The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will, this week, decorate his Nigerian counterpart, President Muhammadu Buhari with that country’s national honour of ‘Great Collar of the Order of Prince Henry.’
The honour is part of the activities lined up by the Portuguese President, who personally invited Buhari to his country.
The Nigerian President, who leaves the shores of Nigeria for Portugal today, June 28, according to a statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, will also join his host to chair an enlarged bilateral meeting and witness the signing of some agreements bordering on issues of mutual concern.
Garba Shehu said that President Buhari will also visit the Portuguese Parliament and hold discussions with its president, Dr. Augusto Santo Silva, as well as the Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa.
He said that in the course of the visit, the President is scheduled to address a Forum of Nigerian and Portuguese businessmen and hold separate meetings with select Portuguese Chief Executive Officers and prospective investors to Nigeria.
President Buhari will also participate in the United Nations Ocean Conference, which began in Lisbon on Monday, June 27, and runs till July 1.
The Conference, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal and supported by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), aims to accelerate the adoption of science-based innovative solutions to challenges facing oceans and the global marine ecosystem.
The Nigerian leader is also expected to engage members of the Nigerian community in Portugal on matters affecting them and developments at home.
The statement said that the President will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo; Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare and Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.
Others are National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd); Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar and Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Honorable Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
The statement said that Buhari will return to Abuja on Saturday, July 2.

Presidential Candidate and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has travelled to France for a meeting, sccording to his media handler, Tunde Rahman.

Tunde said in a statement that Tinubu left for France today, June 27 shortly after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The statement did not elaborate on the kind of meetings the APC Presidential flag bearer would hold in France, but that he would return to Nigeria soon.

Tunde said that earlier before his departure, Tinubu attended the public presentation of a book titled ‘Mr. Speaker’ and launch of legislative mentoring initiative in commemoration of the 60th birthday of Speaker of House Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

He recalled that immediately after he was elected as the Presidential candidate, Tinubu embarked on a series of thank you and reconciliation visits to those who contested against him at the party’s primaries, including the seven aspirants who stepped down for him.

Preparatory to the 2023 population and housing census scheduled for April 2023, the National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced Trial Census in nine of Cross River state’s 18 local government areas.

The Federal Commissioner, representing the state on the NPC Board, retired Navy Captain Charles Ogwa, who spoke today, June 27 in Calabar, Cross River State, said that the state level training workshop for field personnel for the Trial Census is ongoing and that the training would last till July 8, 2022.

“The Trial Census is to be conducted from July 11 to 24, 2022. The House numbering/listening will take place from 11th to 16th July, to be followed by validation of Enumeration Areas frame from 17th to 19th July and Enumeration of personnel from 20th to 24th July, 2022.

“The Trial Census in Cross River State will be conducted in one supervisory area in Nine(9) local government areas of the State with three(3) LGAs selected in each of the three senatorial districts.

“The LGAs that will be covered are Bakassi, Calabar Southern and Odukpani for the South Senatorial district; Yakurr, Obubra and Boki for the Central senatorial district, while in the northern Senatorial district, the chosen LGAs are Bekwarra, Ogoja and Obudu.

“The Commission is determined to successfully conduct the Trial Census in our quest to deliver a credible, reliable, acceptable and verifiable Census to the nation.

“The Commission will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the Trial Census is carried out meticulously, professionally and scientifically to provide a good foundation for the smooth conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.”

The Commissioner said that the Trial Census is not the actual Enumeration of the Population for 2023 and as such its outcome will not form the basis of the 2023 Census result.

Asked whether scheduling the main Census exercise in 2023 would not interfere with next year election, the Commissioner said the Council of State, which fixed April for the housing and head count, believed that by that period every election-related issues may have been sorted out and that the census will only precede the swearing in.

Describing the Trial Census as “a dress rehearsal,” Ogwa called for cooperation with the field enumerators to allow them move freely within the communities.

“I also solicit for the provision of adequate security for enumerators and their equipment during the Trial Census and urge you to respond truthfully to inquiries from enumerators.”

Source: Blueprints.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad has resigned.
Information reaching us at Greenbarge Reporters online said that the CJN resigned on health grounds.
Impeccable sources at the Supreme Court anonymously confirmed the development.
Recalled that sometimes last year, Justice Tanko Muhammad travelled to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to treat an undisclosed ailment.
His resignation comes on the heels of a protest letter by his brother justices of the Supreme Court over poor welfare service.
Meanwhile, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has been slated to be sworn-in today, June 27 as the next Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) in place of Justice Tanko Muhammad.
CJN’s spokesperson, Ahuraka Isah, who eventually confirmed the resignation of his principal, Justice Tanko Muhammad, said that the swearing in of the new CJN would be done by 11am.

Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has confessed that his first 100 days in office has been very “bumpy,” with the fight against insecurity taken precedence over all of his administration’s initiatives since his swearing-in on March 17.

Speaking to newsmen today, June 26 to commemorate his first 100 days in office, Soludo, however reassured the populace that he would keep all of the commitments he had made to them, stressing that despite the difficulties, he remained unfazed because he had properly applied for the position of leading Anambra.

“I am not a fan of marking 100 days in office. I prefer to give you an annual report and we look forward to the first one in March next year. The last 100 days have been very bumpy and challenging. It has been a case of so far, so bumpy, but so good. Every day, we work 24 hours to ensure that we do not disappoint you. We have resolved that we must do that to make you happy and proud.”

“I remind everyone who wants to commiserate with me that I duly applied for this job. We have launched a campaign to restore our homeland. Most people can attest that the grave insecurity is gradually being contained and we remain undaunted. Even as I speak to you now, something is going on in various communities in Anambra State.”

The governor lamented the alarming zero oil revenue to enable him address the issues the state governance institutions are facing.

“The last 100 days have been bumpy and challenging as expected with insecurity and red treasury being the most impossible. Since February 2022, the contribution of oil revenue from the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited to the federation account has been zero and many states have difficulty paying salaries.

“The declining revenue and the context of insecurity and over N20 billion in the areas of gratuity to pensioners since 2018 as well as the sky-high expectations from you, our employers are then inevitable.

“We have spent the last 100 days addressing some key foundational issues, part of which are to make some key appointments, mobilise the people of the state to take back the state from criminals, domestic and comprehensive attack on criminals, reverse the 2022 budget, declaration of a state of emergency on roads and traffic and preparation to commission over 220 kilometres of road constructions.”