The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) have said the ban on the production of drinks in sachets and small-sized bottles, would ruin over N800 billion investment in the sector as well as render 500,000 people jobless. The associations, which disclosed this Friday in Lagos, said the enforcement of the ban by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) would have negative impacts on the economy. The Director General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, called on the federal government to reverse the ban and replace it with regulations and access control, saying, most players in the sector are indigenous investors who have made huge investments including taking loans to finance their business. “Besides and more importantly, the proposed policy would amount to unnecessary and avoidable debilitation of the business of local and indigenous investors who through thick and thin have kept faith with the Nigerian Economy. They have continued to invest and reinvest at enormous cost in the economy and in the Nigerian people who are the bulk of its nearly N500, 000 people workforce,” he said. He called on the government to intensify its activities and support in the form of access control and tighten regulations as well as promote and protect the growth of local industries and jobs by tackling production of fake, counterfeit, and unwholesome beverages. Executive Secretary of DIBAN, Mr John Ichue, who emphasized that the ban would not only affect the 500,000 direct workforce, but their dependents, called on NAFDAC to allow due process of full legislative hearings by the appropriate House Committee to take place, before enforcement of the ban.

  The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the federal government over the N1 billion requested for the tripartite committee set up to determine a new minimum wage. In a leaked memo seen by TheCable, George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), wrote to President Bola Tinubu requesting the sum of N1 billion for the committee’s activities. Akume informed the president that a new minimum wage would be ready by April. Although a presidency source said the sum approved by the president was N500 million, Segun Imohiosen, head of information, office of the SGF, failed to respond to calls and messages from TheCable on the matter. Reacting to the leaked memo, Debo Ologunagba, spokesperson of the PDP, said it is unpardonable for N1bn to be requested for the national minimum wage committee when citizens are suffering hardship. “The PDP describes the said approval of the huge amount for a routine government activity like committee inauguration as the height of profligacy, imprudence and financial recklessness which further validates PDP’s position that the Tinubu-led government is a cesspit of corruption where officials engage in brazen and reckless treasury-looting,” Ologunagba said in a statement on Friday. “This further shows that the APC administration is insensitive and has no regard for the plight of Nigerians, whom President Tinubu, during his 2024 budget presentation at the National Assembly described as ‘ordinary people out there’. Nigerians can now also see how our national treasury and funds meant for their wellbeing are being looted with reckless abandon by officials of the Tinubu-led APC administration. “This is apparently a tip of the iceberg of how looters in the APC administration are cashing out with public funds under the cover of the Presidency as witnessed in the reported plundering of over N44 billion in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. “The PDP calls out the Tinubu Presidency to speak out, come clean and address the nation on this very weighty allegation especially at this time when Nigerians are undergoing excruciating economic hardship.” Vice-President Kashim Shettima inaugurated the 37-member committee in January.

  The Lagos State Council of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives has called for the immediate reversal and withdrawal of the new circular on certificate verification by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. The council reached this resolution at its emergency state executive council meeting on Friday in Lagos. The council noted that it would consider other measures if there is no positive intervention by the close of business on Monday, February 12, 2024. The NMCN had on Tuesday released a circular on the guidelines for requesting verification of certificates for nurses and midwives in the country. AFCON 2023: Super Eagles Battle Bafana Bafana For Final Slot0.00 / 0.00 The circular was released after PUNCH Online reported that the council deactivated the verification portal in December 2023. In the new circular by the NMCN, nurses and midwives must have a minimum of two years post-qualification experience from the date of issuance of the permanent practising licence. Nurses, who spoke with our correspondent in separate interviews, alleged that the deactivation of the portal by the council was an attempt to hinder their freedom to pursue career opportunities abroad. They also said it was not unconnected to the plan of the Federal Government to reduce the number of health workers travelling out of the country to seek greener pastures. The circular signed by the Registrar of the Council, Faruk Abubakar, read in part, “A refundable fee per application shall be paid for verification to foreign boards of nursing as specified on the portal. This shall cover the cost of courier services to the applicant’s institution(s) of training, place of work, and foreign board. “Eligible applicants must have a minimum of two years post qualification experience from the date of issuance of the permanent practising licence. Any application with a provisional licence shall be rejected outrightly. “The council shall request a letter of good standing from the Chief Executive Officer of the applicant’s place(s) of work and the last nursing training institution attended and responses on these shall be addressed directly to the Registrar/CEO, NMCN. Please note that the council shall not accept such letter(s) through the applicant.” The council also stated that applicants must have an active practising licence with a minimum of six months to the expiration date, and processing of verification application takes a minimum of six months. It added that the implementation of the guidelines takes effect from March 1, 2024. Meanwhile, a statement signed by the Secretary of the Lagos State Council of NANNM, Toba Odumosu, questioned certain aspects of the circular and expressed reservations about its intent and impact on the progress and welfare of its members. “The SEC called for the immediate reversal and withdrawal of the new circular on certificate verification by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. “The SEC urged the NMCN to fully digitalise the verification process, including the transmission of decisions to other regulatory councils. “The SEC called on NMCN to provide the verification service at no extra cost while optimizing and automating its key processes for a 48-hour turnaround,” the statement read in part. The SEC also called on the Federal Government to immediately constitute the NMCN board to ensure proper representation of the interests of nurses and midwives in key decisions. “Acknowledging the immense hardship faced by nurses and midwives in Nigeria, the SEC urged the government at all levels to prioritise improving the working conditions, working environment and better remuneration of nurses as effective measures to curb the mass outward migration of members. “The SEC directed units to hold general meetings to sensitise members, urging them to allow the association’s mechanisms to exhaustively address the issue before considering further measures. “It was also resolved that the State Council would consider other measures if no positive intervention by COB on Monday,” it added.

