News

Defence Minister Badaru orders troops to arrest Bandit kingpin Bello Turji

Published

14 hours ago

October 25, 2024

Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has ordered troops of Operation Fansar Yamma to produce wanted terrorist kingpin, Bello Turji.

He gave the order 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu rejigged his cabinet, leaving him and 30 others untouched.

Bayo Onanuga, Presidential spokesman, had stated the reason which Tinubu also spared Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence.

Addressing troops at the One Brigade Headquarters in Gusau, Zamfara State, on Thursday, Badaru boosted the morale of the soldiers, saying President Bola Tinubu has been the following their activities in the past few months and has seen remarkable improvement.

“He urged me to thank you and to urge you to do more to end insecurity in these areas of operation and the country. He is ready to provide all you need to end insecurity in the Northwest and Nigeria.”

“I had some reassurances from the commander officer and was pleased, sure that we would reach the goal. Are you ready to finish with them? Are ready to end it? Please get me Turji.”

Badaru’s comment comes three weeks after Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, said the days of Turji were numbered.

According to the CDS, the renewed military onslaught on terrorists in the North West had sent panic to the camp of Turji and his gang.

“You can see from the action that he is taking, you will know that he is in a state of panic. He used to be emboldened to go and talk and talk as if he is the only one in charge. Now he knows he is not in charge. He knows it is a matter of time because Halilu Buzu that was killed was his master.

“So now that he knows his commander is gone, he knows he is next and so all that he is doing now is mere noise-making,” Musa had said during an interview.

The CDS said that the terrorist kingpin had already crossed the line.

He said while the military operations would continue, many of the terrorists would continue to go down.

According to him, insecurity is dragging on for a long time because of poverty, illiteracy and lack of good governance within those general areas.

“So they have a large population of youths not doing anything. The more we take them out, the more people are joining them and then you remember, we have a 1,500 kilometre border with Niger Republic.

News

Reps Query Minister Of Works Over Shameful State Of Nigerian Roads

Published

1 hour ago

October 25, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

…call for replacement of management of ministry

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has queried the ministry of Works over the deplorable state of the Nigerian roads, calling for a total replacement of the management of the ministry.

Chairman, Commitee on FERMA, Rep. Remi Oseni issued the query during an interactive session with the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and Minister of Works on Thursday in Abuja.

According to the chairman, the ministry despite been allocated huge amount of money has not utilized the resources in fixing bad roads across the country.

Rep. Oseni express displeasure at the response of the representative of the Minister of Works, who is the Director Bridges and design, Bede Obiora, when he said the roads were bad due to the unavailability of funds by the ministry.

Obiora said: “The Ministry does not know how to address the challenges. But the issue is when you ask for resources, are those resources available? That is the big challenge. Yes, we’ve heard your request, about the 20 percent. We will do what we can. But, Mr. Chairman, you agree with me that it is still the National Assembly that does the appropriation, not the ministry. All we do is to do a proposal. The final result we get is after the appropriation by the National Assembly.

“So, we will still be bringing back the same request you gave us to your committee and urge you to assist us in clear terms about how this problem can be solved. The big challenge is the resources. Whether you go to budget, whether you go to visit the president, anywhere you go, the challenge is I need 1 billion Naira, what is available is N100,000. So, the issue now is how do we manage this little resource to address this enormous challenge”.

In response the Chairman of the Commitee insisted that the ministry has over the years not made repair of roads a priority, rather they award contract on yearly basis without maintaining already constructed roads.

“Where we find ourselves call for serious dedication, it calls for a total replacement of the management of the entire ministry for everyone of course to be identified

with the challenges that we are going through in the area of this road.

“We are not here for business of whether you want to do the job or you don’t want to do the job. How can you be telling us that there is no resources? In less than one minute, from everything that everybody has said, it’s a clue. You have no plan for us as a nation.

“It’s unfair to us as a nation. Tell me specifically where we have good roads. You are not concentrating your attention on fixing existing bad roads.

“Don’t tell me about the issue of resources. I’m sorry, we will not accept this. And if you want us to escalate things, let’s go into debates. What you are wasting on things that are not relevant for now to address other issues are much more important than what you are doing. I put it to you. If we are not honest enough to address some of these issues, you would have solve this problem at once.

“We are wasting our resources than solving our problems. I am not interested in emotion. I am concerned about how to fix Nigerian roads.

“We are not here for apology or asking whether you want to do it or you don’t want to do it. And that is why I feel sad that the Honorable Minister is not here in person. So that we can open our minds and see how we can fix our problem.

“There is no way you can relate the way we are feeling as individuals. We did not invite you because we wanted to see the Minister’s face. We invited you because we wanted to solve the problem. And tell us in a clear and scientific way. For us, you are only telling us you know there is no resources. And that is the end of the essence of your being here.

“It’s simple. Go and tell them that we don’t have resources. So, what is important is go and solve Nigerian road challenges.

“Go and review your job methodology. If you have an existing rule, you are not concentrating on how you want to get them resolved. And you are only concentrating on awarding contracts that you know they are not ready to execute.

