Nelson Ugwuagbo

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has reiterated that his administration will continue to rely on data, science and logic to arrive at the best decisions that will positively affect the people of the state.

The governor spoke at the 2nd bi-annual meeting of the National Consultative Committee on Statistics (NCCS), which was held in Ibadan to review statistical activities and harmonise methodology for data production in the National Statistical System (NSS).

Makinde said the state government realised this fact and responded positively by implementing projects and programmes to address challenges in the state.

 Represented by his deputy, Barrister Abdul-Raheem Adebayo, at the NCCS bi-annual meeting themed: “Data Accessibility and Dissemination at Sub-national Level”, the governor stated that one could not rely on science unless you have data and you could not rely on logic unless you have the data.

He stressed that the state government recognises the fact that good statistical information was essential to achieving the 2040 State Development Plan (SDP) and 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“At the inception of this administration, a Roadmap for Accelerated Development 2019-2023 tagged, “Omituntun 1.0” was instituted, which marks government unflinching commitment to positively transform the socio-economic system in the state in a manner that would lead to improved quality of education, increased access to healthcare services, reduction in poverty level, improved security, enhanced revenue generation and provision of basic infrastructure that will place the State in a better pedestal among other states of the federation.

“Permit me to recall that the performance of this administration is borne out of the genuine intention and commitment to the development and growth of the state, particularly in the area of education, health, security and economy sectors. 

“In this connection, the state government has executed projects and programmes resulting in the following outcomes among others based on the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) Reports of 2016/17 and 2021 released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

The Cross River State government says it will establish a establish a Disability Commission aimed at addressing issues affecting persons living with disabilities.

The state governor, at an event organised in Calabar by his wife, Eyoanwan Bassey Otu said he was excited that the people do not see their disability as a challenge , adding that his administration has set aside three appointments for PWDs.

Stressing his “People First” Mantra, governor Otu said his administration will touch all segments of the society.
For the proposed Disability Commission, governor Otu said three persons with disabilities will be appointed together with other persons to run the affairs of the commission.

On her part, the First Lady of Cross River State, Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, urged persons with disabilities to be ready to acquire skills that will enable them contribute meaningfully to society.

She also presented wheelchairs, crutches, cash and other essential commodities to persons with disabilities present.

The court asked the senior lawyer to pay the fine to four respondents in a suit he filed on the Imo governorship tussle.

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, imposed a fine of N40 million on human rights activists and constitutional lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, for filing a “frivolous” motion before the court regarding the Imo governorship tussle, which was decided in 2019.

In a ruling by Justice Tijani Abubakar, the court ordered the senior lawyer to pay the N40 million fine to the four respondents he had sued.

Justice Abubakar held in the ruling that the request was strange, frivolous, baseless, unwarranted, vexatious and irritating.

He further held that the motion was a calculated design to demonise the Supreme Court.

Mr Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was called to the Nigerian Bar over 42 years ago. The fine was for bringing a motion before the Supreme Court, seeking to re-validate the suit that removed Emeka Ihedioha as governor of Imo State in 2019.

Those to be paid are the Action Peoples Party, Uche Nnadi, Uche Nwosu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In the motion, Mr Ozekhome had asked the court for a consequential order to compel INEC to issue a fresh Certificate of Return to Mr Ihedioha to enable him to spend a four-year tenure as the Imo governor.

His grouse was that the incumbent governor, Hope Uzodinma “unlawfully” spent the four years which Mr Ihedioha ought to spend.

Among others, Mr Ozekhome in the motion claimed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had no candidate in the 2019 Imo governorship election, hence, Mr Uzodinma ought not to have been made a governor on the platform of the APC.

The Supreme Court, however, dismissed the motion on the grounds that it had no jurisdiction to entertain it.

Governor Hon Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has sworn in interim transition committee chairmen for its 17 Local Government Areas.

The governor, who disclosed this during the swearing in ceremony of the 17 chairmen at the banquet hall of Government House Damaturu, said that the exercise was necessary to ensure that no vacuum existed in his administration.

According to him, these appointments were necessitated by the expiration of the tenure of the last elected local government councils.

Buni told the caretaker chairmen to intensify efforts on local revenue generation to support the financing of development projects in their respective areas for the betterment of the people.

