Month: April 2024

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has called on Nigerians to refrain from speaking ill of the country, but pray for its betterment.

Sanwo-Olu gave the advice at the 2024 Eid-el-Fitr elebration on Saturday at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

The celebration had the theme: ‘Allah will not Change the Way of the People until they Change What is in their Hearts’.

The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, urged Nigerians to change their thoughts and speak positively about the country.

According to him, God will not change anything for any society until the people would decide to change their minds for good.

Sanwo-Olu added that the citizens should stop cursing the country so that God would change it for the better.

He, therefore urged Nigerians to believe in their current leaders and pray for them and the country.

‘Almighty God will not change anything for any society until they change what is in their minds.

‘Our collective intent should be to keep praying for Nigeria and the leadersh
ip to do the right thing.

‘That is when Allah will intervene in the present situation of our country.

‘It is, therefore, important for us to desist from talking ill about the country,’ he said.

The governor also charged the people to be empathetic toward one another, adding that they should be their brothers’ keepers.

He appealed to parents to guide their children and wards right.

Sanwo-Olu harped on children being respectful while reiterating that it was the responsibility of parents to raise their children in the way of God.

In her address of welcome, the Wife of Lagos State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, urged Nigerians to emerge from Ramadan not only as individuals who had undergone personal growth but as agents of change within their communities.

She advised them to commit to fostering a society built on the principles of justice, equity and compassion.

‘Let us remember that true change begins within the depths of our hearts.

‘The joint Ramadan and Lent experienced this year should remind every
one of the universal value of humanity that unites all regardless of religious belief, background, or ethnicity,’ she said.

She advised Nigerians to reject bigotry and prejudice in all its forms and work toward building a more inclusive society where everyone would be valued and respected.

Justice Abdulrraheem Ahmad of the Sharia Court of Appeal, Kwara State, said that the current situation in Nigeria was not vested upon the people by Allah but was a creation of the people’s handiwork.

He advised Nigerians to have a change of mindset and speak positively about the country.

Ahmad also urged the people to be righteous, as well as fair and kind to one another irrespective of religion, race or tribe.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Border Management Authority (BMA) facilitated about 1 136 250 travellers across the country’s 71 ports of entry over the Easter period.

This represents a 24% increase or 222 391 more travellers than last year, the BMA announced on Sunday.

This as the BMA’s Commissioner, Dr Mike Masiapato, announced the results of the 10-day Easter plan implementation that ran from 26 March to 4 April 2024.

Masiapato identified OR Tambo International Airport, the Lebombo port of entry to Mozambique, and Beitbridge port of entry to Zimbabwe as the top three ports that processed the majority of travellers with a total of 528 042 individuals.

‘In fact, OR Tambo facilitated the most travellers at 217 855, followed by Lebombo at 157 069 and ?Beitbridge at 153 118 travellers,’ he said at a media briefing held at the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) head office in Pretoria.

He added that at the Cape Town harbour had seen an increase in the number of holiday makers boarding cruise ships for various desti
nations, according to border law enforcement officials.

The BMA also processed about 36 675 private vehicles, 1 893 minibus taxis, 1 309 buses and over 2 621 aircrafts at various international airports.

It also handled 252 vessels across seaports of which 119 were for crew changes through the off-port limit mechanism.

‘This has to do with the facilitation of crew changes for vessels that have not docked at the port. During the implementation of this plan on people movement, we deployed proactive preventative measures for the speedy detection of non-compliances on the set port protocols.’

The Commissioner revealed that 3 841 people attempting to enter South Africa illegally were intercepted.

Of the 3 841, about 2 403 did not have any documents, 1 019 were refused entry for being ‘undesirable’, while about 419 were found to be ‘inadmissible’ to enter the country due to various reasons.

‘The majority of those arrested without documents were intercepted at the vulnerable segments of the borderline. They wer
e processed, declared undesirable for five years, and were deported.’

