Israeli-Hamas conflict: NCPC suspends planned pilgrimage.

Israeli-Hamas conflict: NCPC suspends planned pilgrimage.

The Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) has decided to suspend all pilgrimages to Israel and Jordan due to the ongoing crisis in the nation.

The announcement was conveyed through a statement signed by Abu Okpanachi, the Head of Operations of the NCPC, on behalf of the Executive Secretary, Yakubu Pam.

Initially, the Commission had planned to airlift consuls and self-sponsored intending pilgrims to Jordan, where they would spend four days before moving to Israel.

 

However, given the current situation, the Commission has assured the pilgrims that the pilgrimage will resume once the situation in Israel improves.

The Commission expressed regret for any inconvenience caused by the postponement.

The statement reads as follows: “I am directed to inform you that our planned pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan has been postponed due to the prevailing crisis situation in southern Israel.

“The Executive Secretary deeply regrets every inconvenience this will cause you and prays that the good Lord will give peace in our hearts, knowing that all things work together for good for us who love God.

“Kindly be assured that as soon as the situation improves, the Commission will commence the pilgrimage exercise. May the good Lord honour you greatly for your understanding.”

Meanwhile, the NCPC Executive Secretary, Yakubu Pam, has congratulated the fifth batch of pilgrims on their successful pilgrimage exercise in Israel.

The pilgrims, who were mostly the first batch of Lagos contingents, landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, at exactly 12:50 am local time today, October 10, 2023, after leaving the country on the 30th of September for the 2023 Easter pilgrimage completion exercise.

The NCPC boss expressed excitement for their safe arrival while commending their good conduct throughout the exercise.

“I am very excited to know that our fifth batch of pilgrims returned safely to the country, sound and complete,” he said.

He further commended them for their calm disposition, patience, comportment, and resilience throughout their eight nights and nine days of pilgrimage in the Holy Land, while reiterating that the safety of the Nigerian pilgrims would continue to be the top priority of his commission.

Federal Government begins insuring 83m poor, vulnerable Nigerians.

Federal Government begins insuring 83m poor, vulnerable Nigerians.

The Federal Government has launched the operational guidelines for the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

This is the precursor to the full implementation of its National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act 2022 and the commencement of the enrolment of 83 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians into its health insurance.

The launch of the operational guidelines became critical to the implementation of the NHIA Act 2022, making health insurance mandatory in Nigeria.

The NHIA operational guidelines provide an enabling platform for the promotion, integration, and regulation of health insurance in the country.

The NHIA Act 2022, which replaced the 2004 law, recognises the decentralised state of health insurance in Nigeria, provides for the Vulnerable Group Fund (VGF), and empowers the NHIA to promote, regulate, and integrate health insurance schemes across the country.

Unveiling the operational guidelines yesterday in Abuja, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said the country had made some progress in health insurance since the inauguration of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) before its transformation to NHIA with a national coverage of between eight and nine per cent of the population.

The minister said this is not where the country intended to be.

He regretted that the high rate of out-of-pocket spending by families to access healthcare was responsible for poor coverage, an issue the minister said the government, in collaboration with critical health sector partners, was determined to address.

Pate said the establishment of the NHIA and the launch of the operational guidelines pointed to the seriousness the government attached to them.

The minister said the target of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is to have at least 50 million Nigerians enrolled in a few years.

He said: “These guidelines are meant to provide direction… We will work in a concerted way to expand the affordability of healthcare for the population in our country, especially the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians.

“These guidelines have been developed in a consultative manner with all actors – public, private sectors, civil society – and with engagement of state governments.

“So, it’s Nigeria coming together to say that people should not be pushed into poverty because of the cost of ill-health.

“And so, as we implemented on the basis of these guidelines, we should see more Nigerians are covered over time to meet the goals that have been set by Mr. President for his administration. We have over seven of the Global Health Insurance Programme.

“We have less than 10 per cent now. So, the President’s aspiration is transformative so that we leapfrog. We expect faster progress and higher rates of increase in coverage over the next few years. Within the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), there is a portion of it that is allocated to the vulnerable groups. We will make sure it gets to them.”

Credit:The Nation Newspaper.

Investors, rating agencies positive about Nigeria, says Edun.

Investors, rating agencies positive about Nigeria, says  Edun.

Development finance institutions, investors and rating agencies are excited with the handling of the economy by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, Minister of Finance/Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, said yesterday.

He broke the news to reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank meeting in Marrakech, Morocco.

The minister had earlier met with officials of SCB Rating Advisor, Fitch, Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s to intimate them of the government’s economic programmes.

Speaking to the outcome of the meetings, Edun said the administration was taking necessary steps to reduce poverty and improve the lives of all Nigerians, and that the tough decisions being made by the president are being well-received.

