NEWS
NESG Holds Economic Summit Next Week, Cancels Presidential Debate
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has cancelled its planned Presidential debate among candidates in the coming 2023 elections.
The presidential debate was scheduled to hold next week in Abuja as part of the National Economic Summit (NES#28).
Organizers of the summit shelved the debate because of what they called “unfavorable climate”.
In place of the debate, NESG said it will organize a town hall meeting for presidential candidates of the political parties at a later date.
NESG Chairman Mr. Asue Ighodalo confirmed the change of plan on Wednesday while responding to questions from journalists after a scheduled pre-summit press briefing by the Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba.
Asue Ighodalo said there must be a minimum level of issues which presidential aspirants must sign on to.
He said the NESG had “hoped there was going to be a debate, but the prevailing climate wasn’t comfortable for it any more”.
“However we are planning a town hall arrangement. It’s fundamental each aspirant tells Nigerians how he intends to tackle each sector of the economy. The public can then take them up copiously sector by sector. There will be no aspirant that will say I don’t know. I promise this “, he said.
Speaking more on what this year’s summit will cover, Ighodalo projected that “in five years, Nigeria can become a leading industrializing and reforming nation in Africa that focuses on building its State capacity and capabilities”.
Within that period, Nigeria he said, “can break free from decades-long political, policy, legislative and regulatory binding constraints”.
“We can create an enabling investment climate and business environment, underpinned by a motivated, capacitated, well-resourced, world-class civil service that drives open, transparent, high-performance governance at all levels.
We can move Nigeria decisively towards structural and institutional reforms required to unlock local content development, sub-national economic diversification, competitiveness, and growth in the medium term.
“We can make moderate and incremental progress in poverty reduction and job creation, and we can make Nigeria the dominant shareholder of FDI inflows into the African continent.
Since the country is in full electioneering season, Ighodalo noted that “2023 presents another opportunity to demonstrate a strong political will to tackle Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges”
According to him this year, the NESG “seeks to unveil the most critical challenges for urgent attention: these are unemployment surge, huge infrastructural deficit, fiscal weakness, human capital and skills gap, flawed security architecture, and corruption. This summit will delve into the causes and implications of these critical challenges”.
Ighodalo lamented that “our nation is in a season of social discontent characterised by massive economic pressures and challenges on businesses and citizens. Macroeconomic instability is driven by stagflation pushing more people below the poverty line. More Nigerians are multidimensionally poor than are monetarily poor. The World Bank estimates that in 2022 alone, 7 million Nigerians will go into extreme poverty” .
“These socioeconomic pressures are accentuated by rising food inflation and a growing food insecure population that the World Food Programme puts at 61 Million as of October 2022. This situation has over 38% of our under-5 children experiencing chronic malnutrition and 70% of our children suffering from Learning Poverty (lacking basic literacy and numeracy skills).
He said “Nigeria’s Internally Displaced Persons Index 2021 shows that we had 3.2 million IDPs as of last year. This year adds an additional 1 million IDPs triggered by flooding that has not only destroyed lives and livelihoods but threatens food sufficiency and security”.
In his remark, the Minister of state for Budget and National Planning Prince Clem Agba said NES #28, jointly convened with the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, is anchored on imperative partnership.
The Minister said 11 pre-summit events had been held between August and September across sectors and thematic areas in preparation for NES #28.
These he said covered fiscal policy, investment, financial inclusion, MSMEs, and Infrastructure, amongst others.
“The Pre-Summit events also included a National Economic Dialogue for Youths focused on critical areas, including Economic Growth and Stability and Human Capital Development.
“These events have kick-started the Summit discussions and will be examined in further detail at the Summit, with outcomes reflected in the 2022 green book”, Minister said.
By David Torough, Abuja
The remains of elder statesman and President General of the pan-Igbo group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, have been slated for burial on November 1.
Chairman of the burial committee, Senator Ben Obi, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday.
Alongside with the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Amb Okey Emuchay and burial sub-committee chairmen, Senator Osita Izunaso, Gen.
