Metro
Fuel Scarcity: LASTMA Cautions Motorists Against Road Obstruction

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has cautioned motorists queuing up for fuel at different filling stations not to obstruct traffic.
It warned them not to cause congestion that could hinder other road users around filling stations.
The General Manager, LASTMA, Mr Bolaji Oreagba, said these in a statement issued on Wednesday in Lagos through the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Mr Taofiq Adebayo.
He said that he had deployed more officers on traffic monitoring around filling stations and other areas across the state.
Oreagba said that the deployment became imperative following reports of long queues around filling stations caused by motorists parking indiscriminately.
He said that such motorists were blocking roads while queuing up to buy fuel.
The LASTMA boss expressed displeasure at the disorderly behaviour of such drivers who queue up haphazardly around filling stations.
He urged petrol attendants and marketers to ensure that products were sold in an orderly manner.
Oreagba said this was necessary so as not to infringe on the right of way of other road users.
“Buying fuel is not an excuse to block and impede traffic flow across the state.
*In as much as we want our roads to be free, we do not want fuel queues to constitute a burden for other road users across the state.
“Efficient traffic management has remained crucial in the attainment of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s seamless multi-modal transportation system in Lagos.
“We are equally advising motorists including members of the public against unsafe fuel storage inside vehicles, homes, markets and workplaces.
“Landlords and tenants should shun inappropriate storage of fuel at homes and public places.
“Filling Stations must equally avoid dispensing fuel in polythene bags to avoid scuffles that can spark off fire incidents,” Oreagba said. (NAN).
Metro
FG to Set up Livestock Breeding Centers in Six Geopolitical Zones

The Federal Government on Wednesday disclosed a plan to set up a livestock breeding center in each of the six geopolitical zones to enhance productivity and sustainability.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, disclosed this in Kaduna at a two-day interactive session on Government-Citizens Engagement, organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation.
The event is themed, “Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government-Citizens Engagement for National Unity”
Speaking at a plenary on Agriculture and Food Security, Abdullahi said the President Bola Tinubu-led administration is intentional about investing in Nigeria’s livestock sector.
He reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to fostering synergy among key sectors to achieve the broad objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Abdullahi said his ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of Education to redesign curriculum for young farmers to adopt modernisation and boost the sector.
According to him, the initiative aims to equip the next generation with modern agricultural skills, technology-driven knowledge, and innovative farming practices to strengthen national food security.
Abdullahi said the synergy among the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment, Water Resources, Livestock Development, and the Marine and Blue Economy are imperative for delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Metro
FCTA Reads Riot Acts to Health Management Organizations

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Tuesday said appropriate sanctions will be meted out to FCT Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS) Health Maintenance Organisation (HMOs), failing to promptly remit payments to Healthcare providers.
The FHIS is a social Health Insurance Programme, offering financial protection through access to quality, affordable and equitable healthcare to all FCT residents.
Free enrolment is open to staff of the FCTA and Area Councils as well as vulnerable persons, including pregnant women, while other members of the public can enroll upon payment of N22,500 as premium per annum.
In a bid to improve the quality of healthcare services provided to the FHIS enrollees, about N4 billion, being outstanding/backlog payments for capitation and fee for service for years 2022 to 2024, was approved by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and paid between last year and this year.
This was contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka said the Benefit Package of the FHIS includes the Basic Minimum Package of Health Care services (BMPHS) ranging from promotive, preventive, curative and some rehabilitative care services.
The services include primary preventive care, screening, primary emergency services, and secondary level care such as dental, mental, eye, ear, nose and throat care, physiotherapy, surgeries, laboratory investigations, radiological investigations such as ultrasound scan, x-rays.
However, complaints have been received from some Healthcare providers concerning non-remittance of their payments by some HMOs, under the excuse that bank details of the hospitals were not available, an excuse not acceptable to the government.
Therefore, compliance of the HMOs to the prompt remittance of payments to Healthcare providers, as well as commitment of the Healthcare providers to the discharge of their duties to the FHIS enrollees will be monitored with a view to sanctioning defaulters appropriately.
On implementation of the FHIS in the last one year, there have been payment of all outstanding capitations and fee for service backdated to year 2022 by the end of 2024, improved timeliness in the payment of capitation to HMOs, review and increment of the capitation to Healthcare providers for improved service delivery to enrollees, free enrolment of vulnerable persons especially pregnant women and under-five, poor and indigents, who have started enjoying healthcare services, and accreditation visits to 100 Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities to expand the number of PHC facilities in FCT and improve access to healthcare services in the communities.
Also, all pregnant women who enrolled through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) Primary Health Care (PHC) Centres across the six Area Councils in the FCT will continue to enjoy free health education, medical consultation and treatment, routine antenatal drugs, laboratory investigations and delivery.
Referral for secondary care including caesarean section, blood transfusion, and treatment of other obstetric complications such as eclampsia, at all the 14 General Hospitals in the FCT is also provided at no cost to the patient through the BHCPF.
Metro
NAF Airstrikes Decimate ISWAP Leadership Cell in Southern Tumbuns

The Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) has neutralized several high-value Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) commanders and fighters in a decisive air interdiction in the Lake Chad region.
Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the Director, Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force (NAF), made this known in a statement in Abuja on Monday.
Ejodame stated that the mission, carried out on Sunday, targeted Arina Woje, a notorious ISWAP enclave in the Southern Tumbuns of Borno, known as a sanctuary for insurgent leaders.
He said the strike followed a series of credible Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) sorties that confirmed the return of terrorist elements to the area after recent inter-factional clashes.
According to him, ISR data revealed significant terrorist activities, including the movement of foot soldiers, reactivation of structures and the concealment of possible command centres and logistics depots beneath dense foliage.
He added that “acting on credible intelligence, NAF air assets were dispatched to undertake focused strike mission. Aircrew on arrival, acquired and prosecuted pre-selected targets using precision-guided munitions, achieving devastating effects.
“Preliminary battle damage assessment reveals the destruction of several structures housing key ISWAP leaders, fighters, and logistics storage facilities, effectively disrupting the group’s operational planning and resupply efforts in the region.”
The NAF spokesman said the operation reflected NAF’s continued resolve to dislodge terrorist elements, deny them freedom of movement, and support ground forces in restoring peace and stability across Nigeria.
He added that the operations also reinforced the value of intelligence-driven air power missions in modern counter-terrorism operations.