metro
Obasanjo fumes over fire in Benue farm, Ortoms orders probe
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has lamented the destruction of his 2,420 hectares farmland at Hawe in Aliade area of Gwer East Local Government of Benue State, at the weekend.
Obasanjo, in a statement issued in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, described the burning down of his farm as a bad development.
The PUNCH had reported that the mango plantation belonging to the former President was destroyed by suspected hoodlums.
The former President, while reacting to the incident on Tuesday, said the local and state governments, including security agencies in the state have taken up the issue, with a view to fishing out the perpetrators.
The statement titled ‘Obasanjo condemns burning of farm in Benue’ read partly “Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has described as a bad development, the burning of his 2,420 hectares of land farm at Howe in Aliade area of Gwer East Local Government of Benue State, at the weekend.
“Obasanjo said the local and state governments, including the security agencies in the state have taken up the issue, with a view to fishing out the perpetrators and prosecution.
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“The former President thanked those who had called him to identify with him on the incident, stressing that, despite the huge loss on the farm land as a result of the inferno, there was no death recorded, and this is gladdening to note.”
Meanwhile, the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has ordered a full-scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding the burning of the farm.
He also directed the state Commissioner of Police to ensure that the perpetrators were fished out and brought to justice.
Ortom, in a statement by his media aide, Nathaniel Ikyur, expressed sadness over the incident.
The statement said the governor ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident “to unravel the remote and immediate cause of the fire outbreak.”
“Where it is discovered that the fire was an act of sabotage, the perpetrators must be brought to book,” the statement read in part.
The governor insisted that no act of sabotage would be tolerated, adding that his government had a deliberate policy to encourage local and foreign investors, especially in agriculture.
While tasking security operatives to do all that was necessary to get to the root of the matter, Ortom added, “It is the height of irresponsibility for anyone to think of setting ablaze a farm that is set to, in the very near future, boost the economic development of the area in particular and state in general.
“Obasanjo, as a former President, is a statesman and needs to be accorded his due respect anywhere in Nigeria and Benue State cannot be an exception.”
Punch
metro
UK hikes visa fees as new rates take effect April 9
UK hikes visa fees as new rates take effect April 9
The United Kingdom Home Office has announced an upward revision of visa application fees across various categories, with the cost of study visas for main applicants and their dependents rising from £490 to £524.
According to an update published on the Home Office website on March 19, the new fees will apply from April 9. The cost of a six-month visit visa will increase from £115 to £127, while a two-year visa will now be issued at £475, up from £432. Additionally, the fee for a 10-year visa has been raised from £963 to £1,059.
Transit visas have also been affected by the changes, with the direct airside transit visa fee increasing from £35 to £39, and the direct landside visit visa rising from £64 to £70.
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The UK has long been a preferred destination for Nigerian students looking to further their education, often as a way to escape economic challenges at home. However, the number of Nigerian students applying to study in the UK has dropped significantly in 2024 following a government policy barring most international students from bringing their family members.
The rule, which does not apply to postgraduate research students, has led to a decline in study visa applications from countries such as Nigeria and India. A March 2024 report by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service highlighted the shift, noting that many prospective students are now seeking admission in alternative destinations.
UK hikes visa fees as new rates take effect April 9
metro
Ramadan ends in Nigeria, Sultan announces March 30 as Eid-el-Fitr
Ramadan ends in Nigeria, Sultan announces March 30 as Eid-el-Fitr
Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar Sa’ad, says the crescent moon marking the end of Ramadan fasting has been sighted.
The Sultan, who is president of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSIA), said in a broadcast on Saturday night, “Today marks the end of the Ramadan fasting and Sunday, March 30, is the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.”
metro
Embrace environmental sanitation during Eid-Fitr, LAGESC boss tells Lagosians
Embrace environmental sanitation during Eid-Fitr, LAGESC boss tells Lagosians
By Dada Jackson
The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) has urged Lagosians to embrace proper environmental practices and obey the state’s environmental laws ahead of the Eid-l-Fitr festivities to mark the end of the Ramadan fast by Muslim faithful around the world.
Corps Marshal of the agency, Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (retd), sounded the call at the agency’s command headquarters at Bolade-Oshodi.
He said, ‘‘The Ramadan fast is a testament to the willingness of Muslim faithful to adhere to the pillars of their faith and it is enjoined that cleanliness is an important religious practice in all faiths, which is why we admonish Lagosians to imbibe proper waste disposal and keep their environment clean during the celebration.”
Cole also advised Lagosians to make proper use of pedestrian bridges for their safety instead of crossing highways to prevent ‘hit and run’ cases by speeding motorists.
He equally read a riot act to miscreants in the habit of converting pedestrian bridges to sleeping areas which deters Lagosians in transit, pedestrians vowing that anyone caught w be made to face the state Environmental laws as amended
The KAI boss also revealed that the agency had recorded giant strides and would not relent in ridding pedestrian bridges across Lagos of criminal obstructions, traders and hawkers with daily arrests made alongside secured prosecutions by the Courts.
The Corps Marshal also warned Lagosians to desist from street trading, use of Styrofoam pack, hawking in traffic, patronage of cart pushers for refuse disposal, and erection of illegal structures on laybys, setbacks, medians, road verges, kerbs or around public schools in the state.
The KAI head said offenders would be made to face the consequences via prosecution in a competent court of appropriate jurisdiction.
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