News

FG To Lift 50m Nigerians Out of Poverty By 2027- Group

Published

1 month ago

August 19, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

…urge NASS to pass bill to coordinate grants in Nigeria

By Gloria Ikibah

A body established by the Federal government under the auspices of Idealab, has called for speedy passage of “A Bill For An Act For The Coordination Of Grants In Nigeria And Other Related Matters”.

The bill according to the group is aimed at establishing a National Council for Public Assistance to widows, dependant children and Orphans in the country.

Naijablitznews.com reports that Idealab was established to address the challenges of small holder farmers and micro small and medium enterprises in accessing intervention funds in Nigeria.

The Director General of the NGO, Emmanuel Aondoakaa in a news conference on Monday in Abuja, stated that the establishment of the agency will help address issues of unemployment and other vices that led to the recent “End Bad Governance Protest” across the country.

He commended the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas for sponsoring the bill and for his public engagement with stakeholders while drumming support for the bill.

Aondoakaa also also thanked Speaker Abbas for bringing back the bill which was rejected in the 9th Assembly, stating that the provisions of the bill aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with the capacity to lift 50 million Nigerians out of poverty by the year 2027.

He said “It is important to state here that, if this piece of legislation is revisited, repositioned as proposed and worked upon to align with the aspirations of the president as stated above, it will go ahead and address the yearnings of the demonstrators and street protesters of the #EndBadGovernance, to solve the problems of hunger, illiteracy, suffering of the ordinary masses of Nigeria and other social vices in the country.

“We are optimistic it will reduce tension in the land and give the legislators and the Federal Government of Nigeria a high public approval rating and prospect of winning future elections for the politicians in power now”.

Speaking on the objectives of Idealab Agency, Aondoakaa said the agency was registered in May, 2024 by the government to address the challenges of small holder farmers and micro small and medium enterprises in accessing intervention funds in Nigeria, lack of market access, shortage of employment in the country and to create wealth using digital platforms.

“This was a follow up of the Idealab program that was officially launched on the 29th March, 2022 by the Bank of Industry in collaboration with the other critical stockholders to drive the initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria for the investment in digital economy and creative enterprise (IDICE) and the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation venture capital funds for intervention programs using financial inclusion and inclusive growth strategies to lift Nigerians who are excluded out of poverty.

“The funds are in the form of Grants, Scholarship, Aid, Employment, Market access and Loan programs, etc”.

He said that Idealab programme has created and adopted state of the arts technologies that can drive financial inclusion and inclusive growth strategies across the country to bring Intervention programs to every community in Nigeria.

“These technologies are designed and approved to facilitate the onboarding processes and disbursement of loans, grants, scholarships, aid, employment & market access, etc.

“By adopting these technologies and using them, so many adult Nigerians can access intervention programs ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦200 Billion, both from the Federal Government of Nigeria and World Bank Group.

“Though these funds have been there since the launch of idealab program, yet so many Nigerians have not heard about it or still not benefitted from these intervention programs.

“It is on the premise of this verifiable fact that we are calling on the National Assembly, the media and other critical stakeholders to support us (idealab agency) in terms of mobilization and awareness creation about the intervention programs under our watch”, he added.

News

Ecoparl: Speaker Ibrahima Reaffirms Parliament’s Dedication to Regional Unity

Published

4 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Rt. Honourable Memounatou Ibrahima, restated that the parliament remains committed to ensuring the unity and integration of the people within the subregion.

According to Speaker Ibrahima, the Parliament will continue to use parliamentary diplomacy to engage countries that are considering leaving the bloc due to political challenges, such as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, as a result of military coups they experienced.

The Speaker stated this when she led a delegation of the ECOWAS Parliament on a working visit to the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday in Abuja.

She highlighted that while countries may break formal cooperation, the people of the region remain interconnected, adding that the Parliament, as representatives of these people, will work to maintain the unity.

Ibrahima expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Senate for supporting ECOWAS by providing necessary facilities for their plenary sessions, even as she discussed the socio-political challenges facing the region, as well as how parliamentarians can contribute more to address these issues.

She said: “We strengthen parliamentary diplomacy, because we know that the countries might break cooperation but we cannot separate the population. The population always live together and we as representatives of the people, we are doing our best so that this living together will continue to be reality and even made better.

