The House of Representatives has expressed concern over the cholera outbreak in parts of Nigeria, with particular reference to Lagos State which reportedly has about 60 cases in hospitals, recording five deaths. The House stressed that this outbreak is part of a larger national issue, with Nigeria recording 65 confirmed cases and 30 deaths from January 1 to June 11, 2024, spanning 96 local governments in 30 states. A statement today, by the spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi Jr. said that the figures came from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC). He said that the NCDC had, in a recent public health advisory, warned of the rising trend of cholera cases across the country, exacerbated by the intensifying rainy season. “So far this year, 1,141 suspected cases have been noted, with ten states accounting for 90 percent of these cases.” The statement said that the Chairman of the House Committee on Healthcare Services, Dennis Idahosa, has expressed the need for immediate and coordinated action: “We must act quickly and decisively to address this cholera outbreak. Mobilizing resources and implementing preventive measures are crucial to safeguard our citizens. “Community engagement and education are essential in fighting the spread of cholera. We urge citizens to follow hygiene practices and report any suspected cases to health authorities. “Ensuring access to clean drinking water, proper sanitation and waste disposal, and maintaining good hygiene practices, including regular handwashing, are key to preventing cholera.” Akin Rotimi Jr said that the House of commended the NCDC for leading a multi-sectoral National Cholera Technical Working Group and providing essential support to the affected states. “We also commend the Lagos State Government and other state governments for the proactive disclosure and their efforts to contain the public health challenge.” He said that healthcare is still the top priority on the legislative agenda of the 10th Assembly House of Representatives. “We are committed to enhancing the healthcare system and ensuring access to quality medical services for all Nigerians. “The House will continue to advocate for strong public health measures and preventive strategies to manage outbreaks like this. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families affected by this outbreak and urge all Nigerians to remain vigilant.”
“I want to appeal to you (Nigerians) not to despair despite the inconveniences you are experiencing. Hard times, they say, never last forever and your sacrifices can never be in vain as the government of President Bola Tinubu is in a hurry to make life enjoyable for every Nigerian.” These are the words of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in his message to Muslims who are observing Eid-El-Adha or big Sallah tomorrow, June 16. A statement today, June 15, by Eseme Eyiboh, spokesperson to the Senate President, quoted him as assuring Nigerians that the 10th National Assembly under his leadership would work assiduously, in collaboration with President Tinubu, by providing the required legislative interventions for the growth of the nation and benefit of all Nigerians. Senator Akpabio, who congratulated Muslims on the Eid-El-Adha festivity, reminded them that the moment signifies sacrifice and joy and advised them to make the necessary sacrifices for a better tomorrow. According to him, the government of President Tinubu is not oblivious of the tough times Nigerians are going through, adding that the difficult reforms being instituted by the government are necessary to secure Nigeria for today and tomorrow. “On behalf of my family, the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, the Senate and the entire 10th National Assembly congratulate our Muslim faithful on the occasion of the important feast of Eid-el-Kabir. May Allah grant you a joyous and peaceful celebration. “The government is not unaware of the difficulties experienced by Nigerians as a result of its reforms but these reforms are never to punish Nigerians but are meant to correct the mistakes of the past and make the country better and greater for the benefit of all. “Even as you celebrate this all important feast of Eid-el-Kabir, we feel the pains of those of you who are struggling to meet up with their expected needs. We appeal to you be patient as the good days are not far away.” The Senate President prayed that God will continue to bless President Tinubu with wisdom and the strength to deliver on his promises.
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mamman Ahmadu to resign immediately. A presidency statement today, June 15, said that the resignation of the CEO is part of the reorganization being carried out in the public procurement system to reposition the agency for greater efficiency and transparency. The President asked the sacked Director-General to hand over the office to the most senior officer in the Bureau pending the appointment of a new Director-General. President Tinubu, according to the statement, appointed Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi as the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE). The statement said that Gbeleyi is a renowned financial expert and award-winning chartered accountant. The new appointee is a fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN). He is also an alumnus of executive programmes of the prestigious London Business School, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Lagos Business School. He has over 30 years of post-qualification experience in diverse sectors, including manufacturing, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), investment & commercial banking, project finance, telecommunications, infrastructure, and public administration. He was the board Chairman of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and Commissioner of Finance in Lagos State from 2013 to 2015.