He stated that the Nigerian delegation’s presence at the World Bank/IMF meetings, where they were able to gauge the opinions of various stakeholders, including development finance institutions, private bankers, investors, analysts, and rating agencies shows that these groups are happy with the government’s decisions.

Edun said: “Our wish is to grow the Nigerian economy to reduce poverty, make life better for all Nigerians, which is the determination of President Tinubu, and indeed his whole administration. I think we are laying the groundwork for achieving that.

“He’s making the tough decisions and the reception is very positive. We’re here at the World Bank/IMF meetings and so we get a sense of what the whole world thinks, because here you have the development finance institutions, but also you have the private bankers, you have the investors, you have the analysts, you have the rating agencies, and the reaction from one and all so far is very positive.”

The minister confirmed that Nigeria has been elected the next chair of the African Caucus and Governors’ meeting for next year.

“What this means”, Edun stated, “is that Nigeria has the leadership of the African Governors Forum within the World Bank group.

“It is Nigeria that will help to set the agenda and push the case, for instance, for a third member of the Board of governors from sub-Saharan Africa.

“There are two from Africa currently, and we think the third one should come from sub-Saharan Africa, so that we have a bigger voice in the governance. We have more representation in the board of the World Bank group than the IMF’.

On debt forgiveness, Edun argued that the real issue is not the debt itself or forgiving it, but rather the perception and narrative surrounding Nigeria.

According to him, there is a positive and optimistic attitude towards Nigeria, particularly from investors.

The minister said: “Nigeria is seen as having a strong economy, a large population, and abundant resources. After China and India, Nigeria is considered to be one of the most attractive investment destinations. However, in order for Nigeria to fully benefit from this interest, it needs to be prepared to attract and accept investment”.

“This would involve focusing on sectors such as agriculture, solid minerals, industry, manufacturing, and import substitution.

“Ultimately, both foreign direct investment and existing investors have an interest in contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth and development.” 

Credit:The Nation Newspaper.

President Tinubu directs immediate action plan to combat flooding.

President Tinubu directs immediate action plan to combat flooding.

As another flood crisis threatens to wreck havoc across the country, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed an immediate  plan of action to mitigate its impact. 

A statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Mr Stanley Nkwocha, said President Tinubu also appointed Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, as chairman of the committee.

According to the statement, the committee will produce a road map by harmonising the recent National Economic Council (NEC) report on flood, the 2022 National Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan as well as all other national reports on flood. 

The Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, will serve as vice chairman of the committee which is expected to submit its recommendations within seven days. 

The decision was taken after an emergency meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

President Tinubu gave marching orders to the committee for an action plan on all the reports, saying it was best to be proactive than to be reactive. 

“Based on the submissions by the DG of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, the situation is not that terrible but to be forewarned is to be forearmed. The submissions by the other relevant stakeholders are equally poignant and we can’t afford to take chances. 

“Though the situation is not as bad as we might think, we need to set up a committee so that the report of the Presidential Committee and the 2022 Federal Executive Council – approved broad preparedness plan should be harmonised and  implemented immediately,” the Vice President said. 

Shettima noted that a feasible roadmap would  address the flood crisis in Nigeria, adding that  responsibilities would be shouldered by the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Federal Government. 

He stated: “I deliberately invited the NEDC and NDDC so that with whatever resources that NEMA has, they have to be released to the states so that they can start making preparations for any eventuality. 

“Based on the Presidential directive, I will meet with the Chief Executives of the NEDC and NDDC for states that are under their coverage. There should be interventions from them. For NEDC they can take care of Taraba, Bauchi and Adamawa. For NDDC, they can take care of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Cross River . For states like Ebonyi, Kogi and Benue, we will mobilise from our savings and deploy same to assist them. We have to share responsibilities and hence the immediate need for the roadmap to be implemented”. 

The Chief Executives of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), National Water Resources Institute, National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA) and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) all made presentations with reactions from Governors of Bauchi, Kogi, Ebonyi and Cross River States. Akwa Ibom and Nasarawa State Governors were represented by their deputies. 

Other members of the committee include Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Minister of State for Environment, Kunle Salako; Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Bello Muhammad Goronyo; Chief Executives of NEMA,NIWA and NiHSA, among others. 

The Special Adviser to the President on NEC and Climate Change, Rukaiya El-Rufai, will serve as secretary of the committee.

Credit: The Nation Newspaper

NECO Releases 2023 SSCE Results, Identifies Cheating in 93 Schools.

NECO Releases 2023 SSCE Results, Identifies Cheating in 93 Schools.

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2023 internal Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE), with a record of 61.60 per cent of candidates scoring five credits and above, including English and Mathematics.

The examination council also accused 93 schools of whole-school (mass) cheating, while 52 supervisors were recommended for blocklisting due to poor supervision, aiding, and abetting during the examinations.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, disclosed this while announcing the release of the examination results.

