Folarin Kehinde

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the full implementation of the Stephen Oronsaye report.⁣
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The Oronsaye report proposed a leaner government by merging some agencies and scrapping many others.

The president’s decision was announced by a presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on X.

“Twelve years after the Steve Oronsaye panel submitted its report on restructuring and rationalizing Federal government parastatals and agencies and a white paper issued two years after, President Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council today decided to implement the report,” Mr Onanuga wrote.

“Many agencies will be scrapped and many others will be merged, to pave way to a leaner government,” he said.

Details shortly…

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the 2023 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE External) results.

According to the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Council, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, more than 70,000 candidates registered for the examination, with over 74,000 candidates sitting for it.

Key highlights of the results include:

Gender Distribution: Male students constitute over 52 per cent, while female students constitute over 47 per cent of the candidates who sat for the examination.

Success Rate: Over 62,500 candidates, representing over 84 per cent of the total candidates, obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

Examination Malpractice: Although cases of examination malpractice have reduced, 8,500 cases were recorded in 2023, compared to over 11,000 cases in 2022.

Blacklisting: Two supervisors, one each from Oyo and Lagos States, were blacklisted for poor supervision and inability to control students. Additionally, one centre in Borno State was blacklisted for aiding and abetting examination malpractice through WhatsApp messages.

During the result presentation, the NECO Registrar also unveiled an automated Annual E-posting Calendar.

He said the calendar is designed to guide the examination body in posting staff for various assignments across the country.

The Nigeria Police Force has sealed the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) office in Lagos State to prevent the planned nationwide protest against hunger and hardship.

The protest, scheduled by the NLC for February 27 and 28, aimed to address the economic challenges faced by Nigerians.

Activist and national coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Hassan Taiwo, shared an image on Monday morning showing armed police personnel stationed in front of the NLC headquarters in the Yaba area of Lagos State.

According to Taiwo, a few comrades were sealed off in the building, uncertain about the developments awaiting them.

The NLC issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Nigerian government regarding widespread hardship, leading to organising the protest.

However, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), urged the NLC to cancel the protest.

Despite warnings from the government and concerns from other quarters, the NLC insisted that the protest would proceed as planned.

It accused the government of preparing to attack peaceful rallies and alleged the involvement of certain groups in causing violence against protestors.

The NLC President, in a statement, emphasised the right to peaceful protest and warned against suppressing dissent or inflicting violence on peaceful protestors.

The statement also mentioned the potential deployment of state-sponsored terror and expressed the NLC’s determination to proceed with the protest.

The private residence of the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, has been completely razed down by fire on Sunday afternoon.

Information gathered suggested that nothing was salvaged from the building located at No. 9, Justice Roseline Ukeje Close, Asokoro district of Abuja, as response was slow to arrive at the location.

Though no official statement has been released on the incident, the Media Aide to the Minister, Mr. Austine Elemue, who confirmed the incident, said the cause of the fire outbreak was being investigated.

Details Later….

Some Nigerians living in Lagos State have trooped out in their numbers to buy bags of seized by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

Recall that the NIS had announced its willingness to distribute bags of rice seized by its officers to members of the public amid the current economic hardship and high cost of food.

In a video shared on X (Twitter) on Friday, dozens of Lagos residents were seen standing on a long queue to buy the rice.

According to them, a bag of 25kg rice was being sold for N10,000 as against the price of N26,000 in some local markets.

“A bag of rice (25kg) is reportedly being sold for #10,000. The Customs Service says it secured approval from the government to dispose of the seized food items to needy Nigerians at discounted prices,” one of the buyers said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has released the 2023 general elections report.

Its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

The report was released almost a year after the 2023 general elections.

Some Nigerians had expressed disappointment over the delayed uploads of the presidential election results to the INEC result viewing portal.

However, Olumekun said the election report was reviewed and approved for publication at the commission’s weekly meeting held on Thursday.

He noted that the publication was done in keeping with the commission’s tradition over the last four electoral cycles, and its commitment to transparency.

Olumekun said the “comprehensive 526-page document, structured into 13 chapters and enhanced with 60 tables, 14 boxes, and 10 graphs, offered an in-depth analysis of the election’s key processes, achievements, and challenges, along with valuable lessons learned.”

Giving more insights, the national commissioner stated “The report showcases the election’s unparalleled diversity in party representation, demonstrating significant democratic progress.

“This election saw four political parties winning gubernatorial races, seven parties winning senatorial seats, eight in federal constituencies, and nine in state legislatures, illustrating a broad shift in political representation across Nigeria.

“The report underscores the pivotal role of technological advancements, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, in enhancing electoral integrity and reducing fraud.

“Furthermore, it addresses public concerns about the INEC Result Viewing portal, explaining the technical issues encountered during the upload of polling unit results for the presidential election.”

He added that other aspects covered in the report include logistics, security arrangements, staff recruitment and training, inclusivity measures, and the electoral framework,” he said.

Olumekun further stated that the commission would welcome feedback to inform future electoral reforms and improvements.

The Oluwole Market in Ogba, Lagos, witnessed a disruption of commercial activities as clashes erupted between Yoruba and Hausa communities.

The clash, which began on Thursday night and escalated into Friday morning, resulted in the tragic death of a young man, further fueling tensions between the two groups.

Daily Trust reports that the clash reportedly started when a Yoruba man, identified as Abbey, intervened in a quarrel between two Hausa men.

In the course of the intervention, Abbey was allegedly stabbed by an unidentified assailant, leading to fatal injuries.

The aftermath of Abbey’s death triggered a reprisal attack between Yoruba and Hausa residents in the area.

The reprisal attack resulted in the destruction of property, particularly food items such as peppers, onions, and other commodities sold by Hausa traders in the Oluwole Market.

The clashes led to a standstill in commercial activities, causing significant disruption and concern among residents.

Eyewitnesses reported a heightened police presence in the market area, with patrol vans attempting to control the situation and restore normalcy.