Embattled Super Eagles coach, Finidi George, has said that one of the reasons he resigned as head coach of the Nigeria senior football team has to do with the fact that some players proved too big to be controlled. He was quoted as saying that it was becoming impossible for him to sanction some players who belong to some “big men.” Finidi George also complained of not getting much support from the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF). Speaking when he, along with NFF chieftains, met with Sports Minister, John Enoh, in Abuja to review the Super Eagles’ tottering 2026 World Cup campaign after they held South Africa to a 1-1 draw in Uyo before they were shocked by lowly Benin 2-1 in Abidjan, Finidi complained about the poster boy of Nigerian footballer, Victor Osimhen. According to him, Osinmhen is one of the country’s top stars who are not fully committed to the Super Eagles. He complained that Osimhen was not available for the two all-important World Cup qualifiers with an official explanation that he was injured and sidelined for four weeks. Finidi said that the Napoli striker could still have managed to play these matches. “The embattled coach said that Osimhen is in the habit of choosing the games he would play for Nigeria and that he (Finidi) cannot beg him to play for his country. The former Enyimba coach bemoaned the complete breakdown of discipline in the team and was totally disappointed with how the players strolled into training camp for the crucial World Cup qualifiers. He said that many of these players had the backing of some powerful NFF Board members and that it became increasingly difficult to sanction them because he would often be warned that a player “belonged” to a certain “big man.” Meanwhile, NFF had since began scouting for a foreign technical adviser to supervise the remaining qualifying matches of the Super Eagles.
Finidi George is believed to have stepped down as coach of the Nigeria’s senior football team, the Super Eagles. This was made known by ex-Super Eagles media officer, Toyin Ibitoye in a post on X.com today, June 15. He wrote: “News just in. Finidi George #FinidiGeorge_FG has resigned from his #NGSuperEagles manager position.” The resignation follows the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) decision to appoint a foreign coach to oversee him, despite his recent appointment in May Source: PUNCH.
Spokesperson for the Federal House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi, Jr. has made it clear that the Sponsor of a proposal for Nigeria to return to regional system of government, Akin Fapohunda had not presented the proposal as a draft bill to the House. “Regarding the specific memo authored by Citizen Dr. Akin Fapohunda, the House maintains that his proposal has not come before the House Committee on Rules and Business for listing as a bill by any member, nor has it been submitted by way of memoranda to the House Committee on Constitution Review.” In a statement today, June 16, clarifying media report that the House rejected the proposal, the spokesperson said that there are three main routes to proposing constitutional amendments in the House of Representatives. He said that one of them is done by members proposing a constitutional amendment bill and the second is by individual citizens and groups submitting memoranda to the Constitution Review Committee. “Note that memoranda submitted should eventually come by way of a bill sponsored by a member.” He said that the third one is done through an executive bill from the executive arm of government. Akin Rotimi Jr. said that contrary to reports suggesting that the House “disowned the bill” or “rejected the bill,” the House has neither disowned nor owned the proposal. “The position provided earlier was to inform the public that the proposal is not before the House for consideration at this material time.” He said that the House of Representatives encourages healthy and progressive debates on any subject and the exchange of ideas on how to improve the country, sayingthat the constitution review process has clearly defined guidelines and limitations, and involves a broad range of stakeholders to ensure that the collective will of the good people of Nigeria is reflected in the constitutional amendments underway. “The legislative agenda of the 10th Assembly prioritizes inclusion and engagement. We are committed to facilitating a constitution review process that ensures all voices are heard. For more information, individuals and groups can contact the House Committee on Constitution Review at info@hccr.gov.ng or visit the website at www.hccr.gov.ng.” The sponsor of the proposal for the return of Nigeria to the regional system of government had told newsmen that he would present the draft bill on it to President Bola Tinubu yesterday, June 15, instead of the House of Representatives.
