The Corporate Affairs Commission has announced the approval to extend the mandatory Point of Sales agents, super agents and sole agents registration to September 5th, 2024. The commission made the announcement in a statement signed by its management and posted on its Facebook page on Saturday, giving a 60-day extension. It said the extension is to give sufficient time to operators particularly those in remote areas who might have encountered network challenges to so register and continue with their businesses. The statement read, “The Corporate Affairs Commission wishes to notify Fintech Operators also known as Point of Sales Operators that the initial deadline of 7th July 2024 given for the registration of sole Agents, Super Agents and Agents has been extended for sixty days beginning from 7th July 2024 to the 5th September 2024. “This is to give sufficient time to Operators particularly those in remote areas who might have encountered network challenges to so register and continue with their businesses. It added operators who continue to disobey after the new deadline will risk losing their businesses and facing prosecution for assisting criminal activities. “Operators who fail or refuse to register at the end of the extended deadline run the risk of losing such businesses and prosecution for aiding and abetting criminal activities,” it said.

  Terrorists attacked the Danhonu community in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Saturday night, abducting two journalists and their family members. Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Correspondent for The Nation Newspaper, and Abduraheem Aodu of Blueprint were taken along with their relatives. Relatives of one of the victims reported that the terrorists stormed the community around 10:30 pm, shooting sporadically before carrying out the abductions.   As of the time this report was filed, the Police spokesperson was unreachable and has not commented on the incident. Details soon…

  The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, on Saturday, explained that Nigeria signed the Samoa Agreement with the European Union (EU) to boost food security, and inclusive economic development, amongst other vital areas. He stated this at a press briefing on Saturday in the nation’s capital, Abuja, clarifying once again that none of the articles of the agreement between Nigeria and the EU showed that the former has recognised Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights. Controversy has enveloped the Samoa Agreement signed by the Federal Government with many frowning upon what they thought was the recognition of LGBT rights by the Nigerian government. The Samoa deal sparked a barrage of reactions online with many opposing LGBT rights, which is contrary to the anti-same-sex marriages and gay relationships law enacted in 2014 by then President Goodluck Jonathan. At the press conference on Saturday, Bagudu, alongside his counterpart in the Ministry of Information, Mohammed Idris, said Nigeria won’t enter into an agreement that was antithetical to the constitution as well as the religious and cultural sensibilities of the heterogeneous people of Nigeria. The economic planning minister explained that about 200 areas of cooperation were contained in the agreement signed by Nigeria and that aside from the agreement, an implementation agreement would be signed in each of the areas of cooperation. He said the areas of cooperation would lead to “capital” and “technical support”. Asked why the Federal Government signed the Samoa Agreement, Bagudu told newsmen that the agreement was for multi-sectorial development. He said, “When you get a copy of the agreement, you will see that this is a broad agreement. It is about education, it is about food security, it is about water and sanitation, it is about decent work, it is about demography, it is about youths, it is about culture and sustainable development, it is about inclusive economic development, it is about private sector development, it is about human rights, democracy and the rule of law, it is about good governance, public administration, personal data, peace and security. “Each article is about an area of cooperation. We signed (an) agreement with the EU to say that we believe we can cooperate in these areas. In the several areas which are about almost 200 distinct areas.” Bagudu said “about $600m worth of projects are coming under” the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme of the Federal Government. The minister further said, “There was nowhere in the body of the document where you will see $150bn but these are agreements which I believe, like with other countries, define what we want to relate with those countries in, and how to about it.” Bagudu said, “The agreement provides a proviso where each country, not just Nigeria, can issue a declaration clarifying some basis in which it is signed. “We will make the declaration available, it’s a public document presented along with (the agreement), we didn’t offer it because of concerns about misrepresentation about LGBT for example.” Last November, the European Union, its 27 member states and 79 member states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) signed an agreement in Apia, the capital of the Pacific island country of Samoa. Hence, it was referred to as the ‘Samoa Agreement’. With the new agreement which succeeded the Cotonou Agreement, the parties are expected to be better equipped to address emerging needs and global challenges, such as climate change, ocean governance, migration, health, peace and security. Nigeria signed the agreement on June 28, 2024, but it became public knowledge this week after a disclosure by Bagudu at a meeting with EU representatives.