  Saturday 11 February 2024 Abductors collected fried rice, chicken before releasing Ekiti pupils, others – Teacher’s husband Different strokes: Sex-starved Rivers women take to the streets, hunger-ravaged Niger residents protest food scarcity CBN gov declares end to Ways and Means Discos overbill customers by N105bn, face NERC sanction UNICAL lecturer, lawyer granted bail, court adjourns till Monday Makinde signs Oyo electricity bill Presidency blames moles as PDP demands probe of leaked N1bn memo Sacked Kaduna Speaker regains position after re-election Ramadan: Look Out For Sha’aban Moon, Sultan Urges Muslims Economic Hardship: Youths Stage Peaceful Protest In Osun World Bank Asks Govts To Invest In Education Hardship: 1,500 Pensioners Die, Others Plan Protest Port Harcourt Refinery To Begin Operations, Receives 475,600 Barrels Of Oil Sachet Alcohol Ban: Nigeria may lose N800b investments, 5.5m Jobs When football becomes game of death FG to Labour: Our agreement can’t be implemented once Customs nabs three for elephant tusk trafficking to Asia Edo guber poll: Labour party adjusts date for primaries Oyo to self generate, transmit, distribute electricity Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared Margaret Emefiele, wife of a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, and three others, wanted for money laundering, ThePunch is reporting. Mrs Emefiele, Mr Eric Odoh, Anita Omoile and her husband, Jonathan Omoile, were declared wanted Friday night for allegedly conspiring with the former CBN Governor “to convert huge sums of money belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria and committed felony to wit.obtaining money by false pretences, and stealing, contrary to and punishable under Sections 411, 287, and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.” More to follow….

  A popular Akure-based socialite and the owner of Emirate Petrol Station, Sesan Adelabu, has committed suicide after allegedly macheting his wife to death in Ondo State Mr Adelabu, popularly known as ‘Emirate,’ was alleged to have killed his wife late Friday in the Alagbaka area of Akure, the state capital. Reports said that shortly after he discovered that his wife was dead, he went to the toilet and drank an insecticide suspected to be Sniper to end his own life. A source who confirmed the incident, said there had been no love lost between the couple in recent times. “I can’t confirm what led to this, but I know the two of them had not been on good terms recently. It’s a sad one for us tonight, especially we members of his club,” he said. It was gathered that the corpses of the couple had been picked up and taken to the hospital morgue by the police. More to follow…..

  Armed bandits have targeted Kogo village in Faskari Local Government Area (LGA) of Katsina State, kidnapping 16 residents, including children, women, and men. According to a local resident who confided in Vanguard, the attack which unfolded silently at about 8:20 PM yesterday, caught the villagers off guard as the assailants executed their plan with meticulous precision. “The hoodlum quietly infiltrated the community, possibly parking their motorcycles at a distance to avoid detection. “Without causing much uproar, the assailants targeted a residence and eventually took away 16 people comprising of children, women, and men,” revealed the local source.   The community is now grappling with fear and uncertainty, anxiously awaiting updates on the ongoing situation. The residents are deeply concerned about the safety of their kidnapped fellow villagers and the overall security of the area, the source noted. When contacted, ASP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, the spokesperson for the Katsina Police Command, stated that he would verify the report and provide a response. As of the time of filing this report, he was yet to confirm or communicate any updates.