Wushishi said that the erring schools would be invited to the council for discussion, after which appropriate sanctions would be applied.

He said that 1,196,985 candidates, representing 616,398 males and 580,587 females, sat for the examinations, and an additional 1,543 candidates with special needs.

“The number of candidates with Special Needs is 1,542, which includes 913 candidates with hearing impairment, 162 candidates with visual impairment, 103 candidates with Albanism, 61 candidates with Autism, 149 candidates with low vision, and 154 candidates with Adermatoglyphia which are candidates with no fingerprints.

“737,308 representing 61.60 per cent of candidates passed with five Credits and above, 1,013,611 representing 84.68 per cent of candidates had five Credits irrespective of English and Mathematics,” he stated.

Oyebanji Receives National Best Teacher Award Winner.

Oyebanji Receives National Best Teacher Award Winner.

.....Harps on conducive environment for learning outcomes.

Ekiti state Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji on Monday received the winner of National best teacher award, 2023, Mrs Elizabeth Adeyemi of SUBEB Model Nursery and Primary School, Omuo Ekiti in his office even as he restated the commitment of his administration to repositioning education sector in the state.

The repositioning, according to the Governor will include the provision of necessary impetus to improve infrastructure and environment in the drive to boost learning outcomes.

Governor Oyebanji, who also received the Principal of St. Louis Grammar School, who won the first runner up in the best public school category, Mrs Funmilayo Ibitoye, congratulated the award winners and assured that his government would continue to invest in education with particular emphasis on content, process and learning and teaching environment.

Governor Oyebanji stressed the need to prepare children for the challenges of the 21st century, stressing that infrastructural development remains an important ingredient in the development of the total child.

The Governor added that his administration would continue to pay due attention to the teaching profession to be able to bring the best out of it saying it is the only profession that could lift a nation out of the woods as all other professions were offshoot of teaching profession.

He urged the award winners to continue to work hard so as to win more laurels for the state.

“This speaks to our mantra of continuity, this foundation was laid and we are building on it, and we discover that human capital development is one of our six pillars and that is why we have a location. I believe strongly that we need to improve learning outcomes and the environment.

“I also believe that the best investment any government can have is to invest in education because it frees you from a lot of things. An educated society is a free society, it’s a game changer.

“So, I keep telling myself that when you want to intervene in education, you have to be concerned about three things, what you are teaching, how it is being taught and where its been taught. These speak to currency of the curriculum development, the teaching techniques and methodology and the environment

“By next year, we are going to into the environment of our schools to make them more pupils-friendly. We must have a template of how a school should look like, the teachers are extremely important to this and since we came on board, we have tried as much as possible to tackle the issue of the welfare of teacher and we will continue to build on the little achievements that we have made”, the Governor added.

Earlier, Mrs Adeyemi, who hailed the Governor’s strides in the education and human capital sector, said the Governor’s deliberate efforts at motivating Ekiti teachers has helped boost the morale of teachers and students in the state.

She said the best teachers award would spur her to put more efforts in ensuring positive impact in the lives of her pupils, stressing that she now believes that teachers’ reward is not only in heaven but also on this earth.

Mrs adeyemi commended the Governor for providing conducive learning and teaching environment in the school system, adding that the attention being given to education would achieve greater results for the state.

Ekiti State Government Embarks on Rural Road Construction Initiatives.

Ekiti State Government Embarks on Rural Road Construction Initiatives.

Ekiti State Government has disclosed its readiness to begin massive construction of roads across the 16 local governments under the World Bank Assisted projects Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Projects (RAAMP).

The state RAAMP Coordinator, Mr. Sunday Adunmo, made this known in Ado-Ekiti at a one-day sensitisation training organised for the workers of the Project.

He said construction would begin on some of the rural roads in the state next month, noting that Ekiti was officially added to the participating states last year August after meeting the conditions for the project.

The RAAMP boss said the engineering designs for 12 roads totalling 77km roads had been received and would be launched by the end of October for construction work to begin.

He added that RAAMP had last weekend opened tenders for consultancy services for the design and supervision of spot improvement of 122km of rural roads as part of phase one, while rural road upgrading would be advertised next year.

The state project coordinator, who said the Project office was not unaware of the transportation challenges being faced by farmers in the state, noted that rural communities would soon become sites for massive road construction.

He said the delay in the commencement of the project was as a result of the need to adhere to the procedures of the donor partner, the World Bank, whose commitment to due process and transparency was irrevocable.

“Permit me to use this medium to inform you that construction work will soon start on some of our road projects. I am aware that Ekiti people have waited for the commencement of the project since 2018 when former Governor Kayode Fayemi indicated the interest of Ekiti State to participate in the project. The delay is not unconnected to the fact that we must follow the necessary procedures for construction works to begin.