  Sunday 07 July 2024 25 years after, Nigeria’s democracy in recession —Bishop Matthew Kukah SAMOA Agreement: Row over alleged lesbian, gay deal escalates Samoa agreement had nothing to do with LGBTQ rights – FG Blackout hits states as power generation drops to 70 megawatts Teacher shortage: 18 states fail to recruit teachers in five years 9,370 vehicles impounded for traffic offences in six months -LASTMA Nigeria’s FX reserves hit $34.7bn Nigerians will re-elect Tinubu in 2027, APC secretary boasts Healthy diet costs surge to 10.98% in three months Minimum wage stalling review of corpers allowance – NYSC DG Why Nigeria Signed Samoa Agreement With EU – Bagudu Police Alert Nigerians To Planned Nationwide Cultist Initiation New UK PM ‘Not Prepared’ To Continue With Rwanda Migrant Deportation Plan EFCC Asks Mompha To Prove Corruption Allegations Against Operatives You Are The Pride Of Our Nation, Tinubu Hails Nigerian Army Herders attack Amotekun operatives in Ondo over arrest of 120 cows Stop this reign of impunity, flagrant violation of citizens’ rights, Atiku flays Nigeria Police   Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anàmbra State has been asked to as a matter of urgency place a ban and stop the scavenging and selling of scraps in Anambra State. The call which was made by the Anambra People’s Assembly (APA), in a statement made available to newsmen in Awka, the Anambra State capital, said that the trade encourages crime and criminality among those involved in the trade. In the statement signed by High Chief Tony Umeh, the group said those involved in the scrap trade have not in any way brought development to the State, rather they caused havoc, environmental degradation, crime, and criminalities. Because most of the iron used in Calvert’s has been criminally removed or stoled for commercial purposes. They said about 95 percent of those engaged in scrap collections intrude into people’s private homes and steal their valuables and money, individual household materials, converting same as scraps to sell to make money, without actually knowing the worth of what they were vandalizing and the majority of them are not even residents or have a stake in the development of the state. “The Governor should ban them with immediate effect. They should arrest people who go about vandalizing people’s property in the name of collecting scraps” just like the Delta State government, said the group. The A.P.A. called on the State Government to create dump sites where those who want to dispose of their waste materials should dump them. The People’s Assembly asked Governor Soludo to initiate an executive bill to the State House of Assembly which should pass the law banning scrap collection in the State within 30 days by extension the whole South East. The law, said the group, should make it a criminal offense to engage in the collection of scraps popularly known as “iron condemn” cart pushers. Said the group: “They should emulate Delta and Rivers States which have banned: “iron condemn” in the States. The state Government should direct Local Governments to affect arrest of those who would defy the law, still claiming that they are “iron condemn people”.

  Nigeria’s Power grid has collapsed again, with the country currently generating 0.80 Mega watt of electricity, Daily Trust reports. This is the fourth power grid collapse in 2024 A check on the website of Independent System Operator, an autonomous arm of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) indicated that power plants contribution to the grid began to decline around 2pm to 2,797.16MW from the average 3,417.99MW around 1pm. The electricity contribution further declined to 1,020.08 around 3pm before dramatically falling to 0.80 by 4pm. Daily Trust reports that the 0.80 was generated by the Trans-Amadi Power plant. More to follow….

