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Nigeria@64: Speaker Abbas shares 1,000 bags of rice, others to Abuja IDPs

Published

2 weeks ago

October 1, 2024

Austin Ojomah

…says Nigeria needs to prioritise quality assurance in public schools

…lectures school children on unity, patriotism, hard work on 59th birthday

As part of activities marking Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary and his 59th birthday, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, on Tuesday, reached out to some internally displaced persons at Kabusa community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Speaker, who led a delegation comprising the Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu; Chief Whip, Hon. Usman Bello Kumo, and other members of the House to the IDPs’ camp, said he was moved by their plight.

Speaker Abbas gave out a total of 1,000 bags of 10kg rice, 200 cartons of noodles, over 800 pieces of clothes for men and women, as well as bedsheets.

He was supported by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Also at the humanitarian ceremony, Speaker Abbas provided free medical services for IDPs with certain ailments.

Meanwhile, Speaker Abbas had earlier in the day hosted students from six public secondary schools in the FCT for an interaction, where he responded to questions from the students.

At the interaction, which lasted for over an hour, the Speaker said for Nigeria’s education sector to return to its glory days, adequate supervision and quality assurance in public schools must be prioritised by those tasked with the duties of running the sector.

He decried the largely unregulated and proliferation of private schools, which he said had led to an unacceptable decay in public schools across the country, saying “even teachers teaching in public schools now have their children in private schools because they don’t even believe in what they are doing for a living.”

He added: “When we were growing up, there was no such thing as private school because everyone, including the Emir, the Commissioner, the Minister and the biggest business tycoon in the town had to take their children to the available public schools, everyone was interested in what happened there. And for that reason, there was strict and adequate supervision of the teachers and those running the schools, which was why the standard was very high. But today it’s a different story altogether because even government officials no longer take their children to public schools due to the proliferation of private schools and the decline of standard in public schools,” Speaker Abbas said.

The Speaker advised the students to imbibe the culture of hard work, which is an aspect of patriotism, saying that though their generation has access to smart ways of doing things, that has also made them to cultivate the habit of following shortcuts to success.

“You have to imbibe the culture of hard work if you want your patriotism to impact on Nigeria. However, the current generation is a smart one that likes to use the shortcut to success without following due process. So please try to pay attention to details and follow due process. Also believe in yourself and work hard. It worked for me.”

Speaker Abbas also harped on the importance of believing in oneself, recalling how he became self-reliant at a very young age after his secondary school education to becoming a teacher, up to the point where he became a homeowner at 19.

“Because I was trained to be a teacher and after my secondary school I went straight into the classroom. Since then, I never asked for (financial) assistance from my parents, and I became a homeowner at the age of 19. I remember the shock on my father’s face when I told him I was going for my youth service because he never knew I was in the University. Because I believed in myself and doing better for myself, I took the challenge of going further on my own without actually having to bother my parents again.”

Also stressing the importance of unity in diversity, Speaker Abbas urged the students to love their country as they love themselves, saying the concept of loving one’s neighbour as one’s-self eschews any element of ethnicity, tribalism and religious sentiment.

“When you love your neighbor the way you love yourself, relate with others the way you want them to relate with you, then your patriotism is well on its way to fruition. I look at every Nigerian, male or female, as one and the same. I look at your character as a factor for a good and purposeful relationship.

“If you look at my family background you will not see any issues of religious bias and even among my constituents so if you go to every religious sect in my constituency, you will see that I relate with them on equal basis. And same thing with the House. We are brothers, we see each other as brothers and as one. So children if you want your future to be better than what we have now, you must strive to eradicate the disease of ethnicity, religious sentiment and look at the greater picture. I take delight in the way I see you, both northerners and southerners, you are like children from the same parents and I urge you to maintain that,” he said.

The students who were drawn from public secondary schools in the six Area Councils of the FCT made various presentations, including technological innovations as birthday gifts to the Speaker.

Related Topics:Abuja bags of rice IDPs Speaker Abbas

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Just in: Final knockout for Fubara as Supreme Court refuses to grant stay of execution request

Published

48 mins ago

October 16, 2024

Austin Ojomah

It is final blow as he Supreme Court today, denied Fubara Stay of Execution asking the counsels to the Rivers state Government to obey the Apoeal Court judgment while their Appeal are been heard.

Fubara and his 3 Lawmakers may have to kiss the dust with this latest development.

Information reaching me Sat’s INEC will this week announce dates for Bye election into the vacant seats.

