₦airaland Forum

The Federal Government on Thursday said the African Development Bank has approved a $300m loan to contribute to job creation, food security and nutrition, rural income generation and improved livelihood for youths in both urban and rural areas in the country.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha said this in Abuja at a round-table on tackling youth unemployment in Nigeria.

The event was organised by the Bureau of Public Service reform in collaboration with the Department for International Development.

The SGF at the event also constituted an Inter-ministerial task team to address the youth unemployment challenges in the country.

He said members of the team would be drawn from the Office of the Head of Service, ministry of labour, ministry of finance, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian Economic Summit Group and the National Directorate of Employment.

The SGF said the Federal Government was committed to addressing the rising youth unemployment in the country through innovative ways.

For instance, he said the government through the bank of Industry had launched a N10bn Youth Entrepreneurship Support program to empower youth with loans to start business.

The program, he noted, is aimed at equipping young aspiring entrepreneurs with the right skills and knowledge to be self employed by starting and managing their own businesses.

He said, “The Federal Government has accorded agriculture priority in order to create job opportunities for the youth.

“We owe the youth in Nigeria today and tomorrow to work with determination and to do everything possible to win this battle.

“And am confident that with the commitment and strong resolve, we will have the results we are striving in the not too distant future.”

He said that the government is addressing the unemployment challenges through the implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

He said through the plan, the government has identified various sectors that could be used to create jobs for the people.

The Acting Director-General, BPSR, Mr Dave Arabi said agency had developed a policy note on how to effectively address the issue of unemployment in Nigeria.

He said the roundtable would provide a veritable platform for all stakeholders to come up with the needed solutions to addressing the unemployment situation.



http://punchng.com/afdb-gives-nigeria-300m-to-tackle-youth-unemployment/

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has reduced the Land Use Charge.

Details coming…

Cc: lalasticlala

http://punchng.com/breaking-ambode-reduces-land-use-charge/

The House of Representatives has said it will override President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto on the Peace Corps Bill he had earlier rejected.

The implication of this is that the lawmakers will pass the bill into law without Buhari’s assent if the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly tread the same path with the House.

The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, who said this on Wednesday, added that the House would override Buhari on nine other bills.

He said the National Assembly had begun the process of overriding Buhari’s veto on the 10 bills.

According to Namdas, apart from the Peace Corps Bill, a Bill for an Act to Establish the Chartered Institute of Treasury Management; a Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigerian Council for Social Work; and a Bill for an Act to Amend the Currency Conversation of Prison Orders are some of the bills.

Others are “A Bill for an Act to Establish Police Procurement Fund, a Bill for an Act to Amend the Environmental Health Officers Registration, a Bill for an Act to Establish the Chartered Institute of Loan and Risk Management of Nigeria and a Bill for an Act to Establish the Chartered Institute of Public Management of Nigeria.”

This will, however, require securing two-thirds majority vote of both chambers to pass the bills.

This means that at least 72 senators and 240 Reps must vote to override the President.

The procedure for overriding the President’s veto on a bill is spelt out in Section 58 of the constitution, particularly 58 (5).

Section 58 (5) reads, “Where a bill is presented to the President for assent, he shall within thirty days thereof signify that he assents or that he withholds assent.

“(5) Where the President withholds his assent and the bill is again passed by each House by two-thirds majority, the bill shall become law and the assent of the President shall not be required.”

The House, Namdas added, insisted that it would override the President’s veto in the controversial electoral bill to ensure that the 2019 presidential poll would be conducted last in the sequence by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

It gave clear signals to override the President’s veto by saying that the electoral bill would be sent to Buhari again for his signature.

However, this will come after two of the three reasons Buhari gave for withholding his assent would have been deleted from the bill and passed afresh.

Namdas, who spoke on the latest decision of the legislature, explained that the lawmakers had accepted two of the reasons advanced by Buhari for rejecting the bill.

He said those accepted were the second and third reasons given by the President.

Namdas, a member of the All Progressives Congress from Adamawa State, said, “We agreed with the first one that the amendment of Section 138 of the Principal Act (Electoral Act) to delay crucial grounds upon which an election may be challenged by a candidate, unduly limits the right of candidates in election to a free and fair electoral review process. This, we have agreed with the President.

“We have also agreed with the reason advanced that the amendment of Section 152 of the Principal Act raises constitutional issues over the competence of the National Assembly to legislate over local government elections.

“This too, we have agreed with the President. So, it is true that we don’t have powers on the two.”

But, on the first reason, which was on the reordering of the elections, Namdas said the legislature insisted that it retained the power under the 1999 Constitution to decide the order of elections and not INEC.

He noted that Section 4 of the constitution empowered the National Assembly to legislate over elections, particularly item 22 of the provision.

Namdas added, “It means that we have the power to work on the order of elections as it is stated. INEC has the power to fix electoral dates in accordance with the Electoral Act. The entire Electoral Act talks about organising elections. If we do not have powers on how to organise elections, that means we do not even have the power to even pass the Electoral Act itself. That means it’s an illegal thing (Act) because it was passed by the National Assembly.”

Namdas disclosed that the National Assembly stood by the new bill that the presidential poll would be held last, but excluding the two reasons it was in agreement with Buhari.

He stated that the National Assembly would expunge the two portions from the bill, pass it again and send it to Buhari for his assent on the reordered elections sequence.

“In view of this, we will re-gazette the Electoral Act (amendment bill) and expunge the areas that we are in agreement with the President. In line with the constitution, we will bring it back for debate and follow the procedure of first and second reading, pass it and re-transmit it to the President for his assent.”

The implication is that the bill will begin a fresh journey of first, second and third reading before it is sent to Buhari again for his assent.

http://punchng.com/reps-to-override-buhari-on-peace-corps-bill-nine-others/

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday arrived in Maiduguri as part of the nationwide visit to troubled areas in the country.

