President Joe Biden spoke with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday and approved an emergency declaration for the U.S. state as Tropical Storm Idalia approaches, the White House said.
The White House said Biden also expressed his support for the people of Jacksonville.
This was after a white guman shot and killed three Black people at a Dollar General store in the Florida city on Saturday.
Hawaiian Electric’s (HE.N) shares jumped more than 40% on Monday after the utility said its power lines in West Maui had been shut down for more than six hours before wildfires started in the area during the afternoon.
The company’s shares were trading at $13.55, after at least two trading halts since the markets opened on Monday. The stock has lost more than half its value since the Aug. 8 wildfires.
Hawaiian Electric said the lawsuit filed against it by the county of Maui was “factually and legally irresponsible,” pointing to the county’s responsibility in the Hawaii wildfires.
The county of Maui last week sued Hawaiian Electric, accusing the utility of acting negligently by failing to shut down its equipment despite warnings that hurricane winds could knock power lines down, sparking wildfires.
The county said downed power lines started the wildfires that destroyed the historic town of Lahaina earlier this month, killing at least 115 people and displacing hundreds more.
Hawaiian Electric said on Monday that a morning fire on Aug. 8 caused by power lines that fell in high winds was subsequently reported “100% contained” and later declared “extinguished” by the Maui County Fire Department.
The utility said another afternoon fire started in the same area more than six hours after all of its power lines in West Maui had been de-energized, which could not be contained by the fire department and spread out of control toward Lahaina.
“We were surprised and disappointed that the County of Maui rushed to court even before completing its own investigation,” said Shelee Kimura, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric.
At least eight banks and 18 other listed companies have been fined N125m for failing to file their 2022 audited financial statements and quarterly reports for the first half of 2023 as required by Nigerian Exchange findings revealed.
The affected banks were Unity Bank, FBN Holdings, Access Holdings, Fidelity Bank, Jaiz Bank, Wema Bank, Guaranty Trust Holdings Plc and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated.
John Holt, PZ Cussons, Notore Chemical, Glaxo SmithKline Consumer Nigeria, Industrial Medical and Gases Nigeria and Juli Plc were also affected by the sanction.
According to the NGX’s post-listing rules, quoted companies are required to submit their audited results, not later than 90 calendar days, or three months, after the expiration of the period. The rules also require quoted companies to submit interim reports not later than 30 calendar days after the end of the relevant period.
Based on the latest X – Compliance Report issued by the regulatory arm of the NGX, FBN Holdings was fined for delay in submitting its 2022 financial results and its quarter one report for 2023. The lender paid N6.3m for the former offence and paid N3.3m for the latter.
For failing to submit its 2022 results on time, Unity Bank paid N6.4m and another N3.4m for the delay in submitting its interim reports for Q1, 2023.
The report showed that Fidelity Bank, GTCO and Wema Bank paid N2.7m, N1.4m, and N1.9m, respectively as fines.
While Access Holdings paid N2m, Jaiz Bank, Ecobank, and John Holt coughed out N600,000, N3.2m and N3.2m, respectively as penalties.
The NGX fined PZ Cussons N4.8m, Notore Chemical paid N500,000 and GSK, which announced the closure of its operations in Nigeria also paid a fine of N1.3m for failing to file its 2022 financial results as and when due.
Hundreds of Greek firefighters were battling a huge blaze on Monday which has killed at least 20 people over the past ten days, Europe’s deadliest wildfire so far this summer as record-setting heatwaves unleash blazes across the continent.
The fire which began near the city of Alexandroupolis has raged uncontrolled in northeastern Greece’s Evros region, turbocharged by near-gale force winds and high temperatures. All but one of the victims killed so far were irregular migrants hiding in the forest.
“It is the definition of what we call a megafire,” Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis told a regular briefing.
The European Union backed Copernicus Climate Change Service said the Evros blaze had burned more than 77,000 hectares of land, making it one of the biggest on European soil in years.
Lawmakers were expected to discuss the impact of the devastating fires and state preparedness in parliament on Thursday.
A wildfire on the outskirts of Athens which began last Tuesday had abated, the fire brigade said.
Scores of people have had to flee their homes across Greece as hundreds of wildfires erupted across the country in the second major fire outbreak of this summer.