  A survey reveals that NHS patients are being left untreated and, in some instances, face solitary deaths due to inadequate staffing of registered nurses during shifts. In 2023, the government introduced a series of restrictions aimed at curbing migration to the UK, which included a prohibition on accompanying family members for most international students. However, recent research conducted by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) indicates that only one-third of shifts have sufficient nurses on duty. According to the report, which questioned more than 11,000 nursing staff across the UK, staffing shortages frequently result in staff members caring for dozens of patients simultaneously. Nicola Ranger, the acting general secretary and chief executive of the RCN, stated that the survey illustrated how patients were being let down. “In every health and care setting, nursing staff are fighting a losing battle to keep patients safe,” she said. “Without safety-critical limits on the maximum number of patients they can care for, nurses are being made responsible for dozens at a time, often with complex needs,” the Guardian UK reports. “It is dangerous to patients and demoralising for nursing staff.” In addition, 81% of respondents reported insufficient numbers of nurses to adequately ensure patient safety, with a significant number of nurses in accident and emergency settings responsible for caring for more than 51 patients. A nurse working in the community in south-west England said: “We have days when we have 60 visits unallocated because we don’t have enough staff. ‘We are always rushing.” Another in the south of England said: “We leave over 50 patients requiring care unseen daily due to poor staffing levels. “This leads to increases in hospital admissions and death. It is left to us to decide who gets seen and who gets missed, which is heart-breaking.” The RCN survey comes on the heels of a recent Channel 4 Dispatches programme, revealing that nearly 19,000 NHS patients endured waits of three days or more in A&E over a 12-month span. Nicola Ranger, the acting general secretary of the RCN, expressed that nurses are “fighting a losing battle to keep patients safe” and characterized current staffing levels as “dangerous to patients and demoralizing for nursing staff.” “We desperately need urgent investment in the nursing workforce but also to see safety-critical nurse-patient ratios enshrined in law. That is how we improve care and stop patients coming to harm,” she added. Nigeria In March, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria announced that Nigerian nurses and midwives must possess at least two years of post-qualification work experience from the date of receiving their permanent practicing license before their certificates can be verified by foreign nursing boards or councils. According to the Nursing Council, about 15,000 nurses left Nigeria last year to take up jobs abroad. Following the announcement, hundreds of nurses have staged protests at the health regulator’s offices in Abuja and Lagos, demanding the withdrawal of the policy. Similarly, in March, the federal government imposed a ban on granting leave of absence to health professionals intending to relocate abroad.

  A former Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation, Doyin Okupe, has said the deliberate misinformation on the Samoa agreement signed by the Federal Government is treasonable. PUNCH Online reports that Nigeria recently signed an international agreement, the Samoa Agreement, at the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium. Named after the Pacific Island Samoa, where it was signed, the agreement is gradually gaining traction, despite opposition by many countries that cherish Islamic and Christian values, in addition to the sensitivity of their cultures. Daily Trust had reported that the agreement has some clauses that compel underdeveloped and developing nations to support the agitations by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community for recognition, as a condition for getting financial and other support from advanced societies. Reacting to the report in a post via his X handle on Saturday, Okupe said the deliberate misinformation was aimed at discrediting the Nigerian government and damaging the reputation of President Bola Tinubu. He said the purpose of the misinformation was to cause serious disaffection within some parts of the country, which could cause major violence and civil unrest in the country. Okupe added that the act, which is evil and unpatriotic, should be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians, including leaders of the opposition parties. He wrote, “The deliberate misinformation on the Samoa agreement signed by the FG is patently treasonable. This particular act was obviously aimed at damaging and discrediting the FG, with the intent to cause serious disaffection within some sections of the country. And because it touches on the innate and core sensibilities of our society, it has a dangerous potential to cause major conflagration and civil unrest in the country. “It should be seriously condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians, including even leaders of the opposition who are hoping that someday they will also be in power. This is not just evil propaganda and unpatriotic, it is politics carried too far!! Bola Tinubu is President today, it will be someone else tomorrow. “No matter your grouse against this administration or political ambition or disposition, it is not worth burning this nation for. I must commend the Premium Times for going the extra mile to find the truth and publish same. Nigeria will still survive by God’s Grace. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” Recall that the Federal Government has assured Nigerians that President Tinubu will not enter into any international agreement that would be detrimental to the country’s interest. In a press statement on Thursday, the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, stated that the partnership agreement is between the EU and its member states, on one hand, and the members of the OACPS on the other. Idris said it is instructive to note that there is an existing legislation against same-sex relationships in Nigeria enacted in 2014.