Politics |

October 28, 2021

October 28, 2021 IFMNEWS

NNPC Gets FG N621.23 Billion Contract To Construct 21 Roads

The Federal Executive Council has approved the construction of 21 roads on a total distance of 1,804.6 kilometres across the six geo-political zones in the country by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation NNPC. The contract is valued at N621.23bn.

Speaking after the FEC meeting, Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said that out of the 21 roads, nine were allocated to the north-central particularly Niger State, where the major challenge of gridlock persists.

Fashola said in the South-West, the Lagos to Badagry Expressway, Agbara junction, Ibadan to Ilorin and Oyo to Ogbomosho sections will also be fixed by the NNPC.

Three other roads are located in the North-East, two in the North-West while the other two are in the South-East

These projects are to be undertaken by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) through the deployment of its own tax liabilities

Fashola spoke to state house correspondents after the FEC meeting.

October 27, 2021

October 27, 2021October 27, 2021 IFMNEWS

FG Plans To Borrow N82 Billion To Buy Mosquito Nets

The fund, if approved, would be used to medically fight malaria in 13 states.

The Ministry of Health has submitted a 2022 budget proposal to the Senate to borrow N82 billion ($200 million) to buy mosquito nets.

The proposal is captured in the ministry's Malaria Programme, according to its Permanent Secretary, Mahmuda Mamman, who defended it before the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Loans on Tuesday, October 26, 2021.

The official said the fund would be used to medically fight malaria in 13 states.

The coverage is expected to spread across 3,536 primary health care centres in 208 local government councils.

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib, further clarified to the committee that the loan covers the importation and local production of mosquito nets.

The Senate Committee expressed strong reservations about the proposal, dismissing it as another money-making scheme that will only benefit creditors.

"Don't we have local manufacturers of mosquitoes nets and malaria drugs in Nigeria to patronise with the loan?" Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe queried the officials.

Nigeria recorded the highest number of malaria cases (27%), and highest number of malaria deaths (23%) in the world in 2019, according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report.

The WHO recently recommended the widespread use of the RTS, S/AS01 (RTS.S) malaria vaccine to specifically fight high P. falciparum malaria transmission.

The P. falciparum is the most deadly malaria parasite globally, and most prevalent in Africa where it kills more than 260,000 children under the age of five annually, with Nigeria one of the worst affected.

WHO's recommendation is based on results from an ongoing pilot programme in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi that has reached more than 800,000 children, with more than 2.3 million doses administered, since 2019.

RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine is to be provided in a schedule of four doses in children from five months of age for the reduction of malaria disease and burden.

October 27, 2021

October 27, 2021October 27, 2021 IFMNEWS

Buhari Says Huge Debt Burden Affects Development In Developing Countries

President Muhammadu Buhari has said developing countries cannot invest in humanity without relieving themselves from the crushing effects of the debt burden.

He said there is no way services that contribute to the overall well-being of population can be improved as long as the countries continue to allocate more resources towards external debt servicing and repayment.

President Buhari stated this at the 5th edition of the Future Investment Summit held in Riyard, Saudi Arabia.

Buhari also said the burden of COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk of deepening the debt portfolio of poor countries.

The President added that his administration has introduced some policies to improve living condition of Nigerians which include investments in agriculture and food processing.

According to him, government has provided loans and technical support to small holder farmers, through the Anchor Borrowers Program.

October 27, 2021

October 27, 2021October 27, 2021 IFMNEWS

Chief Justice Of Nigeria, Tells Judges, Lawyers To Rid The Profession Of Bad Eggs

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad has challenged Judges and lawyers to go on individual self-cleansing and do everything possible to rid the law profession of bad eggs.

According to him, Judges cannot take the lead with the issuance of reckless ex-parte orders while lawyers too cannot take the lead with the filing of frivolous suits and forum shopping.

The CJN issued the challenge in Abuja during the inauguration of Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf as the substantive Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory judiciary.

He said the legal profession should indeed take the lead in all human affairs, adding the lead is however at a price.

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Category: Politics

NNPC Gets FG N621.23 Billion Contract To Construct 21 Roads

Buhari Says Huge Debt Burden Affects Development In Developing Countries

Chief Justice Of Nigeria, Tells Judges, Lawyers To Rid The Profession Of Bad Eggs

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