IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

President Bola Tinubu has written to the National Assembly, seeking an amendment to the 2022 supplementary appropriation Act. Tinubu, in a letter to the House of Representatives, said the amendment was to allow the Federal Government to source N500 billion for palliatives to cushion the effect of subsidy removal on Premium Motor Spirit known as petrol.

During plenary on Wednesday, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, read Tinubu’s letter, titled, ‘Request for the amendment of the 2022 appropriation act’. According to the President, the money would be sourced from the 2022 supplementary Appropriation Act of N819.5 billion.

“I write to request the approval of the House of Representatives for the amendment of the 2022 supplementary appropriation act in accordance with the attached. “The request has become necessary in other to among other things source for funds necessary to provide palliatives to mitigate the effect of the recent removal of fuel subsidy on Nigerians.

“Thus the sum of N500 billion only has been extracted from the 2022 supplementary appropriation act of N819.536 billion for the provision of palliatives to Nigerians to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal. I hope that the House of Representatives will consider the request,” the letter read.

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2023 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission into the 110 Federal Government Colleges (Unity Schools) across Nigeria.

Of the 69,829 pupils who sat for the examination, 76 pupils had the highest score of 203. The examination was written on June 3, 2023 in Nigeria, Benin Republic and Togo. The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, David Adejo, after receiving the results from the Registrar of the NECO, Ibrahim Wushishi, on Wednesday, said a total of 72,865 pupils registered for the examination.

The Permanent Secretary while applauding NECO for the conduct of the examination appreciated the increase recorded in the number of female students. Adejo said, “A total of 72,865 pupils registered compared to 71,738 for 2022 with Lagos State having the highest number of 18,644 and Taraba with the lowest of 102.

“With 38,801 female registrants against 34,064 males, we are making progress with bridging the gender parity. 69,829 pupils sat for the examination, 3,036 pupils were absent, 76 pupils had the highest score of 203. The lowest score was 01 mark and this was scored by six (6) pupils.”

He said the admission criteria for selection of qualified candidates into Federal Unity Colleges remained the same: 60% Merit; 30% Equality of State and 10% Exigency.

"To be honest, I cried. I cried a lot," says Vanina Correa, who is about to captain Argentina in New Zealand at the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup. The veteran goalkeeper, who was in the squad for the 2003 edition in the United States, is talking about her emotions when the national men's team were crowned world champions last December.

An estimated five million people poured on to the streets of Buenos Aires to give Lionel Messi and his team-mates a hero's welcome home after defeating France on penalties in the final in Qatar. Seven months on from those incredible scenes in Argentina's capital, La Albiceleste are preparing for their opening match at the Women's World Cup against Italy at Eden Park, Auckland, on 24 July (07:00 BST).

No country has managed to hold the World Cup for both the men and women at the same time. That is unlikely to change in the coming weeks. While Argentina are on top of the world in the men's game, the women - 28th in Fifa's rankings - have not won a match at their three previous appearances at the global tournament in 2003, 2007 and 2019.

That perhaps explains why there is little evidence in the football-obsessed country that boss German Portanova and his players are about to take part in the biggest women's sporting event.

President Bola Tinubu has directed security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the killings and violence in Plateau State, his spokesman, Dele Alake, has said. The President strongly condemned the recent internecine killings in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau and parts of Benue State.

Tinubu also said the country must break the cycle of violence. “It is most unfortunate that in this orgy of violence, an innocent eight-month-old baby in Farin Lamba community of Vwang District, Jos South Local Government, died in a conflict she knew nothing about,” the President said, according to a statement by Alake on Tuesday.

“A major consequence of perennial conflict is always the tragic loss of innocent lives. “To build virile, peaceful and prosperous communities demand tolerance and forgiveness for every perceived wrongdoing.” The President urged socio-religious leaders in the troubled areas as well as the leadership of Arewa Consultative Forum, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, and Christian Association of Nigeria to work together to help foster genuine and long-lasting peace.

“While reaffirming his government’s strong determination to stamp out violent crimes and all forms of criminalities everywhere in Nigeria, the President has directed security agencies to fish out the masterminds of the dastardly acts to face the full wrath of law,” the statement added.

... Parades 53 other suspects

By Jennifer John

Imo State Police Command has paraded a 29-yr-old Emeka Egbuaba for the murder and Organ Trafficking of one Sixtus Ezebudo.