The President is billed to visit Yobe to meet with families of 110 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents at Government Girls Science and Technical School, Dapchi, on February 19.

The presidential jet landed at Maiduguri International Airport at about 11.01 am.

The President was received by Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno; Chief of Defence Staff, General Obayomi Olonishakin; National Security Adviser, Retired Major General Babagana Monguno and other service chiefs.

Others were the ministers of Education; Youth and Sports, Interior and Information and Culture, Mr. Adamu Adamu; Solomon Dalong, Abdulrahman Dambazau and Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

The President, accompanied by top government functionaries, was expected to board a chopper to Damaturu, the Yobe capital later in the day.

Cc: lalasticlala

http://punchng.com/buhari-arrives-in-maiduguri/

lalasticlala

Mariangeles:
I am not impressed

lol, how?

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday sacked his Special Adviser on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh (retd.).

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President also named Prof. Charles Dokubo as his replacement.

In addition to his sack, Buhari also directed the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, to carry out a full investigation into the activities of the Amnesty Programme from 2015 to date.

The President said the investigation should focus on allegations of financial impropriety and other acts that are allegedly detrimental to the objectives of the programme.

The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Professor Charles Quaker Dokubo as the new Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme for former Niger Delta militants.
He replaces Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh (retd.).

“Prof. Dokubo is currently Director of Research and Studies at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs. He holds a PhD in Strategic Studies from the University of Bradford, United Kingdom, and hails from Abonema, Akuku-Toru Local Government of Rivers State.

“Meanwhile, the President directs the National Security Adviser to carry out a full investigation into the activities of the Amnesty Programme from 2015 to date, especially allegations of financial impropriety and other acts that are allegedly detrimental to the objectives of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.”


http://punchng.com/breaking-buhari-sacks-boroh-as-amnesty-coordinator/

make i hear say.............

I DON'T TRUST THIS NEWS

lalasticlala

doctokwus:
It may take us up to the start of electioneering campaigns for Buhari to be aware of this latest massacre.
A president that wasn't that the IGP he sent to Benue where 78 people were massacred,was partying next door to him in Abuja,would only be aware of this if probably he visits plateau during the campaigns and someone in the crowd asked him about this latest massacre. I'm

APC govt has failed us. But the PDP themselves are not even ready to put their house in order to wrestle power back from APC.

Third force is needed to take us back to where we were before.

ZombieTAMER:
Wait till you see yusuf convoy
That's when you know there is security in the country

my guy we no get security. We are sick and tired of this herbsmen. Enough is enough

SweetLove0:
they are his boys.

on ur own

9jaown:
and your president is doing nothing, am not sure if he knows about the killings

too bad.

The best thing now is to defend yourself when the need arise. We don't have security in this country.

The mass burial of victims killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen in several communities in Bassa Local Government of Plateau State was on Tuesday disrupted by a fresh attack which left 25 persons dead.

Those to be given mass burial today were murdered between Thursday, March 8, 2018 when President Muhammadu Buhari paid an official visit to the beleaguered state, and Sunday, March 11.

During the latest attack which took place by 7:00pm on Monday, 11 houses were also razed down.

Persons suspected to be Fulani herdsmen were said to have killed the 25 persons, including three children and two women, in Dundu Village of Kwall District in Bassa LGA of Plateau State.

The spokesperson of Miango Youth Development Association, Lawrence Zongo, confirmed the casualty rate in an interview with The PUNCH in Jos on Tuesday.

He said, “Very sad! Again, Fulani terrorists killed 25 persons in Dundu Village of Kwall District in Bassa LGA of Plateau State.

“Eleven houses were razed down. The villagers were attacked around 7pm yesterday (Monday). Among the victims were three children and two women.

“Others, including two women, are now receiving treatment in a nearby hospital in the community. This is too bad, as we are planning the mass burial of the last attack.

“So far, we have more than 500 Internally Displaced Persons camp. International organisations should please come to our aid.”

When contacted, the spokesperson of Plateau State Police Command, Matthias Tyopev, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, also confirmed the attack , but said the information was sketchy.

According to him, the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Adie Undie, has ordered a Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Taiwo Jebiyisu, to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.

He said, “There was an attack yesterday (Monday) in Bassa; as such, the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, has directed the DCP Taiwo Jebiyisu, a Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Department of Operations, to go to the scene of crime for an on-the-spot assessment.

“As such, he is there now. The information is sketchy. I shall inform you when the details of the attack are made available, please.”



http://punchng.com/breaking-25-killed-11-houses-razed-in-fresh-attacks-as-guests-flee-plateau-mass-burial/

lalasticlala

Greene66:
Well, I'm not a politician but what I know is, something is not right.

i tell you. He can't keep on rejecting bills. something is wrong somewhere.

John Ameh, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has just communicated his decision to withhold assent to the Electoral Act amendment bill to the National Assembly.

A letter on the subject has been read to members of the House of Representatives on the floor by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara.

Details later…

http://punchng.com/breaking-buhari-writes-nassembly-withholds-assent-to-electoral-act-amendment-bill/

ok

ok

so in other news...baba king andre cum on time

work of weed

Leke Baiyewu, Abuja

The Senate has approved that the nominees for the positions of Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and members of the Monetary Policy Committee be screened for confirmation.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, raises a point of order at the plenary on Tuesday to urge the lawmakers to lift their embargo on confirmation of appointments by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ibrahim said the non-confirmation of the deputy governors of the CBN and members of the MPC was negatively affecting the economy, especially foreign investments.

The lawmakers unanimously granted the prayer.

Details later…



http://punchng.com/breaking-confirmation-senate-lifts-embargo-on-cbn-deputy-govs-mpc-members/