INTERNATIONAL Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) has confirmed the arrest of over 300 people linked to one of West Africa’s most feared criminal networks – Black Axe.
In the mission tagged “Operation Jackal III”, Interpol said the highly-coordinated cybercrime gang was behind several crimes including some of the global financial fraud facilitated by cyberspace.
Interpol described the operation as a “major blow” to the Nigerian criminal network and warned that the technological expertise and global reach of the Black Axe made it a menace to the world.
In a report by the BBC, a senior Interpol official, Tomonobu Kaya, said the “Black Axe are very organised and very structured,” and are known for money laundering, using cryptocurrency.
Originally from Nigeria, Black Axe is known for its involvement in trafficking, prostitution, and cyber-enabled financial fraud.
Operation Jackal III led to the seizure of $3 million of illegal assets and more than 700 bank accounts being frozen, the report said.
In 2022, Interpol revealed that the “Black Axe and similar groups were responsible for the majority of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud as well as many other serious crimes”.
Experts have argued that West African nations to take proactive steps to address the underlying causes of these criminal behaviours.
The West Africa Regional Coordinator for the Institute for Security Studies, Oluwole Ojewale, noted that it is “the general failure of governance” that fuels recruitment into organisations like Black Axe and other criminal groups.
A FIFTY-four-years-old Nigerian woman, Alake Latoyosi, has given birth to 11 babies in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
The births took place in two batches, with the first set of six arriving on 7 August, while the second came seven days later, on 14 August.
The babies included eight boys and three girls, but two of the girls passed away during delivery.
According to the husband, Yahaya Nafiu, in a report by Premium Times, the pregnancy lasted over three years before the delivery.
Nafiu, 56, who is the Missioner of the Ilorin Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) in Port Novo, Ajasse, and Cotonou in the neighbouring West African country, said the hospital was unable to determine his wife’s pregnancy position, which prevented the doctors from performing a Caesarian section.
Nafiu added that he already had several children before the babies arrived, and his wife also had children from a previous marriage.
The birth has now led the husband to seek financing support to cater for his babies and the mother.
Noting that the remaining nine are hale and hearty, Nafiu said he struggled to meet the huge financial cost of caring for them and their mother.
“A few days after the delivery of the first set of children, my wife said she felt strange movements in her stomach. After a scan was carried out at the hospital, the doctor revealed that she was carrying another set of children, which led them to contact the initial birth attendant, and the next set of five babies was delivered”, Nafiu was quoted as saying.
This is coming about a month after Nigerians contributed over N4.2 million to the family of one Sodiq Olayode, whose wife, Abiodun, recently gave birth to a set of quadruplets.
A colleague of Olayode, identified as James, tweeting as #jamysax on X, shared the news on Wednesday, July 24.
James’ post on X would later attract significant attention from netizens, with many commenting on the difficulties of raising young children, following increasing hardship in Nigeria.
THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will embark on an indefinite strike from Thursday, August 29, if the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) detains its president, Joe Ajaero.
Ajaero will be honouring the police invitation on Thursday over his alleged link to terrorism financing, among other allegations.
Consequently, the NLC leadership has mobilised its members, especially the central working committee (CWC) to storm the police headquarters, in Abuja, where Ajaero will be meeting the police.
In a circular, the NLC general secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, called on the union’s affiliates and state councils to participate in a peaceful procession and prayer session in solidarity with Ajaero.
The circular emphasised the importance of unity in overcoming challenges and upholding the values of justice, fairness, and democracy in Nigeria.
It partly reads, “Members should gather at their respective state secretariats of congress. From there, they will embark on a peaceful procession to their state police headquarters and hold a prayer session until the president’s interaction with the police is concluded.
“This peaceful march is a united stand against the unjust actions aimed at intimidating our leadership and stifling the voice of Nigerian workers. We urge all members to remain peaceful and orderly throughout the procession and prayer session. If for any reason, the president is detained, all workers nationwide shall proceed on indefinite strike.”
The NLC urged Ajaero’s supporters to stand firm, emphasising that their support was vital to protecting civic rights and the labour movement’s integrity.
The ICIR reported that the summoned NLC President, Ajaero to appear at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on August 20, 2024.
In an invitation letter signed by Adamu Muazu, an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) on behalf of the deputy commissioner of police, Intelligence Response Team, the police requested Ajaero’s presence for questioning.
It further warned that an arrest warrant would be issued if he failed to make himself available.
Responding, the NLC convened an emergency national executive council (NEC) meeting, resolving to request a time extension from the police to consult with its legal team.
Subsequently, a formal letter from Femi Falana’s chambers was submittedto the police.
