NEWS
Women Development: Adeleke, Women Affairs Minister Strike Deals
The government of Osun State and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs have entered into an accord on women development touching on a number of policy actions.
The parties struck the accord in Abuja on Wednesday, after what a government statement described as a ‘marathon Intergovernmental discussion’.
The Osun State team was led by Governor Ademola Adeleke; his wife, Mrs Titi Adeleke; the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Lere Oyewumi, the Commissioner for Federal Affairs, Hon Adenike Adeleke and other top officials.
On its part, the Ministry was represented by the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye and other top management staff.
The meeting came up with a-four-point communique namely commitment by the ministry to fully integrate Osun State into the many empowerment programmes being implemented by the ministry; the decision of the Osun State Governor to implement the resolution of the Governors’ Forum for mobile courts on women affairs; the decision of Mr Governor to free unjustly incarcerated women though an executive order; request by the ministry for Osun to supply adire clothes for the various women programmes and the promise of Mr Governor to be the voice of Nigerian women at the Nigeria Governors Forum.
Rising from the meeting, Governor Adeleke stated that in the spirit of Lent, Easter and Ramadan period, he has directed his Commissioner for Justice to prepare an executive order to free all unjustly incarcerated women in the state.
According to the Governor, the Justice Ministry is to compile a list of affected women across the state to be granted executive pardon in furtherance of protection of women rights.
He said, “I am also directing immediate implementation of the resolution of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum for the establishment of Mobile Courts dedicated to addressing issues of sexual and gender based violence, child abuse in the form of street begging and expedited trial of women and children held in correctional facilities.
“The Nigeria Governors Forum recognizes that these issues impact on the well-being of women and children and the forum is committed to supporting the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in proffering lasting solutions to the issues. Osun is enforcing the resolution immediately.”
Mr Governor who declared his administration as pro-women and youth said Osun will also continue to partner with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs for the realization Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President, affirming that “all agreements reached here today will be put to immediate implementation”
Welcoming the minister’s declaration, the Minister of Women Affairs praised the Governor for not paying lip service to women development.
She applauded the decision of Mr Governor to be the first Governor to implement the decision of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum to set up mobile courts on sexual and gender based violence, child abuse in the form of street begging and expedited trial of women and children held in correctional facilities.
“Your decision is revolutionary. You are indeed a true agent of democracy and development. We are elated that you walked into our ministry to give us this good news. Nigerian women are grateful to you for leading the way for a new life for our womenfolk.
“Your decision to support the renewed hope agenda for the women sector is a full declaration of partnership with Mr President who is also a passionate believer and promoter of women development.
“This ministry will also follow through on our own side of the agreement reached today. We will work on the inclusion of Osun in our empowerment programme. We will place Osun on priority list as a critical partner led by a Governor who is truly serving the people “, the Minister affirmed.
Both parties set up an implementation team to follow through with the realization of the communique.
NEWS
Moghalu Prescribes Good Governance As Panacea To Ethnic Agitation
The President of the African School of Governance, Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu has admonished state actors against resorting to brutal force in the bid to muscle out separatist agitators.
In the aftermath of Mazi Simon Ekpa, the Finland based Biafran nationalist agitator being caught in legal web and the Nigerian government moving swiftly to seek his repatriation, the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has cautioned that ‘We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.’
ALSO READ: Finnish Police Arrest Simon Ekpa Over Terror-Related Allegations
The political economist, while expressing his hope in Nigeria, made it clear that “hope is not a strategy”.
He bared his mind in a series of posts on his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X on Friday.
Moghalu wrote, “Despite sustained contemporary difficulties, I am hopeful about Nigeria. But hope is not a strategy. We need to improve state capacity for effective governance.
“We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.
“We must learn to be honest with ourselves and address the root causes of our problems. Why ignore them, when the problem is actually quite solvable? The problem with continuing with this approach is that when the danger crystallizes, those who thought they were benefiting from
NEWS
N1.7trn Loan: Atiku Blames NASS For Worsening Nigeria’s Debt Burden
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
International News
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants For Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Others
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
READ MORE: Osun Govt Decries Attempted Murder Of Park Mgt Chairman By Police
The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.