NEWS
N HYPPADEC Trains 5000 Youths with Special Skills in Six States
From Dan Amasingha, Minna
In an effort to curb youth restiveness and unemployment, N-HYPPADEC has trained and provided starter packs to 5000 youths in six States with different skills.
The Managing Director of N-HYPPADEC, Alhaji Sadiq Abubakar Yelwa disclosed this at the official flag off of the distribution at the Justice Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre in Minna during the weekend.
The Managing director explained that the youths were harvested from Niger, Benue, Kebbi, Kwara, Plateau and Kogi States respectively.
“We want to add 5000 millionaires to the streets of HYPPADEC States and Nigeria by extension.”
According to him, the intervention agency decided to embark on the empowerment of the youths due to the impact of the devastating effect of the perennial flooding on most HYPPADEC States that impoverished the youths.
He explained that the youths were trained in various skills ranging from barbing, block production, animal husbandry and fisheries among others.
“They were trained in various skills ranging from three to six months, and we ensure that we provide them a stipend during the duration of the training
“The breakdown includes 1,500 from Niger, 500 from Kebbi, 1,111 from Kebbi, 650 kogi, 620 from Kwara and 320 from Kebbi.”
He disclosed that the beneficiaries were selected from basically riverine communities of the HYPPADEC operating States which accounted for why Niger had a total of 1,500 beneficiaries.
Governor Mohammed Umar Bago while presenting the starter packs to the beneficiaries, the Governor disclosed that the State government is set out to roll out a 100,000 youth vocational skills acquisition programme for the youth across the three Senatorial District of the States.
NEWS
Protect TETFUND from Abrogation Under Proposed Tax Bill–ASUU urges NASS
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the National Assembly (NASS) to protect the Tertiary Education Trust (TETFUND) from being abrogated under the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024.
Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the President of ASUU, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
Osodeke said that the proposed bill was worrisome and also posed potential danger to the Tertiary Education Trust (TETFUND).
“ASUU has observed with keen interest the ongoing debate on the review of the tax system in the country under a proposed bill tagged, Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024.
“This is currently before the National Assembly. Arising from the tax bill is the proposed abrogation of the education tax.
“ASUU is alarmed by this dangerous and unpatriotic aspect of the proposed new tax regime,” he said.
According to Osodeke, the bill proposed that education tax, called development levy, used to bankroll TETFund’s programmes should be ceded to the newly established Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
“TETFund will also receive 66.7 per cent in 2027, 2028 and 2029 years of assessment but zero per cent in 2030 year of assessment and thereafter,”he said.
He said that the far-reaching consequence of the new tax system is that from 2030, all funds generated from the development levy would be passed to NELFUND.
He said that ASUU found the development not only worrisome but also inimical to the national development objective due to the potential danger to the survival of TETFund.
Osodeke said that TETFund has been viewed as the backbone for infrastructural development, postgraduate training and research capacity building in Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions in the
last 15 years.
He said that ASUU had resolved not to stand by and watch the denigration or obliteration of TETfund which represents a positive testament to its constructive engagements with Nigerian governments since 1992.
“It is our considered view that abrogating the TETFund Act 2011, by design or default, will be a great disservice not just to education but to Nigeria as a nation.
“As a result, ASUU is urging members of the National Assembly to do all within their capacity to protect TETFund from being abrogated under the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, ”he said.(NAN)
NEWS
Gunmen Kill 1 at Benin Nightclub
The police in Edo have confirmed the killing of a guest at the popular Raptor Club and Lounge, Stadium Road, Benin.
The victim was shot dead by gunmen in the early hours of Friday, while his female passenger sustained gunshot injuries.
SP Moses Yamu, Public Relations Officer of the Police Command in Edo, said that investigations into the incident were ongoing.
According to him, the police received a distress call at 3 a.
m. that there were gunshots at Raptop Club.He said the operatives of the command on reaching the scene went after the hoodlums, who escaped and abandoned a pump action gun and two expended empty shells.
Yamu explained that efforts were ongoing to arrest the perpetrators.
NReport says that the incident, which occurred at about 2 a.m., has left the management and patrons of the nightclub in shock.
A source told newsmen that the deceased, whose identity has not been disclosed, was shot inside his white Lexus Jeep vehicle, while the female passenger was hit by stray bullets on her lap.
The incident left the club with some damages, including shattered show glasses and a destroyed glass door.
Policemen were seen at the scene of the incident, as the deceased’s vehicle was towed away. (NAN)
NEWS
Fire Claims Husband, Wife in Kano
Kano State Fire Service has confirmed the death of a husband and wife in a midnight inferno at Rangaza (Inken) Layin AU, Ungogo Local Government Area.
The service named the victims as 67-year-old Muhammed Uba, and his wife, 52-year-old Fatima Uba.
The Director of Kano State Fire Service, Hassan Muhammad disclosed this in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the Service, Saminu Abdullahi on Friday in Kano.
Muhammad explained that the incident occurred 12 midnight on Thursday, Dec.
12.According to him, “We received a distress call at about 01:45 a.m. from one of our staff, Ahmad Abubakar and immediately sent our rescue team to the scene at about 01:51 a.
m,” he said.Muhammad said it is a bungalow of about 50 by 25 feet used as a dwelling house, two rooms engulfed by the fire and were completely well alight.
He said that the victims were trapped by the smoke from the fire but were rescued unconscious with burns in some parts of their bodies.
He said that their corpses were handed over to the Ward head of Rangaza in Ungogo Local Government Area, Muhammad Rayyanu.
“The cause of the fire is under investigation,’’ he said.
The spokesman however, advised the general public to comply with safety regulations to avoid unforeseen circumstances. (NAN)