Falana, a senior advocate, in the letter addressed to the inspector general of police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, through the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Mohammed Ahmed Sanusi, explained that Ajaero had fixed a meeting for August 20, before the police invitation was sent to him on Monday, August 19.
He promised Ajaero would be available at the police headquarters on August 29.
Falana also requested the police to provide him with details of the allegations of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion and cybercrime levelled against the NLC president.
THE chief of staff to Nigerian President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said the implementation of the Oronsaye’s report would not be immediate as promised.
Gbajabiamila stated this on Tuesday, August 27, when he visited the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) headquarters in Abuja.
While debunking claims of the report being abandoned, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, said the federal government was working out all necessary modalities to ensure its smooth implementation.
The report, submitted in 2012 to the federal government by former head of service, Stephen Oronsaye, has been a subject of discussion over the years.
It recommended the reduction of government agencies to streamline operations and reduce the cost of governance.
If implemented, the federal government’s 263 statutory agencies as of 2012 could be reduced to 161, making 102 heads of those agencies lose their jobs.
The report has since caught the attention of the three presidents who have led the nation between 2012 and now. They are former presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Mohammadu Buhari, and the incumbent Tinubu.
Both Jonathan and Buhari had at different times considered its implementation but failed.
Meanwhile, six months after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) chaired by Tinubu approved the full implementation of the report, the government has now said there’s no timeline for its implementation.
This was despite the FEC setting up an eight-man committee with the mandate to implement the mergers, scrapings, and relocations within 12 weeks.
Recall that the President had in July created a Ministry of Livestock Development from the Agriculture Ministry, which further cast doubts on the implementation of the report.
Creating the new ministry will bring the number of federal government ministries to 36.
The ICIR reports that the President formed the biggest-ever cabinet in the country with 48 ministers and dozens of aides who are remunerated with the country’s lean resources.
Running ministries takes a huge toll on Nigeria’s meagre resources, much of which is corruptly diverted into the private purses of public officials, as seen in scores of corruption cases involving former public officeholders in the nation’s courts.
In August 2023, The ICIR reported that paying 45 ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet would gulp N30 million monthly.
In another report, this organisation detailed what the President, his vice, governors, ministers and their aides receive as salaries.
FOUR Nigerians have been jailed for helping people live in the United Kingdom (UK) after being convicted of forging over 2,000 marriage certificates.
On Tuesday, August 27, the convicts, identified as Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41, Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38, Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31, and Adekunle Kabir, 54, were all sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court in London.
According to the UK home office, the four convicts were members of a criminal group involved in carrying out fraudulent EU Settlement Scheme applications for Nigerian nationals.
Between March 2019 and May 2023, they were caught with several criminal operations including, providing fake Nigerian customary marriage certificates among other fraudulent documentation to help people illegally remain in the UK.
In an investigation conducted by the Home Office in the UK and Lagos State, over 2,000 fake marriage documents were linked to the four convicted Nigerians.
The chief immigration officer at the Home Office, Paul Moran, expressed excitement at being able to intercept their operation and bring them to justice, adding that it would serve as a warning to others involved in similar activities.
“This group was absolutely prolific in their desire to abuse our borders and have rightly been brought to justice.
“As with many gangs we encounter, their sole priority was financial gain. I am delighted that my team was able to intercept their operation, and I hope these convictions will serve as a warning to unscrupulous gangs who exploit people’s desperation to remain in the UK.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to secure our borders and clamp down on the gangs who prey on vulnerable people to make money,” he said.
Having been found guilty of conspiring to aid illegal entry into the UK and provide documents used in fraud, Onifade, a resident of Gravesend, Kent, and Shodipo, living at Manchester, were sentenced to six and five years, respectively.
Gbadamosi, a resident of Bolton, was sentenced to six years after being found guilty of using fraud and deception to get permission to remain in the UK.
Meanwhile, Kabir, a London resident, was found guilty of possessing an identification document with illegal intent and he bagged a nine-month prison sentence.
A claim that the United Nations (UN) would take over the country from the Nigerian president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, if protests continued longer than 15 days has circulated online.
The #EndBadGovernance protest held from August 1 – 10 this year was aimed at calling the Nigerian government’s attention to the increasing economic hardship faced by millions of Nigerians across the West African nation.
An X user, @TheML007, on August 2, 2024, posted the claim thus:
BREAKING NEWS ; UN will take power from TINUBU if protesters continue the protest for 15 days, it used to be 30days but they’re doing Promo at the UN.
Way to go guys.
The post had garnered over 470,000 views, with more than 3,000 likes and over 1,000 comments as of August 22, 2024.
Due to the sensitive nature of the claim, The FactCheckHub decided to verify its veracity.
