any other politics”.
He joined leaders and members of the APC to celebrate Shettima on his 56th.
The president saluted him for his visionary and participatory style of leadership.
He also commended Shettima for his courage, foresight, sagacity and intellectualism.
Buhari also commended the SGF, who clocks 66 years on Sunday, Sept. 4, for his dedication to nation building since his youthful days in the 1980s.
The president noted the commitment of the SGF in ensuring fluidity of ideas, teamwork and harmony, and efficient transitions of policies into gains for Nigerians. (NAN)
NEWS
Gunmen Attack Police Station, Kill 2 in Anambra
The Police Command in Anambra says gunmen have burnt its station in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, killing two officers.SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, announced this in a statement issued in Awka on Monday.He said that the gunmen attacked the police facility with improvised explosives, shooting sporadically, which caused a fire to burn part of the station.
He said further that during the attack, two police operatives on duty were killed when they attempted to resist the gunmen. Ikenga stated that the bodies of the deceased policemen had been recovered and taken to the morgue.He also noted that joint security forces, including the police, army and navy, among others, had recovered five unexploded improvised explosives.Ikenga noted that the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Nnaghe Itam, had visited the scene for assessment.He said that Itam called on anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to come forward, assuring then that such information would be treated confidential.(NAN)NEWS
IPPIS Data Base not Compromised, OAGF Assures Employees
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to maintain and operate a secure and efficient personnel and payroll system.In a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr Bawa Mokwa on Monday, the OAGF maintained that the Integrated Personal and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) database has not been compromised, assuring that employees personal data on the IPPIS database is safe and secured.
The OAGF, which manages the IPPIS and other financial management initiatives of the Federal Government, said it is already implementing its ICT Security Policy that aims to ensure that its digital assets are secured in line with global best practices. The Office explained that no data is saved on its website, adding that the IPPIS uses the website to only share information and not for any transaction. “The IPPIS is not using the OAGF website for any transaction. The website is actually the medium to share information. Neither payroll nor payment is made through the website, therefore, no data is contained in the website”, it said. The OAGF stated that the IPPIS validation portal that was recently developed for updates of employees information was deployed for a period and after the exercise was over, the data were pulled out and the site shut down permanently.According to the statement, “the IPPIS Validation Portal was deployed on a secure platform. A secured database and application were purchased from the popular HELIX-FONS.”The Office acknowledged that the IPPIS is of utmost importance to Nigerian workers, thus it became imperative to assuage the fears of any loss or breach of employees personal data in the IPPIS database. The OAGF noted that the IPPIS has put in place necessary mechanism to resolve any problem that may arise in its operations and advised workers that observe anomalies in their salaries to follow the official procedures inorder to get such issues resolved.NEWS
Again, Inflation Drops to 32.15% in August
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
Nigeria’s headline inflation dropped to 32.15 percent in August, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report
The report released on Monday said the inflation eased the second time in 2024 after a 19 month increase that peaked at 34.19 percent in June.
“Looking at the movement, the August 2024 headline inflation
rate showed a decrease of 1.
It however, said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 6.35 percent points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (25.80%).
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in August 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.
e, August 2023).Furthermore, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.22%, which was 0.06% lower than the rate recorded in August 2024 (2.28%).
” This means that in August 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is lower than the rate of increase in the
average price level in July 2024.”
The report added that food inflation rate in August 2024 was 37.52 percent on a year-on-year basis, which was 8.18% points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (29.34%).
It said the rise in food inflation
on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of; “Bread, Maize Grains, Guinea Corn, etc (Bread and Cereals Class), Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, etc (Potatoes, Yam & Other Tubers Class), Palm Oil, Vegetable, etc (Oil & Fats Class) and
Ovaltine, Milo, Lipton, etc (Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Class).”
But on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.37 percent, a 0.10% decrease compared to the rate recorded in July 2024 (2.47 percent).
“The fall can be attributed to the decline in the rate of increase in the average prices of Tobacco, Tea, Coco, Coffee, Groundnut Oil, Milk, Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, Palm Oil, Vegetable etc.”
It added that the average annual rate of Food inflation for the twelve months ending August 2024 over the previous twelve-month average was 36.99 percent, which was 11.98 percent points increase from the average annual rate of change recorded in August 2023 (25.01 percent).