“We came to thank him for all the facilities that the senate has been providing to the ECOWAS Parliament to facilitate the holding of our sessions here in Abuja. We also discussed on the socio-political situation in the community. We also discussed on the ways parliamentarians can make more contributions on the various issues and the challenges that we are experiencing in ECOWAS”.

The President of the Senate,

Senator Akpabio, who was represented by his Deputy, Senator Barau Jubril, commended Ibrahima’s leadership and her efforts in using parliamentary diplomacy to foster cooperation within ECOWAS, especially in light of the challenges posed by countries considering an exit from the bloc.

He noted that since Speaker Meimounatou assumed office, she has deployed enormous parliamentary diplomacy to bear not only on the level of cooperation with institutions in the region but also on those that have expressed the wish to quit the regional block.

Naijablitznews.com reports that Senator Jubril is the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.

He said: “Since she was elected the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, she has been up and doing in terms of giving leadership to the parliament. It is in that regard that she is here trying to chart a better course for the parliament to make sure that she brings parliamentary diplomacy to bear in terms of our cooperation not only with those who are within the community as we speak but also even those who are attempting to leave the community.

“It is in that respect that she is here, and what she is doing is commendable. She has come to strengthen her idea and initiative of making the parliament stronger and more effective”.

News

Air Force Begins Moving Electoral Materials For Edo Guber Election

Published

6 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has began airlifting the sensitive election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Benin, Edo State, ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.

This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru Ali.

The operation is part of the NAF’s efforts to ensure the timely and secure delivery of materials necessary for a smooth electoral process.

This development reinforces the collaboration between NAF and INEC to facilitate logistics and ensure a peaceful election in Edo State.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, had previously reiterated NAF’s commitment to providing airlift support for the swift movement of electoral materials during a meeting with INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

This airlift operation is a crucial aspect of NAF’s constitutional responsibility to provide Military Aid to Civil Authority, underscoring the force’s dedication to supporting democratic processes in Nigeria. With the election just days away, the NAF’s timely intervention will help ensure the successful conduct of the governorship elections in Edo State.

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had earlier accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of working with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hunt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and supporters in the state and force them into hiding ahead of September 21 governorship election.

Obaseki, who made the allegation when a delegation led by the former Head of State, Abdusalam Abubakar, met with him to get the governor and his party to sign peace accord, said that the IGP had made nonsense of his (Obaseki’s) role as the chief security officer of the state.

The governor had said that the police chief obtained a warrant to arrest 60 members and supporters of PDP in Edo and that the IGP sent an armed “gang” of policemen who invaded the state, attacked PDP members, shot at a local government chairman and arrested 10 persons who are currently being detained in Abuja without charges.

Asked by the former head of state if his party would sign the peace accord, Obaseki said, “The person who is supposed to enforce the peace accord is now an active participant in creating a destructive environment.

“We are now in a situation where from the Inspector General’s office, there are armed gang policemen who came into Edo State, invaded, arrested and took away PDP members.

News

“Dancing gives me abundant joy and peace of mind”-Gov Adeleke

Published

6 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has given reasons why he loves dancing.

The ‘Dancing Governor’, as he is fondly called, revealed this on Wednesday while responding to a tweet on X.

An X user, @Iwogoke, while praising the governor, stated that Adeleke has been busy fulfilling his electoral promises to the people of Osun State, while his political opponents believe he is only good at dancing.

Iwogoke tweeted, “I’m not flattering you, Your Excellency, your opponents think you can only dance but while they are busy shouting and calling you ‘Dancing Governor’, you are busy fulfilling your electoral promises to the people.”

Responding to the tweet via his verified X account, Adeleke explained that he loves dancing because it brings him joy.

Speaking further on his love for dancing, Adeleke highlighted that while dancing brings him immense happiness, his greater fulfilment comes from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Osun.

Outlining his administration’s efforts to enhance the state’s infrastructure, he noted that primary health centre rehabilitation is underway in at least 200 out of the 332 wards across Osun State, adding that road construction projects are also progressing in every local government area.

He wrote, “Dancing gives me joy, but delivering on my electoral promises and providing the dividends of democracy to the good people of Osun gives me even greater joy. Rehabilitation of primary health centers is ongoing in at least 200 out of 332 wards, and road construction is progressing in every Local Government!”