More details shortly…

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University Don Tells FG To Sanction NUPENG President, General Secretary Over Failure To Curtail Tanker Fire Fatalities*

Published

1 hour ago

October 16, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Victims of Wednesday’s inferno in Jigawa State where over 100 people were burnt to death have received sympathy from an American based Professor of Humanity who called on the Federal government to sanction the leadership of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) over failure to curtail incessant deaths arising from tanker-related accidents across the country.

Professor Josephine T. Abubakar from University of Maryland, United States also commiserated with the families who lost loved ones in the tragic incident and prayed that God grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.

In a statement she made available to newsmen on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 she said Nigerian ministry of petroleum resources in collaboration with the National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) need to activate Safe-To-Load Initiative to mitigate incessant petroleum products tanker accidents and ensuing fire outbreaks in Nigeria.

The University don said, “It is highly irresponsible of an oil Union like NUPENG, especially its General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale for not reacting officially to a national tragedy caused by one of the branches of its union, PTD in particular. This is horrible and unbelievable, over 100 lives met their untimely death. NUPENG should not only be seen collecting multiple levies and dues from Tanker Drivers, but should be seen putting adequate safety measures in place to avoid fatalities like the one the country witnessed on Wednesday.

“The deaths was a colossal loss for Nigeria, and what made it more worrisome and heart-rending was that it could be avoided but NUPENG and PTD have failed in their responsibilities, rather they concentrate on bickering over leadership tussle, legal fireworks and other ventures that can bring pecuniary gains for them at the expense of their defenseless members. It’s a shame that Augustine Egbon, a stooge in PTD who was hand-picked to be the National Chairman has also been silent about this recent calamity. NUPENG has outrightly failed Nigeria to say the least.

“However, this is the best time for the Nigerian government to look into the activities of NUPENG and PTD so that public safety and security will no longer be put into jeopardy. Nigeria has lost many lives as a result of negligence, weak and incompetent leadership in NUPENG and PTD who cannot even fix its internal crisis but disgracing themselves on the pages of newspapers and the internet on a daily basis.

“The call also goes to Nigerian ministry of petroleum resources to collaborate with the National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) so as to activate Safe-To-Load Initiative to mitigate incessant petroleum products tanker accidents and ensuing fire outbreaks in Nigeria.

“PTD used to be known for operational excellence and robust safety checklist for loading of petroleum products at terminals, retail outlets and depots but since Afolabi came to the saddle as General Secretary, the Union has been in tatters. Government must overhaul NUPENG and PTD, if need be, Afolabi and the President should be sacked while the DSS can take over the affairs of the union, until a proper election is conducted. There is nothing new, this has happened in NUPENG before”, she said.

The professor further appealed to Tinubu led government to be committed in ensuring safe roads for petroleum products distribution in the country and as well continue to create laudable interventions that can cushion the hardships faced by tanker drivers in their task of distributing products across the country, while also stressing that law enforcement agencies must as well show cooperation, support and provide security/succor for the hardworking tanker drivers.

News

Impeachment Plot: Akpabio Cautions Nigerians To Disregard Media Report

Published

5 hours ago

October 16, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has admonished Nigerians to disregard stories of his planned impeachment, even as he described it as an illusion.

Naijablitznews.com recalled that an online publication, (Name withheld on Wednesday, published a story titled “DSS Takes Over National Assembly Amid Impeachment Speculations Against Senate President Akpabio”, which has since been republished by other media outlets.

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President of Senate, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh in a statement on Wednesday said the report was a figment of the reporters imagination.

He said: “Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, wishes to state without equivocation that the speculation and misinformation circulating about an alleged impeachment plot against him is the handiwork of fifth columnists who are perpetual merchants of misinformation and purveyors of mischief.

“As a Head of one of the Arms of government, the President of the Senate categorically denies these baseless claims and reaffirms his commitment to transformational leadership of the Senate particularly and effectively collaborates with the other arms of government. There is no crack in the Upper Chamber and no Senator or Caucus is plotting any impeachment against the President of the Senate. Every Senator is focused on raising the bar of Legislative Agenda and Nation building.

“The allegations are nothing but a desperate attempt to create division and discord among the esteemed senators. It’s unfortunate that some individuals would resort to spreading falsehoods to promote the invidious reins of their blackmail enterprise.

“Senator Godswill Akpabio remains focused on the implementation of the 10th Senate’s Legislative Agenda and working tirelessly to address the pressing National issues of growth and prosperity.

“The Senate President will not be distracted by these unfounded rumours and wants to assure the public that his commitment to Nigeria’s progress remains unwavering.

“We therefore urge the public to disregard these baseless claims and instead focus on the meaningful work being done by the Senate to improve the lives of all Nigerians”.