The Federal Government assured that the current hardship being experienced by Nigerians as a result of the removal of subsidy on petrol will soon be a thing of the past as the recent N5 billion and some consignments of foodstuff given to each state were part of the immediate measures taken to mitigate the hardship caused by these reforms. Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Nebeolisa Anako, gave the assurance while addressing the 22nd Joint Planning Board (JPB) and National Council on Development Planning (NCDP) meeting in Osogbo, Osun State capital. He said that as other medium-term measures unfolded, Nigerians would appreciate the rationale behind the decisions. According to the Permanent Secretary, the essence of the joint meeting was to focus on how the government could fashion a path forward for sustainable economic growth and development. “There is a need for synergy among the federal, state and local governments towards effective implementation of all the meeting’s decisions to fast-track national developmental objectives. “Let me use this opportunity to urge all the representatives of the 36 states to encourage their respective governors and stakeholders to pay more attention to the development of the agricultural value-chain for improved bio-economy; and to pay more attention to the food systems transformation pathways for improved nutrition as panaceas to reducing unemployment, and stunted growth, particularly in the rural and under-served areas of the nation, in line with the declaration of state of emergency in the sector, by this administration. “The present administration is doing everything possible to address the hardship faced by Nigerians in the wake of economic reforms, which have resulted in the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira. “These challenges, which are temporary, will be over with time. “I, therefore, want to use this opportunity to urge you to use your esteemed positions to aggressively sensitise the Nigerian public on the long-term benefits of these policies,” he said. In his remarks, the governor of Osun State, Mr. Ademola Adeleke said that the meeting would restore Nigeria’s economic fortune through effective policy implementation in the long run. Represented by his deputy, Kola Adewusi, the governor appreciated the programme’s organisers for giving Osun the hosting right. In a statement, Director, Information, Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs Sade Boriowo said that the governor urged participants to develop immediate measures to mitigate the challenges caused by the present economic reforms through subsidy removal and floating of the naira.

  A man, whose name is yet to be identified has been electrocuted at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State. Daily Trust learnt that the incident occurred Monday night around Faculty of Education building, close to the Department of Economics of the university. It was gathered that the deceased had cut a high tension cable before electricity was suddenly restored by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and killed him instantly. A source at the university who would not want to be named said, “We came on Tuesday morning and found the body dangling from the electric pole at a transformer station around the new Faculty of Education building. “Evidence showed he was almost done cutting a high tension cable before electricity was restored by the EEDC and he got electrocuted. “EEDC officials, policemen and officials of the Safety Department of the University were on the ground as the body was retrieved around 11am on Tuesday.” This is coming barely a week after a man was discovered killed in a similar circumstance at a transformer in Amawbia, a neighbouring community to Awka town hosting UNIZIK. When contacted the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mrs Chika Ene, directed our correspondent to “please call the chief security officer of the university. I don’t know anything about that.” But the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Tochukwu Ikenga, said the university had briefed the command about the incident. The Head, Corporate Communication of EEDC, Mr Emeka Eze, confirmed the incident when contacted on the phone, saying it was a case of vandalism. He said men of the Nigeria Police Force from B-Division took the corpse away.

  A data and public affairs analyst, Durojaiye Ogunsanya, has said he can confirm that President Bola Tinubu attended the Chicago State University, United States of America. Tinubu’s certificate from the university has remained a hot topic among many who wondered why no one could corroborate the President’s story. In an interview with TVC News on Tuesday, Ogunsanya affirmed that the President did attend Chicago State University and that they both graduated in 1979. Ogunsanya said, “We met in the school, Chicago State University and we were in the same department, College of Accounting Business and Administrative, with a major in Accounting and we were in the same class together and we graduated. “He did attend the university and he graduated in 1979 in the same year as I did. I am here to testify that he did attend university and he was a good student. “I’m here with my diploma, for the world to see. We graduated together from the university. I just want to set the record straight not for any gain or favour.”

  The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, arraigned Obakin Ajibola before Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan on a four-count bordering on alleged theft of N251,685,000 belonging to a firm, Lee Fakino Nigeria Limited where the accused had also been a director. According to a statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity of the anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwujaren, the defendant was said to have committed the alleged offence in Ibadan around December 2022. The defendant, who was said to be one of the two directors of the company and signatory to the company’s account, allegedly withdrew the money from the account without authorisation and consent of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Akindele Fajemiyo, who is also a signatory to the account. Obakin was alleged to have removed the telephone numbers and email address of the MD/CEO of the company from the bank details of Lee Fakino Nigeria Limited, through which notification alerts of transactions were received to enable him to keep track of the account. The statement partly reads, “Obakin, afterwards withdrew the said sum from the account of the firm, which was money paid for works executed by Lee Fakino Nigeria Limited for the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture between December 22, 2022, and March 9, 2023, without any notification received by Fajemiyo. “Upon arraignment, Obakin pleaded “not guilty” to the charges filed against him by the EFCC. In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, Oyelakin Oyediran asked the court for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant to the Correctional facility pending the determination of the case. Counsel to the defendant, Ibrahim Lawal, urged the court to admit his client to bail. “Justice Ladiran Akintola admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N50 million and two sureties, preferably the wife and younger brother to the defendant, in like sum. Furthermore, “The sureties are to swear an affidavit of means, deposit their National Identification Slip with the court and provide the court with adequate residential addresses.” The court equally ordered that the defendant provide the court with his National Identification Slip and residential address. The matter was adjourned till October 23, 2023, for further hearing.

  The naira, on Wednesday, depreciated to N930 per dollar at the parallel section of the foreign exchange (FX) market. The figure represents a depreciation of N25 or 2.76 percent compared to the N905 it reported on August 23. Currency traders known as Bureaux De Change operators (BDCs), who spoke to TheCable in the Ikeja area of Lagos, said the plunge was due to scarcity of the greenback. The traders put the buying price of the dollar at N925 and the selling price at N930 — leaving a profit margin of N5. A BDC operator, who simply identified as Shehu, said “even some Nigerians are unable to withdraw forex from the banks”. He said the lifting of the ban by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on sales of forex to BDC operators has failed to help resolve the scarcity, as the banks are not selling to the BDCs. Meanwhile, at the official market, the local currency to close at N742.10 on Tuesday, according to data from FMDQ Securities Exchange, a platform that oversees official foreign exchange trading in Nigeria. Data from FMDQ showed that the market opened at N761.24 to the dollar, recording a high of N807.15 and a low of N738. A total of $42.26 million was traded in foreign exchange at the official investors’ and exporters’ window (I & E) window. On Tuesday, the CBN said a review of the change in the FX regime showed that banks are in a position to profit from its potential to significantly increase the naira value of banks’ foreign currency (FCY) assets and liabilities. The apex bank directed deposit money banks (DMBs) to stop utilising gains from the revaluation of the naira to pay dividends or finance operations.

