Encomium
- FG COMMENCES MASS HOUSING CONSTRUCTIONS IN 33 STATES
The Federal Government on Thursday announced that it had begin the construction of mass housing projects in 33 states across the country. It also called for an upward review of up to 50 per cent as mobilisation funds for contractors, especially emerging contractors operating in the built environment, in order to enable them to deliver their projects satisfactorily.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who disclosed this at the sixth meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, told delegates at the event that with the ongoing housing projects, the government had fulfilled the commitment it made at the 2016 council meeting by 90 per cent.
- TAMBUWAL, SULTANATE COUNCIL, DIRECT ALL IMAMS TO DO SPECIAL PRAYER FOR BUHARI
Sokoto state government, alongside with the Sultanate Council, is organizing a special prayer session at all jumaat mosques on Friday, August 25, 2017 across the state for the continued good health of President Muhammadu Buhari.
A statement issued Thursday evening by Malam Imam Imam, the spokesman of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, said while Tambuwal will attend a meeting of Governors with the President in Abuja, state Deputy Governor Ahmed Aliyu, top Government functionaries will join Sultanate Council officials at a prayer to be held at the Sultan Bello Mosque in Sokoto.
- JONATHAN REMINDS NIGERIANS ABOUT HIS 2014 STATEMENT
Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has reminded Nigerians about his 2014 statement on the ‘freedom citizens enjoyed during his government’. Mr. Jonathan dropped the message in a post on his official Facebook account.
The message is coming as the Director of Defence Information, Major-General John Enenche, on Wednesday said the Military now has “strategic media centres that monitor the social media to be able to fish out all those that will be anti-government, anti-military and anti-security.”
His comments came less than 48 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari said in his national broadcast that some of the discussion on social media in his absence crossed the line and left him distressed.
- OGUN TRADITIONAL RULER BAGS LAW DEGREE AT AGE 73
Oba Olufemi Ogunleye, a traditional ruler in Ogun State, has obtained a law degree from Crescent University, Abeokuta at the age of 73. The Oba, who is the Tiowulade of Akinale in Owu Kingdom of Egbaland, graduated with a Second Class Upper degree.
The traditional ruler was a veteran journalist before mounting the throne, having served with the Daily Times for over a decade and as Group Public Relations Manager of the defunct Nigeria Airways.
He stated that his love for education saw him through the challenges he faced, adding that it took him 5 years to obtain the degree.
- NIGERIAN AIR FORCE PLANE CRASHES IN KADUNA, PILOT DIES
An aircraft belonging to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), yesterday crashed while on a mission in Kaduna.
A statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, said one of the NAF’s valued pilots, who flew the plane alone during the mission, died.
According to Adesanya, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has since established a board of Inquiry, to determine the immediate and remote causes of the air mishap.
“The unfortunate incident is a tragic reminder of the hazards associated with the flying profession. The CAS and the entire NAF family commiserate with the relatives of the late instructor pilot”, the DOPRI said.
- LADOJA RETURNS TO PDP AFTER MAKARFI’S ASSURANCE OF FAIRNESS
Former Oyo state governor, Rashidi Ladoja, who defected to the Accord Party to contest the state’s governorship seat in the 2015 general elections, has returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ladoja, along with Mr. Seyi Makinde, a chieftain of the Social Democratic Party(SDP) in the state, moved to the PDP on Thursday in Ibadan, when Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, Chairman of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, visited the Oyo capital.
The former governor, who won the seat on the ticket of the PDP in 2011, said that he was returning to his home, adding that it was not his wish to leave the PDP when he did.
However, Makarfi in his response said, he came to Ladoja to take him back to where he belong”.
- BUHARI SIGNS EXTRADITION, ECONOMIC TREATIES
In a bid to stop the ongoing war against corruption, the Federal Government, yesterday, ratified nine international agreements between Nigeria and other entities to strengthen its anti-graft crusade within and outside the country. President Buhari signed the agreements at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in the presence of the Ambassadors of Switzerland, Chad, Niger, European Union, United States of America and Britain, among others.
The President further directed all agencies of government with roles to play under the respective treaties to ensure they discharge their anticipated tasks in an effective and responsible manner in order to ensure that Nigeria reaped the full benefits of the agreements.
- MEDICAL TOURISM DRAINING NIGERIA’S RESERVES – OSINBAJO
Nigeria’s vice president, Professor Osinbajo, has express concerns over the amount spent by Nigerians on healthcare tourism in other countries. He made this known on Thursday in an opening remark at the commencement of a two-day national health dialogue organised by the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism.
The health dialogue was chaired by the vice president, and hosted by the Minister for Health, Isaac Adewole.
In his speech, Mr. Osinbajo, who was represented by the director general, Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, said medical tourism has cost Nigeria billions of dollars. According to him, the president was interested in health issues, but said poverty was also a major issue to look at. He urged the states to also join in so as to ensure universal health coverage in the country.
- PREVAIL ON BUHARI TO RESIGN, FANI-KAYODE URGES ELDER STATESMEN
A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has called on elder statesmen across the country to persuade President Buhari to resign from office and attend to his health. He made the call in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, according to him, “ I did say the President was not going back and I maintain that position. I have no apology for saying so because the Buhari we are seeing today is not the Buhari that we knew and saw before.
Fani-Kayode alleged that Buhari could not afford to do a six-minute live broadcast to Nigerians when he arrived, but chose to do a recorded broadcast .
He therefore, called on those that truly loved the President to tell him the truth by asking him to resign , go home and take care of himself.
- VCs, ASUU REJECT 120 CUT-OFF MARK FOR VARSITY ADMISSION
Some Vice-Chancellors and the Academic Staff Union of Universities have rejected the decision of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to peg admission cut-off mark at 120 for universities and 100 for polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education. They maintained that they would not lower admission standards in their respective varsities because it would add no value to the nation’s university system .
They however, commended the decision of the Federal Government to re-introduce the post-UTME test and cleared the incumbent JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, from the cancellation of the test two sessions ago.