In July, some 20,000 foreign tourists were evacuated from the island of Rhodes where a wildfire burned resorts and hotels.
The Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Alex Otti on Due Process, Dr Oluebube Chukwu, says that the Abia State Government has adopted private sector participation to build an efficient waste management system in the state.
Chukwu said this on Saturday, August 26, 2023, in an interview with newsmen on the sideline of this month’s environmental sanitation in Umuahia.
Abia State Government on June 23 invited bids from the private sector operators for collaboration in its waste management initiative in Aba and Umuahia.
The governor’s aide said that the inclusion of the private sector in building a sustainable waste management system was aimed at creating a healthier environment and better life for the citizenry.
He said that the process of engaging the private sector participants would be in phases and that the first phase was concluded on Wednesday.
He said that the winners of the bids had been selected and grouped into preferred, reserved and second reserved bidders categories.
He said: “The preferred bidders, being the winners, are currently receiving notifications to a meeting and their letters for engagement are under review and will be served on each of the six preferred bidders.
“In the new week, they will be getting those invitations to a meeting; where the offer letter will be shared and the service benchmark will be discussed with them.
“At the meeting, negotiations will be concluded so that they can commence work immediately.”
Chukwu further said that the Otti-led administration, upon assumption of office, declared a state of emergency in the environment sector, with emphasis on waste management in the state.
“The idea of this private sector participation is primarily meant to get water in public areas completely sorted, create employment for our people, boost the economy of the state and contribute to cleaner and healthier Abia,” he said.
Chukwu also said that the emergency task force created to handle waste disposal would cease to function in order for the private sector participants to take over and further drive the administration’s rebuilding agenda.
He urged the people of Abia to imbibe the culture of environmental cleanliness and support the programmes and policies evolved by the government to transform the state.
President Bola Tinubu has directed the streamlining of the number of federal government officials that would be taking part in foreign events, on government’s sponsorship, starting with the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States (US), next month.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday, August 28, by the special adviser on media and publicity to the president, Ajuri Ngelale.
Government officials, judges, and others will receive a 114% pay raise – RMAFC.
The president ordered a cut down on the number of officials participating in foreign trips to reduce the cost of governance by the administration.
The statement stated that the president’s directive would be implemented by the various ministries, departments and agencies of government, warning that wherever it is discovered that the directive has not been followed, the necessary actions would be taken during the final verification process.
It noted: “As part of a broader effort to reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to freeze the processing of visas for all government officials seeking to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly without proof of direct participation in UNGA’s official schedule of activities.
“To prevent any sharp practice in this regard, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria is accordingly guided on official visa processing while Nigeria’s Permanent Mission in New York is further directed to prevent and stop the accreditation of any government official who is not placed on the protocol lists forwarded by the approving authority.
“By this directive of the President, all Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies are mandated to ensure that all officials, who are approved for inclusion in the UNGA delegation, strictly limit the number of aides and associated staff partaking in the event. Where excesses or anomalies in this regard are identified, they will be removed during the final verification process.
“The President wishes to affirm that, henceforth, government officials and government expenditure must reflect the prudence and sacrifice being made by well-meaning Nigerians across the nation.”
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, says there is no immediate threat of flooding, calling on the government at all levels to put measures in place to prevent flood emergencies.
Utsev told newsmen in Abuja that the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) had observed an increase in the volume of flow along the River Benue system, registering a flow level of 8.97 meters today.
This, he said, was insignificant, as compared to a flow level of 8.80 meters on the same date in 2022.
According to him, reports from inland dams including Kainji, Jebba, and Shiroro also showed a consistent flow regime.
“In Lokoja, the heightened flow volume along the River Benue system, the flow situation at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers in Lokoja, Kogi State, remains within normal parameters.
“The flow level at the monitoring station downstream of the confluence records 7.80 meters today, compared to 8.24 meters on the same date in 2022.
“As at today, there is no threat to lives and properties, especially those states that are contiguous to Rivers Niger and Benue.”
The minister called on all tiers of government to ensure preparedness and deploy appropriate measures to minimise the potential impact of flooding during the peak of the rainy season.
He called on states to increase sensitisation on the need for people living along the river banks to relocate to higher grounds during the peak period of rainfall.
President Bola Tinubu has given the Federal Executive Council (FEC) a directive to marshall the revival of the economy and make life more bearable for the people.