No fewer than two millions Muslims from across the world have gathered at a sacred hill in Saudi Arabia, known as mount Arafat for intense, daylong worship and reflection. This is in keeping with the tradition of Prophet Muhammad and other Prophets. The ritual at Mount Arafat, known as the hill of mercy, is considered the peak of the Hajj pilgrimage. It is often the most memorable for pilgrims, who stand shoulder to shoulder, feet to feet, asking God for mercy, blessings, prosperity and good health. The mount is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Makkah. It’s believed that Prophet Muhammad delivered his last sermon, known as the Farewell Sermon, at the sacred mount 1,435 years ago. In the sermon, the prophet called for equality and unity among Muslims. “It’s indescribable,” Ahmed Tukeyia, an Egyptian pilgrim, said on his arrival today June 16, at the foot of the Mount Arafat. The Hajj rituals officially started yesterday when pilgrims moved from Makkah’s Grand Mosque to Mina, a desert plain just outside the city. Saudi authorities expect the number of pilgrims this year to exceed 2 million, approaching pre-coronavirus pandemic levels. The pilgrimage is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. All Muslims are required to make the five-day Hajj at least once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to make the demanding pilgrimage. The rituals largely commemorate the Qur’an’s accounts of Prophet Ibrahim, his son Prophet Ismail and Ismail’s mother Hajjar — or Abraham and Ismael as they are named in the Bible. The time of year when the Hajj takes place varies, given that it is set for five days in the second week of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the last month in the Islamic lunar calendar. Most of the Hajj rituals are held outdoors with little if any shade. When it falls in the summer months, temperatures can soar to over 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). The Health Ministry has cautioned that temperatures at the holy sites could reach 48 C (118 F). It urged pilgrims to use umbrellas and drink more water to stay hydrated. After today’s worship in Arafat, pilgrims will travel a few kilometers (miles) to a site known as Muzdalifa to collect pebbles that they will use in the symbolic stoning of pillars representing the devil back in Mina. Pilgrims would then return to Mina for three days, coinciding with the festive Eid Al-Adha holiday, when financially able Muslims around the world slaughter livestock and distribute the meat to poor people. Afterward, they would return to Makkah for a final circumambulation, known as Farewell Tawaf. Once the Hajj is over, men are expected to shave their heads, and women to snip a lock of hair in a sign of renewal. Most of the pilgrims would then leave Makkah for the city of Medina, some 340 kilometers (210 miles) away, to pray in Prophet Muhammad’s tomb, the Sacred Chamber. The tomb is part of the prophet’s mosque, which is one of the three holiest sites in Islam, along with the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. In recent years, Saudi authorities have made significant efforts to improve access and avoid deadly accidents. Tens of thousands of security personnel were deployed across the city, especially around the holy sites, to control the crowds, and the government built a high-speed rail link to ferry people between holy sites in the city, which has been jammed with traffic during the Hajj season. Pilgrims enter through special electronic gates. Saudi authorities have also expanded and renovated the Grand Mosque where cranes are seen around some of its seven minarets as construction was underway in the holy site. Source: Saudi Gazzette
A Yoruba socio-cultural association, Afenifere, has presented a Bill to President Bola Tinubu, proposing a return of Nigeria to the regional system of government. It is titled: “A Bill for an Act to substitute the annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with New Governance Model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” The Bill, authored by the chieftain of Afenifere, Akin Fapohunda, seeks among others, new extant laws to be cited as “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria New Governance Model for Nigeria Act 2024.” Report reaching us at Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper said that the bill had already been disowned by the House of Representatives. The House spokesman, Akin Rotimi, and the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business said it had not been listed for deliberation in the ongoing moves to review the 1999 Constitution (as amended). However, Fapohunda said that the bill would be transmitted to the President today, June 24. “I’m submitting my letter (draft bill) today but I will wait for seven days before releasing it to the public.” Meanwhile, Fapohunda who also represents the Coalition of Indigenous Ethnic Nationalities said that the organisation is proposing the division of the country into eight geo-political regions with approximate interim boundaries. The proposed regions, according to Fapohunda, include the southern region to be made up of Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, and Cross Rivers States and “Optional inclusions of the Annang, Effik, Ekoi, Ibibio, Oro Ohaji/Egbema in Southern Imo, the Adonia, Efemia, Ijaw, Ogoni, Bini, Ishan, Isoko, Urhobo and the Ijaw-speaking people in Northern Ondo State with land contiguity. “The South Eastern region consists of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. The Western region comprises Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, and Ekiti States, incorporating the Yoruba-speaking people in Kogi and the Igbomina people in Kwara State. Additional options would be the Itsekiri people of Delta State and Akoko-Edo people of Edo State to make their respective choices.” Others include the Mid-Western