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UN envoy commends Tinubu on efforts to tackle humanitarian crises
UN envoy commends Tinubu on efforts to tackle humanitarian crises
The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale has commended the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu -led administration to tackle humanitarian crises in Nigeria.
Schmale who spoke in New York particularly commended the launch of the Presidential Humanitarian Trust Fund by Tinubu to address humanitarian crises in Nigeria.
“We welcome that the government under President Tinubu sees it as their responsibility to drive preparedness and response to humanitarian concerns,’’ Schmale said in an interview in New York on his experience working with the Nigerian Government.
He added that the Tinubu-led administration is on track in addressing humanitarian crises in Nigeria, despite some negative statistics in terms of unemployment and an increase in the poverty rate.
Schmale, who was at UN headquarters in New York to attend the Resident Coordinators retreat commended the efforts of the Government of Nigeria on addressing humanitarian crises.
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“I think that Tinubu’s administration is on a good track; the President recently launched the Presidential Humanitarian Trust Fund and he is asked at this trust to address humanitarian crises.
“He’s asked that this trust fund is resourced two thirds from within Nigeria, private sector and government, each and a third international community solidarity.
“So, we think that’s the right way to go in Nigeria, despite some desperate indicators around poverty and so on as a middle-income country.
The Federal Executive Council had on October 24 approved the creation of a Humanitarian and Poverty Trust Fund to raise at least a sum of five billion dollars annually.
The goal of the trust fund is to enable the Federal Government to respond promptly to humanitarian situations in the country.
The funds will be sourced from the Federal Government, private and international organisations as well as well-meaning individuals.
According to him, development Agenda is very high for the government and some people will argue you can prevent the fertile ground from combatting violent extremism from growing if you invest in development.
“You will have heard from our leadership, the UN Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary General and around rescuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda.
“The new government is very much up for that. We are urging the international community to take up the request for partnership to rescue the SDG agenda and help them accelerate development.’’
Answering questions on the security situation in the Northeast, he said that the Nigerian military had achieved what they call kinetic success in fighting Boko Haram.
“So, Boko Haram, again, as a summary term is weaker than it used to be.
“Our assessment would be that they cannot sustain the kinds of military campaigns against the military but instead, what they are doing is inflicting violence on civilians, you know their violence has become more unpredictable.’’
The UN envoy said the organisation had been seeing rising numbers of civilians being killed and tortured because they do random attacks all over the place, which also means it’s become less safe for civilians, but also humanitarian, so that hasn’t changed.
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In addition, he expressed concern over the instability in Niger that Islamic violent extremist groups from the country might also spread to the northeast Nigeria.
“So right now, North Nigeria I think is relatively safe and protected from those influences as much as it can be but the region itself is not.
“For the UN, I think it’s fair to say the influence of violent extremist groups remains of grave concern,’’ Schmale said.
Schmale, also visited Washington, DC, where he discussed humanitarian, development and peace building challenges and opportunities with interlocutors from the United States.
He met with officials from the U.S. State Department, USAID, the U.S. Institute of Peace, civil society and the media as well as senior staffers from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.
He highlighted the troubling humanitarian situation in northeastern Nigeria and the importance of international support and strengthened partnerships to address humanitarian needs, accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, and combat violent extremism.
In Nigeria’s northeast, where some 700,000 children are suffering from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition, UN colleagues – working in support of the Nigerian Government – have managed to reach 3.5 million people with critical aid – in the areas of food, healthcare and shelter.
(NAN)
UN envoy commends Tinubu on efforts to tackle humanitarian crises
News
Edo Gov Okpebholo freezes govt accounts, reverses ministry’s name
Edo Gov Okpebholo freezes govt accounts, reverses ministry’s name
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has directed the immediate freezing of all state-owned bank accounts.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, the governor stated that the accounts would remain frozen until further notice.
He instructed commercial banks, ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to comply with the order immediately or face severe consequences.
The statement reads: “All state bank accounts with commercial banks have been frozen. Commercial banks must comply with this order and ensure that not a single naira is withdrawn from government coffers until further notice.
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“Heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies must ensure full compliance without delay.
“Following necessary investigations and reconciliations, the governor will take appropriate action and decide on the way forward. For now, this order remains in effect.”
Okpebholo also directed relevant agencies to revert the name of the Ministry of Roads and Bridges to its previous title, the Ministry of Works, a change made during the Godwin Obaseki administration.
“It is odd to name a government institution the Ministry of Roads and Bridges, especially when not a single bridge was built by the previous administration — not even a pedestrian bridge.
“In the coming days, we will examine further actions taken by the previous administration and make decisions that serve the best interests of the state,” the statement added.
Edo Gov Okpebholo freezes govt accounts, reverses ministry’s name
News
Israel-Palestinian conflict: Two-state solution is a deception, says Gumi
Israel-Palestinian conflict: Two-state solution is a deception, says Gumi
Prominent Islamic scholar Dr. Ahmad Mahmud Gumi has criticized the widely discussed two-state solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict, calling it a “deception.”
His remarks followed a recent summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Riyadh, where President Bola Tinubu and other leaders condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and urged an end to hostilities.
In an interview with Daily Trust at his Kaduna residence, Gumi argued, “This Two-State Solution is a deception. No Israeli will allow a Palestinian to survive, and Palestinians will never allow Israel to survive.
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The only solution is to dissolve the two states and create a democratically electable region.”
Gumi commended the OIC’s support for Palestine, noting that Muslims and Arabs worldwide increasingly see the treatment of Palestinians as “genocide” and accuse Israel of human rights abuses.
He also called for a return to the pre-1948 structure, where Palestinians, Jews, and Christians lived together, suggesting a single, inclusive state that allows peaceful coexistence.
“When I hear people talking about Two-State Solutions, I know they are just deceiving themselves,” Gumi added, advocating for a unified region where people of all faiths can live together, similar to the multi-faith coexistence seen in countries like the United States.
Israel-Palestinian conflict: Two-state solution is a deception, says Gumi
News
Court sacks Ondo LP candidate, two days to governorship poll
Court sacks Ondo LP candidate, two days to governorship poll
The Labour Party candidature of Olusola Ebiseni for the upcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo State has been nullified.
The nullification follows the sacking of Ebiseni by the Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday.
The governorship election of the southwest State will hold on Saturday, 16 November 2024.
The judgement disqualifying Ebiseni was unanimously delivered by the three members of the panel and read out by the chairman of the panel, Justice Adebukola Banjoko.
The judgment granted the prayer of the Labour Party who preferred the case against Ebiseni.
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Justice Banjoko held that, “the appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 brought by the Labour Party against Chief Olusola Ebiseni and two others is allowed.”
Justice Banjoko further stated that the Certified True Copy of the judgment would be provided to the parties involved in the appeal as soon as possible for their review.
Recall that Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to accept and recognize Olusola Ebiseni and Ezekiel Awude as the Labour Party’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the November 16 Ondo State governorship elections.
Justice Nwite confirmed that the second primary election conducted by the Labour Party, which resulted in Ebiseni and Awude being selected as candidates, was valid and should be upheld by INEC.
However, the appellate court has now overturned the judgment of the trial court’s judgment.
Court sacks Ondo LP candidate, two days to governorship poll
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