The suspect was one of the 53 suspects paraded by Imo State Police Commissioner, Muhammed Ahmed Barde, Wednesday for various criminal activities ranging from Kidnapping, Armed Robbery, Murder, Child stealing/Trafficking, Vandalism of electric installation, Enforcement of Sit-at-home, among others.

According to the Police Commissioner who was represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), ASP Henry Okoye,  "A case involving the very brutal murder and harvesting of the vital body organs of one SIXTUS EZEBUDO ‘m’ who hails from Ihete-Owerre in Orlu L.G.A. of Imo State, by a 29yrs old male, EMEKA EGBUABA who has since confessed that he is an Organ Trafficker. 

"Intelligence-led investigation and sustained follow-up to a case that was initially reported as a missing person led to the arrest of the 29-year-old male, Sixtus Ezebudo by Operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit in his criminal hideout in Lagos State. 

"On interrogation, the suspect confessed that On 10/05/2023 at about 1630hrs, he lured the said victim to an uncompleted building in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, killed him, and thereafter harvested his vital body organs like his lungs, heart, and private part, abandoned his corpse at the scene and escaped to Lagos State with the harvested body parts to sell for ritual purpose.

"The remains of the already decomposed body have since been recovered. We intend to carry out further DNA confirmatory tests on it. This is not a crime of passion but a clear deliberate and premeditated murder. The case will be charged to court upon completion of a diligent investigation". 

Meanwhile the Commissioner of Police called on various stakeholders of Imo State to talk to their subjects, as Imo Police Command will not hesitate to deal ruthlessly with any subversive criminal syndicate or individual caught enforcing the unlawful sit-at-home order or perpetrating any other form of criminality.

"Members of the public are encouraged to disregard the unlawfully imposed sit-at-home order by criminal syndicate whose stock in trade is to create panic and go about their lawful business without any form of fear or intimidation, while remaining vigilant and swiftly report any criminally minded elements seen enforcing the unlawful sit-at-home order or carrying out other nefarious activities to the nearest police station or via our emergency numbers 08098880197, 0803477360".

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has also announced some standing committees, namely Appropriations, Public Accounts, Ethics, and Public Petitions and Establishment.

Akpabio, who spoke at Tuesday’s plenary session, revealed that Senator Solomon Adeola would chair the Appropriations Committee, while Senator Ahmed Wadada is to chair the Public Accounts Committee.

See the announced Special Senate Committees and their Chairpersons below:

• Rules and Business — Titus Zam (chairman), Opeyemi Bamidele (deputy)

• Senate Services — Sunday Karimi (chairman), Williams Eteng Jonah (deputy)

• Ethics and Public Petitions — Okechukwu Ezea (chairman), Khalid Ibrahim Mustapha (deputy)

• Public Accounts — Aliu Wadada Ahmed (chairman), Onyeka Peter (deputy)

• National Security and Intelligence — Shehu Buba Umar (chairman), Asuquo Ekpenyong (deputy)

• Legislative Compliance — Garba Musa Maidoki (chairman), Ede Dafinone (deputy)

• Media — Adeyemi Adaramodu (chairman), Salisu Shuaibu Afolabi (deputy)

• Appropriations — Olamilekan Adeola (chairman), Ali Ndume (deputy)

Service Chiefs’ Confirmation

The Senate President also read a letter from President Bola Tinubu addressed to the Senate seeking the confirmation of recently appointed service chiefs. He said the service chiefs would be screened by the entire senate in the senate chamber on a yet-to-be-announced date.

Last week, the President similarly asked the House of Representatives to confirm the newly appointed service chiefs. The Speaker, Abass Tajudeen, read the President’s letter at opened Thursday plenary session. 

On June 19, Tinubu replaced all the service chiefs with immediate effect. The ousted security chiefs included retired Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (National Security Adviser), Lucky Irabor (Chief of Defence Staff), Faruk Yahaya (Chief of Army Staff), Awwal Gambo (Chief of Naval Staff), and Isiaka Amao (Chief of Air Staff).

The new appointees include Nuhu Ribadu (National Security Adviser), Maj. Gen. Christopher Musa (Chief of Defence Staff), Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla (Chief of Naval Staff), and AVM Hassan Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff).

The new office holders have since resumed in an acting capacity awaiting confirmation by the National Assembly.