NEWS
FCT minister raises the alarm at FEC over Kogi floods, asks FG for emergency intervention
By John Danjuma
FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, on Wednesday, raised the alarm over the devastating floods ravaging her home State Kogi as she appealed to the federal government for aid in relief materials as many communities are contending with the effect in some parts of the state
Dr Ramatu Tijani Aliyu
Speaking at the Federal executive council Meeting (FEC) she said Access to shops and hospitals is by canoes and ferry boats adding that houses are submerged to the rooftop, while most smaller buildings are completely submerged.
Special adviser on media to the minister Austine Elemue in a statement on Thursday quoted the minister to have made the call at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday.
She also expressed fear of a possible outbreak of communicable diseases if urgent steps are not taken to ameliorate the suffering of the people.
While highlighting the importance of the Lokoja/Abuja expressway as a major link between the north and southern parts of the country, Aliyu lamented that significant man-hours are being wasted on the road due to the heavy traffic gridlock caused by the flood.
“We fear an outbreak of diseases. We need medical attention. Some have no food or clean drinking water.
“As it is, from the Koton Karfe area before the bridge, commuters spend more than 11 hours on that stretch with no food and water.”
The minister while commending the state government’s decision on evacuating persons living along the low plains, called for urgent federal intervention before the flood get to the upper land as it is already threatening
“Some areas that are very deep, they had to evacuate them to the upper land your excellency, but even at that, it keeps coming. As of yesterday, the level has increased.
“Your Excellency, may I use this opportunity to draw your attention and the attention of the federal government to seek support for the people of Kogi State and Kogi State itself,” she appealed.
Aliyu, who also drew FEC attention to the danger the road poses to commuters, however, stated that several trucks could have plunged into the river, but for the insight and expertise of the drivers.
“Your Excellency, this is one of the gateway cities and the major road that links the north and south. This portends danger, especially for passers-by who may not be conversant with the area, like the luxurious bus operators, because the bridge has been submerged in the last three to four days and that in itself is scary”.
“This is the reason I call your attention and the attention of FEC as I also seek the support of my sister, the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, who has always been there for areas in dire need, to also look into this for quick intervention.
“Your Excellency,, I wish to bring to your attention, that it is a looming danger, from disease outbreak to death, as we have already recorded four casualties”.
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.’
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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
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.
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.”
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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.
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