  The Port Harcourt Refinery is set to start operations following the supply of 475,000 barrels of crude oil by Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited. A statement by Shell said: “This significant milestone was made possible through intensive preparations, collaboration and the dedication of the Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal, BOGT and Port Harcourt Refinery Company, PHRC teams.” It stated that some activities, including pressure and leak testing to assure pipeline integrity by relevant subsidiaries of the NNPC Limited and integrity and maintenance activities on the Oil and Gas Terminal, BOT Refinery export pumps and associated instrumentations were carried out at the terminal through diligent efforts of the BOT operations and maintenance teams. “The recommencement of crude oil supply from the Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal to Port Harcourt Refinery is a significant achievement and a game-changer for the industry and the country. The intensive preparations, collaboration and dedication of both teams involved were instrumental in overcoming challenges and ensuring a safe and efficient supply operation. “This milestone will support the government’s aspiration of steady supply of petroleum products to the downstream market and other associated benefits to the economy of the nation,” Shell stated. Already, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd said it has fulfilled its pledge of achieving the mechanical completion of rehabilitation work on Area 5 Plant of the PHRC. It stated that rehabilitation work has been ongoing at the Refinery for over two years and the NNPC Ltd. had pledged to complete Phase One of the project (mechanical completion and flare start-up) of Old Port Harcourt Refinery (Area 5) by 31st December 2023. Speaking during an inspection tour of the rehabilitation project, which also coincided with the 15th Refineries’ Rehabilitation Steering Committee Meeting, the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd., Mr. Mele Kyari, had said as of December 15th, 2023, 84.4% of Area 5 Plant, a key component of the Refinery, and 77.4% of the entire rehabilitation project has been completed

  Babatunde Fashola, former governor of Lagos, says many services that Nigerians are expecting President Bola Tinubu to provide are not his responsibilities. Fashola said the constitutional powers of the president make Nigerians expect that he or she can do everything for them. Speaking on Untold Stories with Adesuwa, the former minister said it is not the responsibility of the president to provide water for citizens and ensure environmental sanitation. Fashola said the idea that the president has too much power is premised on the fact that some people still have the mindset of “militarisation of the Nigerian politics”. “The president is not an absolute custodian of power but a custodian of power in a constitutional democracy with checks and balances,” he said. “There are differences between his powers, functions, and duties. We should not conflate them. That power vests us perhaps with the expectation that the president can make everything happen. There are certain things the president cannot do. “These are the kinds of questions that we should be asking ourselves: Are we expecting so much from the president? “What constitutional role does the president have with regard to things that affect the majority of people – water supply, sanitation, getting a business permit, paying rent? “Those are things that are not the responsibilities of the Nigerian president.” ‘I DIDN’T STAGE-MANAGE LEKKI TOLLGATE CAMERA INCIDENT’ Fashola also spoke about the discovery of a hidden camcorder at the Lekki tollgate following the October 2020 ENDSARS protest. The former governor of Lagos, while visiting the scene alongside other government officials and south-west governors, discovered a hidden camcorder, which he said must have been planted by “some subversive elements”. The discovery sparked backlash on social media, as many Nigerians, including celebrities, took to their pages to air their different views. The clip of Fashola picking up his discovery was turned into memes that trended on the internet for months. Reacting to the incident, Fashola said the discovery of the camera was not stage-managed noting that he only wanted to help with the investigation regarding the shooting. He said the question that should be asked is the whereabouts of the camera, adding that the issue was not raised at the Lagos judicial panel. “Events at the Lekki tollgate and the way some sections of Nigerians turned it into comedy appeared to have Nigeria diffuse the tension, and for me, if that helped the country pull itself back from the precipice, it was worth the allegations,” he said. “I won’t contrive that kind of thing. Those who know me know who I am. I don’t invent facts. I deal with facts as they are. “That is what we all saw, and we handed it over if maybe it would be helpful to help in the inquiry as to what happened that night.”