  The House of Representatives ad hoc committee on international boundary dispute has directed that Sina area in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State be ceded to the Republic of Cameroon immediately Chairman of the committee, Beni Lar, gave the ruling during a hearing on the series of lingering boundary hotspots across the Nigeria-Cameroon boundaries which stretches from the Lake Chad region down to Cross River estuaries.   The hearing was also to assess the role of the military and para-military and security agencies to safeguard the borders and territorial integrity of the country. In attendance at the hearing was the Director General of the National Boundary Commission, NBC, Adamu Adaji; a representative from Sina Area, Adamu Kamale; the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Beatrice Jedy-Agba, who represented the Attorney General of the Federation; as well as representatives of security agencies. Lar said: “We have to continue this engagement with the relevant community and the boundary commission and come up with a solution. Let us go on a fact-finding mission and then we will intervene. ‘’The communities have a right and their right must be considered. This demarcation has to be put on hold until the disputes are resolved. It should be halted pending the resolution of this committee. We would visit Adamawa and come up with a comprehensive report. “We will recall that we did the first phase of this, similar to the DANARE-BIAJUA AXIS of Cross River State and as a fallout of that, the speaker through a request by Dauda Nyampa, included this SINA AREA to the committee’s terms of reference. “As usual, we are to interact on the aspects of the likely ceding of SINA to Cameroon. Thereafter, we pay an ‘on-the-spot fact-finding visit’ to Adamawa, of which we have notified the executive governor.” “The second aspect of this interactive briefing, which is very critical and crucial is on the role of the military, the para-military and the security agencies towards safeguarding the borders & territorial integrity of Nigeria: this briefing is to leverage inputs from the guarantors of our national security – the Army and the various security agencies. ‘’This is because in the committee’s last visit to Cross River State, we discovered the lack of security posts or barracks of any sort along our land borders whereas such is obtained across the Cameroon side of borders, hence, the necessity of this interactive session with our security formations.’’ Director General of NBC, Adamu Adaji, said the demarcation was being carried out in line with a ruling of the International Court of Justice, ICJ. He said so far, the sub-commission on demarcation had emplaced a total of 2,214 pillars along the boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon. “The Adamawa State sector of the boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon as decided by the International Court of Justice, is based on treaties and agreements that had been entered into by colonial masters. ‘’The courts upheld these treaties and agreements and ruled that they be used to re-establish the boundary. It is not a new boundary, it is a boundary that has been existing and there are documents that show the fact these boundaries have been existing. ‘’What the court ruled is go and use this document to re-establish the boundary as it has always been recognized,’’ he said. The representative of Sina Area, Adamu Kamale, said the disputed area was a Nigerian territory and never a settlement. Kamale, who noted that the community was never considered in the entire demarcation process, said: “From Lake Chad to Bakassi, the ICJ ruled on several communities based on different criteria.

  A 40-year-old man, Ibrahim Umar, has been arrested for allegedly killing two casual workers in Taranka village in Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, for ritual purpose. The suspect, a resident of Dankunkuru village in Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State, was suspected to have come to the said Taranka village for charcoal business, and in the course of his stay, the two persons went missing. Residents of the village were said to have suspected Umar of being responsible for their disappearance. The Police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Command, Ahmed Wakil, stated these in a statement made available to journalists in the state on Tuesday. Wakil, a Superintendent of Police, said that the suspect was promptly arrested by police operatives when they received the report of the incident. He said that the state Commissioner of Police, Auwal Muhammad, condemned the gruesome killing of the two casual workers and appealed for calm. He warned the people of the state to desist from posting unverified stories on social media, which could cause chaos in the society, assuring that justice would take its course. “On September 10, 2023, at about 9.58am, one Adamu Mohammed, male (57) of Taranka village, Gamawa LGA, Bauchi State, reported at Gamawa Divisional Police Headquarters, that about one month ago, one Kabiru Idi, male (36) and Bato Ali, male (18), both of the same address, were missing. “One Ibrahim Umar, male (40) of Dankunkuru village Ungogo LGA Kano State, who came to the said Taranka village for charcoal business was suspected to have perfected the abduction and disappearance of the aforementioned persons. “On receipt of the report, a team of detectives were quickly drafted to the scene and eventually arrested the suspect. “During interrogation, the suspect confessed to have killed and buried the two casual workers in a shallow grave around the outskirts of the town. Consequently, the requisite coroner’s form was filled and the bodies were exhumed from the said grave for discreet Investigation. These bodies were established to be those of the missing persons and are certified dead by a medical practitioner. “Thereafter, the Command handed over the corpses to the relatives for burial according to their respective religious rites. Investigation further uncovered that the accused killed the two persons in a bid to make ritual money out of their dead bodies,” the CP said. Wakil further stated that a search at the house of the suspect led to the discovery of human blood.