According to Masiapato, most of the ‘inadmissible’ individuals had invalid passports, fraudulent visas or simply failed to produce relevant documents such as valid yellow fever certificates.

‘We would like to indicate that the success of this Easter operations can be attributed to the consistent implementation of all proactive measures and those include effective corridor management which was done in full collaboration with the respective local traffic authorities. As such, none of our key arteries leading to any of the land ports of entry experienced any kind of congestion.’

He also expressed his gratitude to all motorists for observing traffic laws and adhering to the instructions of traffic authorities.

He also applauded the Stockpoort port of entry for processing and recording data of all passengers who were on the bus en route from Botswana to Moria in Limpopo for the Easter pilgrimage.

‘Despite our limited resources, our officers
continue to work tirelessly to ensure the smooth flow of legitimate travellers while upholding the highest security standards. We are extremely proud and appreciative of the resilience of our border officials in rendering a stable service in very difficult conditions,’ he said.

Earlier this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Botswana counterpart, President Mokgweetsi Masisi visited the site of the bus crash which claimed the lives of 45 Botswana nationals.

The only survivor of the crash was an eight-year-old child.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The National Coordinator of the Financing Safe Schools Initiative, Mrs Halima Iliya, has revealed plans to engage hunters and vigilantes in intelligence gathering to curb attacks on schools nationwide.

Iliya in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, noted the importance of community engagement and student, parent, and teacher sensitisation, set to commence in the second quarter of the year.

She outlined strategies to train local vigilantes and youths in states without registered vigilantes, aiming to involve communities in intelligence gathering and prevention efforts.

‘As a component of the plan, for states with local vigilantes, we intend to train their hunters, vigilantes and volunteers while for states without registered vigilantes we intend to advocate to use youths.

‘Youths will volunteer to protect their communities because we cannot achieve anything within a community without their involvement.

‘We will bring them to the security architecture for them to defend and protect t
heir communities in the areas of intelligence gathering, prevention and detection deterrent capabilities,’ Iliya said.

She added that plans include leveraging the National Orientation Agency’s grassroots presence for efficient communication through training manuals in local dialects.

Dr Ahmed Audi, Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, stressed the importance of coordination among security agencies to protect schools effectively.

‘That is why the three Cs; coordination, cooperation and collaboration cannot be over emphasised as this has yielded results amongst security agencies in recent operations so I think we are on the right track,’ he said.

According to Audi, because the NSCDC regulates the operations of Private Guard Companies (PGCs), they have been leveraged on to contribute their quota to the security architecture of the country by providing intelligence reports.

The Corps, along with other agencies, is committed to ensuring school safety through initiatives such as
the School Community Security Vanguard.

The National Safe School Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) Commander, Hameed Abodunrin, highlighted ongoing sensitisation efforts to raise awareness about school security risks.

‘Research has shown that the fear of insecurity is worse than insecurity itself,’ he said.

According to him, plans also include conducting School Security Awareness training and distributing security tips books to students nationwide.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has demanded the release of the remaining Chibok girls from captivity 10 years after.

The Christian body said the pain and anguish experienced by the parents of the abducted girls was still being deeply felt.

It said that it was not only a matter of national importance, but also a test of commitment to upholding the rights and safety of Nigerian citizens.

This is contained in a statement by its National Director for Education, Youth and Women Development, Rev. Ozumba Nicodemus on Saturday in Abuja.

‘The trauma experienced by the remaining 276 abducted girls from Nigeria is unimaginable.

‘The pain and anguish felt by their parents, who have endured sleepless nights filled with hopelessness, are deeply felt by CAN.

‘We cannot remain silent while their children remain in captivity, yearning for freedom and reunion with their families,’ it said.

CAN urged government to intensify efforts and take decisive action to rescue the remaining children still held hostage.

‘It is our duty as a nation to ensure their safe return, and to bring an end to the anguish and suffering endured by these innocent young girls and their families.