The governor described that their appointments were made on the bases of their hard work, loyalty, experience and zeal to deliver more selfless services to the people of the grassroots.

He urged them to pay more attention to farmers/herders’ relationship during the period of farm harvest as well as the migration of herdsmen.

Buni said the government will not condone any act capable of breaching peace among farmers and grazers in the rural communities.

He said “Grazers are advised not to trespass on farmland that are yet to be harvested; on the other hand, farmers should not block the cattle routes to hamper the free movement of livestock.”

He advised the Local Government chairmen to imbibe the principles of accountability, transparency and due process to be on the same page with the present administration and with commitment to the execution of people oriented policies and programmes to improve the lives of the people.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has disclosed that 422 out of Nigeria’s 1,411 delegation to ongoing, COP28, holding in Dubai were funded by the Federal Government.

The minister disclosed this as outrage continues to trail the large number of delegates attending the conference from Nigeria.

He said his clarification was hinged on the need to provide clarity in line with a standing pledge by the government to conduct itself with transparency and accessibility regarding public information.

The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly referred to as COP28, is the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, being held from November 30 to December 12, 2023 at Expo City, Dubai.

The minister said Nigeria’s representation at the conference was in line with the nation’s status as Africa’s leading sovereign voice and player in climate action.

Contingents at the conference comprised private sector players, such as businesspeople, civil society organisations and delegates from Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta region.

The social media space had went uproar over the significant presence of Nigerian delegates at the ongoing United Nations Climate Conference in Dubai.

Nigerians on social media had slammed Nigeria’s large delegation to COP28, PUNCH Online reports

A statement signed by President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, on Sunday, said only a handful of the 1,411 Nigerian delegates who registered to attend the COP28 Climate Summit were sponsored by the federal government.

“It is important to state here that delegates from all countries, whether from government, private sector, media and civil society groups, attend COP summits and conferences as parties and the number of attendees are registered against their countries of origin. This does not mean they are sponsored or funded by the government,”

“It is important to state here that delegates from all countries whether from government, private sector, media and civil society groups attend COP summits and conferences as parties and the number of attendees is registered against their countries of origin.

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“This does not mean that they are sponsored or funded by the government. It must be said also that the fact that people registered to attend a conference does not mean everyone who registered is physically present.

“As the biggest country in Africa, the biggest economy and one with a bigger stake in climate action as a country with a huge extractive economy, it is a no-brainer that delegates from Nigeria will be more than any other country in Africa,” Ajayi said.

Corroborating Ajayi, Idris stated that “the Federal Government-funded delegation is made up of a total of 422 persons.”

The delegation funded by the federal government, according to the minister, are National Council on Climate Change -32 delegates; Federal Ministry of Environment -34; all ministries -167; Presidency -67; Office of the Vice President -9, National Assembly – 40, and federal parastatals/agencies -73

Successes recorded so far

The minister added that Nigeria is currently enjoying its participation in the summit.

According to him, “Nigeria and Germany signed an accelerated performance agreement to expedite the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative to improve Nigeria’s electricity supply. The agreement was signed by Mr. Kenny Anuwe, the Managing Director and Chief Exective Officer of FGN Power Company, and Ms. Nadja Haakansson, Siemens Energy’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Africa, at a ceremony witnessed by President Tinubu and Chancellor Scholz.”

Also, he said President Bola Tinubu hosted a high-level meeting with stakeholders and investors on the Nigeria Carbon Market and the Electric Buses Rollout Programme on the margins of the COP28 climate summit as the nation stands to benefit from the Loss and Damage Fund established during COP-27 in Egypt and formally operationalized at the opening plenary of COP-28 in Dubai.

“The fund will provide substantial non-debt financing to support countries most affected by the impact of climate change. Hundreds of millions of dollars have already been pledged as contributions to the fund,” Idris added.

According to him, Tinubu also met the President of the United Arab Emirates to concretise engagements between the two countries.

Following the clarification that the Federal Government only funded 422 delegates to the summit, Idris concluded in the releas that, “President Tinubu and other officials on the Federal Government delegation are in Dubai for serious business, not a jamboree.”