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Shi’ites File Contempt Of Court Case Against IGP, One Other Over Refusal To Release Bodies Of Protesters

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The Islamic Movement in Nigeria has dragged the Inspector-General of Police and the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Abuja, to court over the refusal of the duo to release the corpses of its members killed during a protest in 2019.

The Shiites, according to a statement, filed a contempt suit against the duo at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

According to the statement signed by Abdullahi Musa on behalf of the Academic Forum of the IMN, the IGP and medical director had disobeyed a judgment delivered by the court on June 29, 2020, which ordered for the release of the corpses of free-Zakzaky protesters killed by the police at Federal Secretariat, Abuja.

The statement reads, “The public is aware that on Monday, 22nd July 2019, police officers attacked a Free-Zakzaky protest and opened fire on the protesters which led to the killing of 14 protesters, one unknown person, a deputy commissioner of police and a journalist with Channels TV.

China Built Congo a Toll Road That Led Straight to the Ruling Family

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For 250 hot and dusty miles, the two-lane highway cuts through central Africa, its path lined with the carcasses of trucks, buses, and minivans.

But this modest road holds outsize value for global markets, connecting some of the continent’s richest mines to the rest of the world—most notably, China.

Along this route, thousands of flatbed trucks haul sheets of copper and sacks of cobalt hydroxide, essential for electric cars and other 21st century technologies.

Their drivers must pay steep tolls, as much as $900 for a round trip.And for almost a decade, records indicate, a cut of those tolls flowed to the family of one politician: Joseph Kabila, the former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The toll payments illustrate how Kabila blurred the lines between state and private business, documents reviewed by Bloomberg News suggest.

By striking such deals with his regime, Chinese companies over the past 15 years came to dominate Congo’s mining industry, down to the roads the country’s minerals travel for export.

The relationship with Kabila has been of strategic benefit to China in its economic rivalry with the U.S. And it has helped Congo, a nation of 105 million, become Africa’s largest producer of copper and the world’s biggest source of cobalt.

Yet, as on much of the continent, a foreign power and a country’s elite, not the general population, have reaped the benefits of natural resources.

FG Creates New Agency, Appoints CEO

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The establishment of the agency followed a request made by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Pantami.

In a statement issued on behalf of Pantami, Uwa Suleiman, his media aide, said the NDPB was established in line with global best practice and will focus on data protection and privacy for the country, among others.

He said the successful implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria has significantly increased the adoption of data platforms and accelerated the ‘datafication’ of the country.

Buhari also approved the recommendation of Pantami, for Dr. Vincent Olatunji to serve as the National Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of the Bureau.

Dr. Olatunji hails from Ekiti State and, at the time of his appointment, was the Director of the eGovernment Development and Regulations Department at NITDA.

The appointment takes effect immediately, according to the statement.

Daura comes alive as Chibuike Amaechi is turbaned Dan Amanar

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The ancient town of Daura in Katsina State has become a beehive of activities as dignitaries besieged the town for the turbanning of Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, as the Dan Amanar Daura by the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Umar Farouk Umar.

Dan Amanar means the trusted one in Hausa.It was gathered that the decision to honour the Minister was taken in appreciation for his contribution to the siting of Federal projects in Daura Emirate of Katsina state.

A source close to the Emir’s palace said that among federal projects influenced by the Minister to Daura are the University of Transportation, Federal Polytechnic, Daura and the Kano to Niger rail line which will pass through Daura.

President Muhammadu Buhari described the conferment of the title of “Dan Amana,” (the trusted one) on Amaechi as a clear commitment to the harmonious relationship between the nation’s diverse cultures.

35th AU session: AU pushes for ceasefire in Israel

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This year’s summit comes as the AU faces mounting pressure to push for a ceasefire in host country Ethiopia, where a 15-month war has killed thousands of people and, the UN says, driven hundreds of thousands to the brink of starvation.

The conflict pits Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government against fighters from the northern Tigray region.

It has precipitated a rapid deterioration in ties between Abiy, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner, and Western powers who once saw him as a reformer but have condemned alleged massacres and mass rape committed during the conflict by Ethiopian and allied forces.

The fact that Ethiopia hosts the AU has made any intervention by the bloc especially delicate, and Faki waited until last August – nine months after fighting began – to appoint Nigeria’s former president Olusegun Obasanjo as a special envoy tasked with trying to broker a ceasefire.

On Saturday, Abiy praised his fellow African leaders for what he described as their “support”.

Abiy said: “Ethiopia’s challenge was internal in nature and a matter of maintaining law and order. But the solution of our internal matters was made exceedingly difficult by the role played by external actors.”

“I wish to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support, solidarity and understanding as we underwent these trying times.”

Abiy also proposed the creation of “an African Union continental media house”, renewing his criticism of international media coverage of Ethiopia and the continent at large.

“Negative media representation of Africa not only disinforms the rest of the world about our continent, but also shapes the way we see ourselves as Africans,” he said.

Buhari lists measures to take Nigerians out of poverty

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President Muhammadu Buhari Friday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, provided insights into how he intends to lift Nigerians out of poverty, saying that the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria remain a top priority for protection and lifting from poverty cycle.