‘We call on the government to mobilise all available resources, engage relevant security agencies, and collaborate with international partners to secure the release of the remaining Chibok girls,’ It said.

The religious body also implored the international community, humanitarian organisations, and well-meaning individuals to join hands in advocating for the release of the Chibok girls.

‘Together, we can amplify our voices and exert greater pressure on the abductors to bring an end to this prolonged ordeal.

‘CAN remains resolute in its commitment to seeking justice and ensuring the safe return of the Chibok girls.

‘We will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders and utilise all available avenues to shed light on their plight and secure their release.

‘We urge all Nigerians to stand united, to lend their voices and to demand immediate ac
tion from the government.

‘Let us show our unwavering support for the families of the Chibok girls and demonstrate our collectivedetermination to bring them back home,’ It added.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Veteran broadcaster, Dr Danladi Bako, on Sunday, congratulated Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, as the institution’s UDUS Campus Radio 89.7 FM commenced full broadcast.

Bako congratulated the institution in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

The broadcaster, who holds a traditional title of Kogunan Sokoto, and former Information Commissioner in the state, also paid tributes to the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Lawal Bilbis, over the feat.

‘Today, as a Senior Lecturer in the Mass Communication Department myself, I acknowledge the incredible efforts the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bilbis, has put in during his tenure to make the dream of the Campus Radio a reality, ‘ he said.

This, he said, was for ‘the sole purpose of training our Mass Communication students to become world class.’

Recalling how the institution got accreditation for mass communication, Bako noted the roles he and the former Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Risqua Shehu, played.

Bako, who equa
lly paid tributes to Shehu, also said: ‘The former vice-chancellor pursued vigorously the acquisition of a radio licence from the National Broadcasting Commission, where I was former Director General and eventually licence was acquired.’

‘The Dean, Head of Department, Dr Mijinyawa, and the students must all be commended for their diligence , commitment and endurance toward the realisation of this project, which started transmission yesterday, Saturday April 13, 2024.’

He urged the university community and the public to give the members of staff and students support as they begin their first test of covering the institution’s convocation on Saturday.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnic (SSANIP), Yabatech Chapter has commended Alhaji Tunde Fanimokun, a philanthropist, for donating N3.5 billion to build an Entrepreneurship Centre for the college.

The Chairman of SSANIP, Yabatech Chapter, Mr Jason Ayodeji, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday that the donation was a welcome development that would add value to the students’ career paths.

NAN reports that the groundbreaking event, which held on Tuesday at the Yusuf Grillo Hall of the college, was in commemoration of Fanimokun’s 80th birthday.

Ayodeji said that the Union was delighted with the donation, which was in honour of late Wahab Folawiyo, the Founding Father of Yinka Folawiyo Conglomerate.

He said that the building which would be named ‘Folawiyo Entrepreneurship Centre’, would provide an enabling environment where students could be taught crucial life skills that would help them navigate the future.

According to him, an entrepreneurship centre plays a critical role in
shaping the future of students.

He said that such centres fostered innovation and creativity among the students, whereby they explore and grow their entrepreneurial skills.

‘This is a laudable step, we are happy and express our gratitude to Fanimokun.

‘The Entrepreneurship Centre will provide the necessary resources, guidance and networking opportunities that will turn students’ ideas to successful ventures.

‘The centre will be a distinguished four-storey building having four lecture theatres, with 320-sitting capacity in each; another with 500-sitting, 19 classrooms, office spaces for staff, various areas for vocational activities, and ample parking facilities,’ he said.

The SSANIP chairman said that the union had noted efforts being put in place by Dr Ibraheem Abdul, the Rector, Yabatech, in securing such a significant endowment for the institution.

‘The present administration under Dr Abdul has been doing a great job, this is another feat and we will continue to support his good work and activities t
o take the College to the next level,’ he said.

The philanthropist, Fanimokun, retired as a Permanent Secretary with the Lagos State Civil Service before being employed as Executive Director, Projects, by late Folawiyo.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria