Monday 11 Match 2024 Schools in 14 states, FCT risk attacks, says FG Tinubu launches student loan Thursday, foreign scholars seek inclusion Ramadan: Sultan, Govs, Call For Unity, Prayers For Nigeria Successful Nigerian Doctors Abroad Considering Returning Home – Health Minister Blackout In Parts Of Abuja, Shiroro-Katampe Line Vandalised Presidency Counters Ningi, Says 2024 Budget Not Anti-North Apapa Has Appealed Verdict Reinstating Abure As LP Chair — Arabambi Five-Storey Building Collapses In Anambra Court Orders Final Forfeiture Of 36 Exotic Cars ‘Stolen’ From Canada PenCom Says FG Didn’t Take N10trn Loan Lagos To Design New Building Code NDLEA Arrests Two Grandpas, Seizes Drugs Concealed In Vehicle Engine Minna Airport Renamed After Tinubu As He Visits Niger Police Dismiss Officer, Suspend Two Others For 3,000 USDT Extortion In Rivers Death Toll From Indonesia Floods, Landslides Rises To 26 Businesses suffocating as fuel energy costs shoot skywards Japa: 16000 doctors left Nigeria in five years – Minister Parents Of Abducted Kaduna Students Cry Out For Help Why naira remains under intense pressure —Report More people protest against Shaibu’s impeachment plot Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  A tragic incident occurred in Lagos State, as a woman identified as Nimotalahi Ishola Folashade, an outpatient of Alimosho General Hospital, committed suicide by drowning. The incident took place when she was one of the twelve passengers on a boat, and she reportedly removed her life jacket before jumping into the river. The Lagos State Police Command confirmed the incident and mentioned that an investigation has been initiated. Authorities discovered a bottle of the popular insecticide Sniper in the deceased woman’s bag. Benjamin Hundeyin, the image maker in charge of the state police command, provided details about the incident. According to Hundeyin, a report was made at Igando Divisional Police Station by an individual named Rasak. The report stated that on March 9, 2024, around 21:00 hours, Nimotalahi Ishola Folashade boarded a boat at Isuti jetty, Isuti road, Igando, intending to travel to Totowu in Ogun State. Suddenly, she removed her life jacket and jumped into the river, leaving behind a bag containing a bottle of Sniper, Alimosho General Hospital cards, and some drugs. Detectives from the division visited the scene of the incident, and a search party has been contacted to recover the corpse. The police are currently conducting an investigation, and efforts are being made to contact the deceased woman’s family.

  Less than two weeks after a building collapse at the Oduigbo section of the Ochanja market, Onitsha, a five-storey building, on Sunday morning, collapsed at on Garden Street Fegge, Onitsha, Anambra State. Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Anambra State Physical Planning Board, Chike Mmaduekwe, decried the development and expressed gratitude to God that no life was lost as the collapse was a partial one. He, however, disclosed that the approval given was for the construction of a three-storey building but the developer went contrary to plan and started erecting a five-storey building. The building was meant to serve a commercial purpose upon completion. An excavator had already been deployed to the site to commence evacuation of the rubbles and a possible rescue operation of any trapped victim. Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, had warned developers to not only secure approvals from the relevant bodies before building but also to comply with terms of construction to avoid loss of lives and resources. He had ordered all buildings erected without approvals in the state to be demolished and this collapsed building will not be an exception as repeated contravention notices were served the developer who remained adamant

  Sa’ad Abubakar, has confirmed the sighting of the moon marking the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan 1445AH. The Sultan, in a post shared by the National Moonsighting Committee Nigeria on its X handle on Sunday, called on Muslims across the country to commence fasting on Monday, March 11, 2024. Earlier, the crescent, which signals the beginning of the Holy month of Ramadan, was sighted in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. “The Crescent of Ramadan 1445/2024 has been sighted in Saudi Arabia! Subsequently, Ramadan 1445/2024 begins tomorrow, 11 March 2024. Taraweeh Prayers will begin in the Two Holy Mosques after Isha Prayers,” the Haramain Sharafain in Saudi Arabia said in a statement. The moon, which was spotted on Sunday evening, signals the end of Sha’aban, the eight month of the Hijri Calendar, and the beginning of the Holy month of Ramadan which is equivalent to Monday, March 11. The month of Ramadan is determined by the Lunar Islamic calendar in which months span either 29 or 30 days, and commence as well as conclude based on the sighting of the moon. Ramadan is the ninth month of Islamic calendar in which Muslims world over fast for either 29 or 30 days based on the sighting of the moon. During this period, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset.

  Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were on Sunday thrown into darkness as sabouteurs vandalised the Shiroro-Katampe 330kV transmission line. According to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the vandalism of the transmission line makes it the fifth of such incident within February and March this. The incident happened at 9am on Sunday. “Following initial investigations, TCN engineers attempted to restore operation but were unsuccessful,” said a spokesperson for the TCN, Ndidi Mbah. Mbah, in a statement, said efforts were made to identify the fault location, while linesmen were dispatched to physically patrol the suspected area. “During the fault tracing process, vigilante team leaders in the vicinity notified TCN linesmen of vandalism along the Shiroro-Katampe transmission line. TCN personnel confirmed the vandalisation of the 330kV Shiroro-Katampe transmission line 1, from Towers 244 to 245, and the conductors stolen. “TCN is currently mobilizing for conductor replacement, pending completion of security operations at the site. Nevertheless, the second line remains fully operational, in conjunction with the Gwagwalada 330kV line serving the Kukwaba-Apo axis,” Mbah statedm adding that the wheeling capacity of TCN towards Abuja and environs would be enhanced by the Lokoja-Gwagwalada 330kV transmission line. “TCN is working hard to minimise the adverse effect of these acts of sabotage on bulk power supply to Abuja and environs,” the company stated. “This incident adds to a series of vandalism incidents recorded by TCN in February 2024, including the destruction of Tower 70 along the Gwagwalada-Katampe transmission line on February 26, 2024. Other incidents include the vandalism of towers 377 and 378 along the Gombe-Damaturu 330kV transmission line on February 23, 2024, and the attack on towers 145 to 149 and 201 to 218 along the Owerri-Ahoda 132kV transmission line on February 15, 2024. “Additionally, on February 1, 2024, Tower number 388 along the Jos-Bauchi 132kV single circuit transmission line collapsed due to vandalism. “These acts of sabotage are unacceptable, and TCN urges relevant security agencies and host communities to collaborate in apprehending the perpetrators. Protection of the nation’s transmission infrastructure is paramount, and collaborative efforts are required to curb these incidents. “TCN calls upon all Nigerians to assist in reporting acts of vandalism. Electricity infrastructure is a national asset and safequarding it is a collective responsibility.”

  President Bola Tinubu will launch the Student Loan Scheme on Thursday, March 14, 2024. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this when he spoke on TVC’s Politics on Sunday monitored by PUNCH Online. On the programme titled ‘Counting the Cost of Presidents Tinubu’s Reforms,’ Ngelale highlighted some of the President’s welfare initiatives being implemented at the moment, saying, “Later this week, on Thursday, the President will launch the historic National Student Loan Programme.” “This is a major form of obligation reduction for Nigerians and families and young people at a time when Nigerians are feeling the pinch. We believe this is the way to go,” he added. On June 12, 2023, Tinubu signed the Access to Higher Education Act, 2023, into law to enable indigent students to access interest-free loans for their educational pursuits in any Nigerian tertiary institution. The move was in “fulfillment of one of his campaign promises to liberalise funding of education,” a member of the then Presidential Strategy Team, Dele Alake, said. The Act, popularly known as the Students Loan Law, also established the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which is expected to handle all loan requests, grants, disbursement, and recovery. The government initially said it would take effect in September, but it did not. However, Tinubu had insisted that the scheme would go live in January 2024. Declaring the 29th session of the annual Nigeria Economic Summit in Abuja open on October 23, 2023, the President said, “By January 2024, the new Students Loan Programme must commence. To the future of our children and students, we’re saying no more strikes!” He proposed N50bn for its take-off in the 2024 budget he presented to the National Assembly last November. On February 7, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, exclusively confirmed to our correspondent that the much-awaited scheme would go live on February 21, when President Tinubu launches it at the State House, Abuja. However, the launch was delayed, with Sawyerr, alongside Presidency sources, explaining that the lag time is to enable the Fund to expand its mandate to include students seeking loans for skills development, as directed by the President. After receiving briefing from the NELFUND team led by the Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, on January 22, the President directed the Fund to extend interest-free loans to Nigerian students interested in skill-development programmes. Tinubu based his decision on the need for the scheme to accommodate those who may not want to pursue a university education, noting that skill acquisition is as essential as obtaining undergraduate and graduate academic qualifications. “This is not an exclusive programme. It is catering to all of our young people. Young Nigerians are gifted in different areas. “This is not only for those who want to be doctors, lawyers, and accountants. It is also for those who aspire to use their skilled and trained hands to build our nation. “In accordance with this, I have instructed NELFUND to explore all opportunities to inculcate skill-development programmes because not everybody wants to go through a full university education,” he had said. Linking this directive to the delay, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga had told The PUNCH, “Don’t forget that the last time they met, the President asked them to go and expand their mandate to include those who want to learn vocational skills. That could be the reason why the whole thing was delayed; they had to increase the scope.” On Saturday, Sawyerr also told our correspondent that the delay is due to unperfected backend systems to power the application process as the scheme is “entirely technologically driven.” He said, “The delay in take-off was basically to enable the agency to put all necessary measures in place as the scheme is entirely technologically driven.”

  There was a fire outbreak on Sunday at Dan’agundi transmission station which is one of the major electricity transmission stations in Kano State. The inferno was said to have affected the high-performance capacity transformer as responders were yet to reach the area as of the time of filing this report. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained as several efforts to contact the Head, Corporate Communication Unit of the Kano Electricity Distribution Company, Sani Bala Sani, failed. Details later…