This was disclosed during the inaugural council meeting where he rolled out the road map for the economy going forward and urged the new federal executive council to evolve developmental targets along the eight priority areas of his renewed hope administration.
The council also examined the President’s eight-point agenda including national security, economy, agriculture, power, oil and gas, transportation, education, healthcare, the Digital Economy, Women Empowerment, and Judicial Reform, among others.
Tinubu to Ministers: Revive the economy
Briefing state house correspondents after the meeting, the ministers who were led by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, have unanimously assured that they are inspired by Mr. President’s dispositions and the impact of government will soon be evident across the entire nation.
At the meeting were the Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila among others.
Recall that after confirmation of the appointment of the 45 Ministers by the Senate, they were sworn in by the President on the 21st of August, 2023. Since the swearing-in, the ministers had familiarized themselves with their ministries before today’s FEC meeting.
An oil theft situation assessment delegation deployed in the Niger Delta by President Bola Tinubu discovered an illegal oil connection.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd stated that Nigeria loses an average of 7.2 million dollars monthly from the illegal connection discovered at Owaza in Abia State.
It added that clandestine refineries, illegal bunkering operations and environmental devastation the team saw collectively translated into severe economic losses for the nation.
The delegation, led by the Minister of Defence, Malam Muhammed Badaru, has service chiefs, and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, as members.
Other members are the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr Ekperipe Ekpo, the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd., Malam Mele Kyari.
Also in the team are the Commander of “Operation Delta Safe’’, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, operatives of security agencies and chief executive officers of regulatory agencies in the oil and gas sector.
The team visited the Trans-Niger Pipeline Right of Way in Owaza, Abia where an array of dismantled illegal connections were observed.
“We are ready to do whatever it takes for a peaceful Niger-Delta. Cease and desist from crude oil theft and economic sabotage,’’ Malam Badaru advised at the site.
In his remarks, Kyari said while oil theft in vessels could be tracked, oil-bearing communities must play a vital role in curbing oil theft within their communities.
he added that Oil theft is one of the reasons Nigeria cannot meet her OPEC daily production quota.
Also speaking at the site, Chief Security Officer of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd., Patrick Godwin, said some arrests had been made and culprits arraigned.
In his comments, Ribadu applauded security agencies, community security contractors, and NNPC Ltd. for stepping up the fight against oil theft and economic sabotage.
“The environment and livelihoods are being destroyed while the federation is deprived of revenue capable of shoring up the economy and strengthening the Naira,’’ he said.
Nigerian officials have renewed calls for the repatriation of Benin Bronzes held in the British Museum collection following news of missing, stolen, and damaged items within the institution.
“It’s shocking to hear that the countries and museums that have been telling us that the Benin Bronzes would not be secure in Nigeria, have thefts happening there,” the director of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Abba Isa Tijani, said in an interview.
On August 16, the British Museum announced that a former employee was responsible for the small pieces of “gold jewelry and gems of semi-precious stones and glass dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century” that had disappeared in increments from its collection. The press release did not name the fired staff member, but two UK media outlets identified them as veteran Greek antiquities curator Peter Higgs.
The institution has come under intense scrutiny after reports that the stolen items total “more than 1,500”, and were listed on the e-commerce website eBay for as little as $51. Additionally, it was revealed that senior officials were emailed detailed warnings about the thefts in 2021.
The Benin Bronzes are brass and bronze artifacts, some dating to the 16th century, that were removed from the West African kingdom of Benin (present-day Nigeria) after British forces invaded in 1897. The British Museum has a particularly large collection of “elaborately decorated cast plaques, commemorative heads, items of royal regalia, and personal ornaments”, with over 900 objects and more than 100 on rotating display in its galleries.
Tijani stressed that the Benin Bronzes were illegally taken from Benin and deposited in the London museum. “It is irrespective whether they are safe there…The issue is that these are stolen artifacts, and they should be returned to Nigeria to the communities that they belong to.”
While the British Museum’s website says it has “positive relationships with the royal palace in Benin City and with the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM)”, it acknowledges that the museum received a written request for their return from Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in October 2021.
In the interview, Tijani also said Hannatu Musawa, Nigeria’s newly appointed minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, planned to directly request the immediate repatriation of the contested artifacts.
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