President Buhari who spoke at the virtual official presentation of the Country Review Report of Nigeria to the 31st Africa Peer Review Forum of the African Union, held in Ethiopia, listed Nigeria’s strategic focus set out to achieve the objectives of the African Union Agenda 2063.

The President said the focus will be hinged around building a thriving and sustainable economy; enhancing social inclusion and alleviating poverty;

Others include enlarging agricultural output for food security and sufficiency; attaining energy sufficiency in power and petroleum products, as well as expanding transport and other infrastructural development, business growth, entrepreneurship and industrialization;

He disclosed that Nigeria will strengthen access to quality education, affordable healthcare and productivity, social cohesion and security; as well as build a system that fights corruption and improves governance.

The President said the government will take advantage of Information, Communication and Technology to ensure inclusiveness, access and create more opportunities, while also sustaining social safety nets and access to education and opportunities.

Gov. Sanwo-Olu Promises Scholarships To Two Out-of-School Girls

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Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has promised to grant scholarships to two girls found hawking during school hours.

The governor, who was on his way to a function, momentarily halted his convoy to attend to the girls.

It was a sight of two underage girls on an errand for a bean cake vendor during school hours.

The girls, Amarachi Chinedu, 9, and Suwebat Husseini, 12, had to skip school in order to serve some domestic assistance to their parents.

The girls were going to deliver buckets of peeled beans and pepper to a grinder when the Governor sighted them at Anthony Village area. It was a glance that presented a discomforting image for Sanwo-Olu, who revved his convoy to a stop to find out the reason the girls were not in school.

Amarachi’s story left the Governor to shudder throughout the encounter. Her mother is a teacher, but the nine-year-old was not allowed to go to school because her parents could not afford the current session’s tuition fees. Amarachi would have to miss a school year because of this reason.

Suwebat’s mother is the bean cake seller for whom the girls were running an errand. Her parents, who are Jigawa State indigenes, relocated to Lagos months back. Suwebat’s four male siblings were all in school at the time she was stopped on the road by the Governor. But her parents preferred she stayed back home to help with some domestic chores.

The decisions taken by girls’ parents, Sanwo-Olu said, could rob the little ones of their innocence, their future and put them at a disadvantage among their peers. The Governor stressed that his encounter with the girls left his heart bleeding.

Salvaging the situation, Sanwo-Olu, at the scene, told the girls he would personally take up the responsibility for their education and upbringing, promising to enroll them in school to continue with their education.

The Governor’s decision had been communicated to the girls’ parents

Edu-tech Platform Launches Free E- learning App For Ages 6-18

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An educational technology platform, Afrilearn has made an examination preparation mobile app freely accessible to primary and secondary school students across Nigeria and the globe.

Afrilearn, disclosed this in a statement, explaining it empowers children ages 6 to 18 with free, fun, and world-class education for best grades in school and competitive examinations like the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), National Examination Council (NECO) among others.

The firm added it also monitors every learner’s progress with detailed analytics to help every student identify their strengths and areas for improvement.

The education streaming startup, according to the statement, has organically reached over 486,032 learners, with more than 50,000 gamified quizzes, 5,000 curriculum-specific class notes, and over 3,000 video lessons.

Co-founder and Head of Content at Afrilearn, Gabriel Olatunji-Legend, said, “Beyond helping students fill learning gaps with trusted content by expert tutors, with its several cutting-edge features, Afrilearn also empowers teachers, schools and parents to effectively accelerate learning outcomes.

State Varsity Signs MoU With Ashi Poly To Run Degree Programmes

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The Benue State University, Makurdi has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ashi Polytechnic to run degree programmes.

While signing the document at the university’s senate building, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Tor-Joe Iorapuu, appreciated the efforts of the proprietor in ensuring that the understanding which started since the time of late CEO of Ashitech Conglomerate, Chief Dr. Terkura Suswam, came to a reality.

The VC also urged the new proprietor, Tiza Suswam never to compromise the understanding, stressing that the university would continue to provide support to the polytechnic.

Responding, Suswam thanked the VC and the university management for the honour done him, promising never to let them down.

The memorandum of understanding was cross-signed by the management of BSU and Ashi Polytechnic.

The event was attended by the VC, DVC Administration, DVC Academics, Registrar, Academic officer, Bursar, Deans of Faculties and many others.

Also in attendance were the Rector of the Polytechnic, Ajula Matthew, and the Registrar, Iorlaha Amos.

Nigerian Polytechnic Bans Students From Driving on Campus

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The Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State, Michael Arimanwa, has banned students from driving private cars on campus.

Arimanwa stated this in a circular dated January 29, 2022 and signed by B.O Dara, for the Registrar after an emergency meeting.


It was gathered that the management took the decision to ban students from driving private cars on campus following cult activities which have resurged in the school after a long break.

The circular reads: “Management at its Emergency Management meeting deliberated on the use of vehicles by students and their flamboyant display of wealth on campus.

“After thorough deliberation, Management therefore directed that students are hereby banned from driving their vehicles into the campus.

“Only members of staff are allowed to drive into the campus as the staff would be identified by presentation of their ID card.

“The staff who has lost their ID card should obtain a letter of identification from the Registrar. The letter of identification must bear the staff’s passport photograph.”

The circular advised students using vehicles to stop at the gate.

“All students must always have their identity cards with them while on the school’s campus,” the circular added.