“It’s not fair. Now, that brings me back to the issue of these resources that we are talking about. Sir, 60%, I don’t want to exaggerate, of why almost all the roads fail at the same time, has to do with the quality of your work.

“Poor quality delivery. I told them, I saw some of your contractors working across the country. You will be ashamed that you are supervising the jobs. I was at some sites. I was almost calling the minister when they told me that the job was awarded by Minister of Works. So, don’t discuss resources. You will take me out of this place.

“Majority of the roads that they are repairing on a daily basis, or they are maintaining on a regular basis, are roads that will last 2-3 years, they are bad. Sir, that road failed less than a year after it was completed. You are still separating the state contractors to execute major highways in the country. Don’t discuss resources.

The committee however demanded that the ministry go back to the drawing board to put an end to the state of roads across the country.

News

Finally, Four Astronauts Return To Earth After Two-Month Delay By Boeing Capsule Trouble

Published

2 hours ago

October 25, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

SpaceX’s capsule carrying NASA’s Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Russia’s Alexander Grebenkin splashed down off Florida’s coast after a mid-week departure from the space station, AP reports.

After an extended stay aboard the International Space Station, four astronauts safely returned to Earth early Friday morning, landing in the Gulf of Mexico before dawn.

Originally set to return two months ago, the crew’s homecoming was delayed due to issues with Boeing’s new Starliner capsule, which returned empty in September over safety concerns.

Hurricane Milton further pushed back their return, followed by high winds and rough seas.

Barratt, the only mission veteran, praised the ground team’s efforts, stating they had “to replan, retool and kind of redo everything right along with us … and helped us to roll with all those punches.”

The four astronauts launched in March and are now replaced by two Starliner test pilots, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, and two other astronauts launched by SpaceX four weeks ago. This new crew will remain on board until February

With the astronauts’ return, the station now holds its usual crew size of seven, comprising four Americans and three Russians, following months of overflow.

News

World Polio Day: 138 Polio Cases In Africa, Nearly Half Infected Children From Nigeria – UNICEF

Published

4 hours ago

October 25, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

…as west, central African celebrities release new song to drive immunization

By Gloria Ikibah

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that as of 22 October 2024, there have been 138 polio cases in Africa, and nearly half of infected children came from Nigeria.

As a result of this, leading music stars and celebrity actors from across West and Central Africa have come together to release a new song titled No More Zero Dose to help bring childhood immunization back on track.

The song which was released on World Polio Day, brings together 12 of the region’s top musicians and UNICEF Champions – Cobhams, Ali Nuhu, Kate Henshaw, Master Soumy, Mawndoe, Omawumi, Qing Madi, Sekouba Bambino, Spyro, Stanley Enow, Timi Dakolo and WAJE to send a clear message: every child deserves to be protected by vaccines.

It focused on the urgent need to reach zero-dose children, those who have not received any vaccinations, and protect them from preventable childhood diseases like polio, measles and more.

UNICEF, in a statement made available to Naijablitznews.com reveals that West and Central Africa is the region with the lowest immunization coverage in the world.

The statement reads: “Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) coverage for the region was 69 per cent in 2023, down from 72 per cent in 2019.

“The region has also experienced multiple vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks in recent years, including polio, measles, diphtheria and yellow fever.

“So far this year (as of 22 October 2024), there have been 138 polio cases in Africa, and nearly half of infected children were in Nigeria. In 2023, there were 506 polio cases in Africa.

“With nearly 4.3 million children across the region not receiving vital vaccines, ‘No More Zero Dose’ delivers a call to action through music. By fusing vibrant sounds with a message of hope, love, and protection, these artists hope to inspire listeners to join the movement to protect every child.

UNICEF’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou, restated the commitment of UNICEF to ensuring that no child is left behind, especially those in hard-to-reach areas.

“Zero-dose children are the most vulnerable, and ensuring they receive life-saving vaccines is critical for their future. This song amplifies that message. We can and must reach every child and eradicate polio.

“As a UNICEF Champion, I urge everyone to join us in the fight against preventable diseases like polio. Together, we have the power to protect every child’s future and eradicate these diseases for good,” said Nigerian music producer Cobhams Asuquo, who spearheaded the collaboration. “Let us work to ensure that every child receives the vital vaccine they deserve, protecting their future and our world. Join us in this mission—let’s spread hope and health across Africa.”

UNICEF Nigeria’s Country Representative, Cristian Munduate, said the project is significant for Nigeria, a country still facing a high number of under vaccinated children.

“The release of the No More Zero Dose song featuring 12 talented artists from across West and Central Africa, eight of whom are from Nigeria, reflects the deep commitment to ensuring that every child receives life-saving vaccines. Music is a powerful tool for change, and through this collaboration, we are amplifying the message that no child should be missed”, she said.

No More Zero Dose has been launched on YouTube and will soon be available on popular streaming platforms. As the region marks World Polio Day, this collaborative effort serves as a reminder that while progress has been made, the fight to end zero-dose cases continues.