Region “Made up of Edo and Delta States, possibly incorporating the Anioma people and the Eastern Middle Belt Region comprising Northern Cross River, Southern Kaduna, Southern Borno, Adamawa, Benue, Kogi, Plateau, Nasarawa and Taraba States.” The Western Middle Belt Region comprises Southern Kebbi, parts of Kwara and Niger States while the North Eastern Region will be made up of parts of Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa, and Yobe States. The North Western Region, according to the Afenifere chieftain, comprises Kaduna, parts of Kebbi, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States. Fapohunda said the coalition envisaged a two-tier government, federal and regions, adding that the latter would be at liberty to manage her affairs, “Including the creation of sub-entities, based on the stipulations that are agreed upon and embedded in their respective constitutions.” In its proposed governance stipulations, CIEN stated that “In the quest for re-configuration and downsizing, an option to consider might be to retain the present boundaries of the 36 States, as would have been adjusted, but to creatively downgrade the paraphernalia of political administration as follows: “To introduce a new regional government framework with executive and legislative functions and bodies with the headship title of Premier. “In the new dispensation, the present States (for example the six in the Western region) would be converted to provinces. Governance at this level shall be by Provincial Councils that integrate executive and legislative functions, with Chairman and Support Specialist Administrative Officers. The regions shall be at liberty to create provinces, subject to viability and self-sustainability. “The present Local Government Areas are to be transformed into divisions, with divisional managers and specialist administrative officers; to operate as socio-economic development institutions. The new provinces shall also be at liberty to create divisions, subject to viability and self-sustainability.” The coalition also proposed a new constitution to embody novelties including freedom of the regions to “Create, merge and or re-configure their sub-political units and may adopt provinces, divisions or districts as may suit their circumstances without interference from any other authority. “Regions and sub-regional entities are to be reconfigured such as would reduce the cost of public and civil service administration to less than 20 to 30 per cent of generated revenue. “In drafting their Constitutions, the peoples of the respective regional territories will take a cue and also dismantle any arrangement or configuration that will favour the politicians and the political class; with a focus on freeing resources for true development. “A uni-camera federal legislature comprising members that are elected at the discretion of the regions for which they would be representatives at Abuja. “Decentralization of federal power in favour of not more than 10 regions on which there is a general national consensus, rather than the presently unwieldy number of 36 States. These old States are inconsequential indeed in being a viable unit of a truly federal system of government.” In all, the coalition proposes that the Federal Government “Shall comprise not more than nine Ministries and Ministers,” adding that “The very big United States has just 15 Cabinet Ministers, while Nigeria is not even up to just a State of Texas or New York.” The group is also advocating a return to the parliamentary mode system of government “Built-in statutory rotation of headship among the regions.” Source: PUNCH.
No fewer than two millions Pilgrims from different parts of the world, including over 50,000 from Nigeria, today, June 14, moved enmass to Minnah to begin the performance of pilgrimage, starting from Arafat tomorrow.
We at Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper and hardcopy magazine wish them safe and successful pilgrimage.
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote has narrated how local and foreign mafia tried several times to sabotage his $19 billion refinery from coming to life.
Dangote made this revelation while speaking at the Afreximbank annual meetings (AAN) and AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum in Nassau, The Bahamas, on Wednesday.
Dangote, Africa’s richest man, said he had repaid about $2.4 billion of the $5.5 billion borrowed to build the refinery.
According to him, several entities did everything to sabotage the 650,000 barrels per day facility.
Dangote said he was aware that resistance would always exist, but he did not anticipate it being so harsh.
He said: “Well, I knew that there would be a fight. But I didn’t know that the mafia in oil; they are stronger than the mafia in drugs. I can tell you that. Yes, it’s a fact.
“The local and foreign mafia tried several times to sabotage the refinery from coming to fruition.”
The businessman, who tagged himself a fighter throughout his life, said the mafias had tried several times to defeat him.
“But I’m a person that has been fighting all my life, you know. So I think it’s part of my life to fight,” he added.
On if he was receiving enough crude oil as feedstock for his refinery from the international oil companies (IOCs), Dangote said: “In a system where for 35 years people are used to counting good money, and all of a sudden they see that the days of counting that money have come to an end, you don’t expect them to pray for you.
“Of course, you expect them to fight back.
“And I think that is the process that we’re now really going through. But the truth is that, yes, the country, the sub-region, and also the continent, sub-Saharan Africa, need this refinery.
“So, you expect them to fight through non-supply of crude, non-purchase of the product. But I think it’s all temporary. We’ll get there.”
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