The plea-bargain talks between Dibu Ojerinde, the immediate-past registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and the prosecution over his ongoing N5.2billion fraud trial have collapsed.

The prosecutor, Ebenezer Shogunle, announced the breakdown of the negotiations at the resumed hearing of the case at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday.

Mr Ojerinde, through his lead defence counsel, Ibrahim Ishyaku, had, on Tuesday, pleaded with the judge to adjourn the trial for 24 hours to enable him to discuss the plea agreement with the Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the prosecuting agency.

Mr Ishyaku, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had told the judge, Obiora Egwuatu, that the trial could continue if the proposed plea agreement could not be arrived at within 24 hours.

The trial judge had then adjourned till Wednesday for either the report of the plea bargain or the continuation of the trial.

However, at the resumed hearing of the case on Wednesday, the prosecutor told the judge no plea agreement was reached after the talks between the parties.

The House of Representatives has passed for second reading, a bill which will provide a fine of N500 million on public officials who flouted the provisions of the ‘National Health Act 2014’ and embark on medical trips with public funds.

The bill, sponsored by Sergius Ogun (PDP, Edo), seeks to amend the ‘National Health Act 2014, Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No.145, Vol.101 (HB.1611)”.

In his lead debate, the lawmaker said the existing law has not provided penalties for flouting its provisions, hence the proposed amendment to the law.

He said the main objective of the bill is to amend the Principal Act so as to make provision for sanctions against any public officer who violates the provisions of the Act, especially Section 46.

He added that the amendment is to discourage medical treatment abroad at the detriment of our indigenous health institutions.

The lawmaker added that the bill is to reinforce the need to revamp the poor state of the healthcare sector in Nigeria among other things.

ASUU said Nigerians should hold the government responsible if another industrial action hits the Universities in no distant time.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos Zone, has called on Nigerians to engage the Nigerian government on issues it said are currently threatening the industrial peace in public Universities.

ASUU said the union dreads embarking on strike, and that deploys it as a last resort only when all other means must have failed.

Recall that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union had directed its various chapters to set aside a day to sensitise and mobilise Nigerians for its fight of saving the university system from collapsing.

ASUU said the Nigerian government has refused to implement the Memorandum of Action (MoA) that led to the suspension of its nine-month prolonged strike in 2020.

In his speech during a press conference at the University of Lagos, Akoka, on Tuesday, the coordinator of Lagos zone of ASUU, Adelaja Odukoya, PhD, Coordinator, said the government’s refusal to listen to the union and address issues it had agreed to address in the 2020 Memorandum of Action, is drawing the line of strike.

The Nigerian government says it has found an unsafe quantity of methanol in petrol imported into the country and has cited that as a reason for the latest round of fuel shortage that has led to long queues in Abuja and other major cities.

Some Nigerians have taken to social media to complain about damage to their cars after buying what they describe as “dirty” petrol at filling stations.

Nigerians especially in Abuja and Lagos have endured an erratic supply of fuel for nearly a year now, with filling stations operating at reduced capacity despite the government’s repeated claims it has enough stocks.

The crisis started in 2021 after the government announced its plan to remove fuel subsidy. Marketers, who the regulators accuse of hoarding the product, have refused to resume normal operations even after the suspension of the subsidy removal plan.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company has assured Nigerians that it has intensified efforts at increasing the supply of petrol into the market.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), is partnering with Vanguard Against Drug Abuse (VGADA) on the rehabilitation of victims of trafficking and drug abuse.

NAPTIP’s Director-General, Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, said this when she visited the VGADA rehabilitation centre. Waziri-Azi said human trafficking ranked second in trans-national crime after drug.

The director-general said many people, who were being trafficked were also used to traffic drugs, adding that both crimes were intertwined.

“Since inception, NAPTIP has supported 18,000 victims of human trafficking. I believe in supporting people for as long as they need to be supported.” the DG stated.

The Executive Director, VGADA, Dr Hope Omeiza said that the centre was set up with the aim to treat drug abuse victims

Omeiza said that the NGO was looking forward to engaging international NGOs in funding the centre to make treatment affordable and accessible to victims.

“We want to partner with NAPTIP. You cannot separate drug abuse from some crimes such as human trafficking.

“Some people need rehabilitation not only in terms of drug abuse but in other areas,’’ he said.