Azubuike Ihejirika (retd) and others, Obi unveiled a series of activities culminating into the actual burial ceremony.“Our message today is to convey the dates for the burial of the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
“Lagos day of tributes, Wednesday 16th October 2024 at Eko Hotels and Convention Centre.
“Abuja Day of Tributes Friday 18th October, 2024 at the National Ecumenical Centre.
“Enugu Day of tributes, Saturday 26th October with a brief stop at Ohanaeze headquarters, 7 Parkland GRA Enugu while the main event will be held at the Okpara Square.
“Owerri Service of Songs Tuesday 29th October 2024. Commendation Service on 1st November in Owerri and Imo day of burial on Friday, 1st November 2024,” he said.
He added that further details will be communicated in due course.
On whether the Federal Government would participate in the burial, Senator Obi said the committee will visit President Bola Tinubu to intimate him about the transition of the statesman and details of his burial.
“We will be visiting President Tinubu to formally announce to him details of this transition and I am sure the President knows all that Chief Iwuanyanwu had done and he will do the needful,” he said.
Asked whether the late newspaper publisher had regrets about his inability to secure the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and ensure the realization of a restructure federation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo scribe said Chief Iwuanyanwu died a fulfilled man because he never shies away from doing his best in the circumstance.
“Chief Iwuanyanwu and I visited Kanu in jail and I think that was his last official assignment before his demise.
“Prior to that, he had never missed any opportunity to call for the release of Kanu.
“On restructuring, he never minced his words on equity, fairness and justice and he knew that he couldn’t do it alone.
“So he operated with the South-South PANDEF, Middle Belt Forum and Afenifere. He asked for parity in the number of states in each geopolitical zone.
“We in Ohanaeze will continue to pursue these issues that were very dear to his heart and we want to give the assurances that we will not fail,” Obi said.
President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th United Nations General Assembly session in New York this year.The President has thus directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation, Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser, Information and Strategy, said in a statement on Thursday.“President Tinubu, who returned to the country last Sunday after his trip to China and the UK, wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding.
“At UNGA 79, Vice President Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement to the General Assembly, attend important sideline events, and hold bilateral meetings,” said the statement.The high-level General Debate, with the theme, “Leaving no one behind: Acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations,”will run from Sept. 24, to Sept. 28. (NAN)
The National Examinations Council, (NECO) has released the June/July 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination results (SSCE), with 60.55 per cent of candidates securing five credits and above in English Language and Mathematics.
The Registrar of NECO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, disclosed this while addressing newsmen at the NECO headquarters on Thursday in Minna, Niger.
Wushishi said that a total of 1,376,423 candidates, representing 706,950 males and 669,473 females, registered for the exam.
The registrar said that 1,367,736 candidates sat for the examination, representing 702,112 Males and 665,624 females.
He said that 828, 284 candidates had five credits and above, including English and Mathematics, representing 60.
55 per cent.Wushishi said that the number of candidates with five credits and above, irrespective of English and Mathematics, were 1,147,597, representing 83.90 per cent.
He said that there was a great reduction in the number of examination malpractices this year compared to 2023.
“The number of candidates involved in various forms of malpractice in 2024 is 8,437 as against 12,030 in 2023, which shows a reduction of 30. 1 per cent,” he said.
The registrar, however, said that 40 schools were found to be involved in mass cheating during the examination.
” During the conduct of the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), 40 schools were found to have been involved in whole school (mass) cheating in 17 states.
” They will be invited to the Council for discussion, after which appropriate sanctions will be applied.
“A school in Ekiti was recommended for de-recognition for mass cheating in two core subjects and 01 Science subject.
” Similarly, 21 Supervisors were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision, aiding and abetting, abscondment, extortion, drunkenness and negligence in 12 states,”said.
He urged candidates that sat for the examination to visit NECO website to access their results.
Wushishi said candidates can access their results on NECO website: www.neco.gov.ng using their examination registration number,” he said.(NAN)
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