Recall that The FactCheckHub verified a number of claims during the recent Nigeria protest as seen here, here, here, here, here, and here.
CLAIM
United Nations will take over any country after 15 days of continuous protests.
THE FINDINGS
Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE as the UN does not exercise such power over a sovereign State, according to its charter.
Screenshot of the claim retrieved from X. INSERT: False verdict.
The United Nations, established in 1945, is an international organisation consisting of 193 member states. Its activities and mission are directed by the goals and principles outlined in its founding Charter.
The UN Charter is the constitutive instrument of the United Nations, signed on June 26, 1945. It sets out the rights and obligations of Member States and establishes the principal organs and procedures of the United Nations.
Nigeria became a member state of the United Nations on October 7, 1960 after gaining its independence the same year.
“Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorise the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter; but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter VII.
“The Security Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations, or decide what measures shall be taken in accordance with Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore international peace and security.”
“In order to prevent an aggravation of the situation, the Security Council may, before making the recommendations or deciding upon the measures provided for in Article 39, call upon the parties concerned to comply with such provisional measures as it deems necessary or desirable. Such provisional measures shall be without prejudice to the rights, claims, or position of the parties concerned. The Security Council shall duly take account of failure to comply with such provisional measures.”
From the above articles, it is evident that the United Nations addresses issues concerning the preservation of international peace and security, which are handled by its Security Council.
Speaking with The FactCheckHub, Tope Temokun, a Nigerian lawyer ad human rights activist stated that the UN lacks the legal power or mandate to intervene in such a manner, as sovereignty is a core principle of international law that cannot be overridden, even by international organisations like the UN.
“…that is not true; UN does not have the powers to take over the government of any sovereignty under any circumstance,” Temokun stated.
Similarly, Yunus Adelodun, a UK-based Nigerian lawyer who specialises in Arbitration, Litigation, Data Protection and Privacy, noted that despite the claim trending for a while, there has been no proof of when such power was exercised by the United Nations.
“The claim has been trending a bit. But no one has really provided any proof to back it up with any legal provision or even a precedent where such power was exercised by the UN.
“The UN charter doesn’t provide for such. There are also countless protests in UN member states that lasted more than 15 days without such ‘take over’,” Adelodun said.
However, he highlighted that there is the possibility of the UN imposing sanctions on the government as a result of human rights violation citing the occurrence in Libya 1973.
“There is the possibility of the UN issuing statements, reaching out to governments involved, imposing sanctions maybe due to human rights violations in some cases.
“Although UN Security Council have passed resolutions that led to military operations in some countries in the past like resolution 1973 that led to the invasion of Libya.
“It wasn’t primarily due to demonstrations lasting more than 15 days. Other issues were considered from human rights and international peace angle,” Adelodun further emphasised.
Further checks showed that the claim has previously been debunked by The Cable.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the United Nations will take over any country after 15 days of continuous protests is FALSE; the UN charter does not contains such power as reconfirmed by lawyers.
DECADES ago, Anambra’s Forest reserves were a sanctuary for a myriad of flora and fauna; a haven of serenity and life serving environmental and climate amelioration purposes. However, the reserves are now under severe threat from unchecked physical development and inadequate government conservation.
Echoes of regret
Standing at the edge of what was once known as Akpaka Forest Reserve, 76-year-old former forest officer, Samuel Okoye, looked in utter disbelief that the towering trees, which once formed a dense canopy teeming with life, have given way to modern structures leaving little or no trace of its former reality. Okoye’s heart ached at the humongous damage proving nature’s vulnerability to human greed and inaction.
He remembered the good old days when the 276-hectare forest reserve, established in 1929, was a symbol of natural splendour and ecological balance. It took a call from the reporter, who was on a fact-finding visit to Akpaka to bring him back to consciousness.
Samuel Okoye, retired forest officer at Akpaka.
The septuagenarian recounted that the fragmentation of the watershed followed a federal government’s request for a portion for housing estate in 1992.
“The then director, Mr. Okeke, gave them over 20 hectares. But, after the Federal Housing was built, people started giving money to the surveyors, who encroached beyond the allotted portions, almost to the entire forest reserve.”
“We challenged them, but government didn’t support us. They said that the forestry department is under the government and they can do anything with it.
“In 1997, the man who bought this place got the police to arrest us. They took us to Awka and each of us bailed ourselves,” Okoye said, pointing at the house as he led this reporter through the now urbanised settlement.
The original owners of the land got agitated by the sudden change of purpose, resulting in protest which forced the government to start plotting the land.
“During Attah’s military regime, Onitsha people insisted that, they must be duly compensated before government would give it out,” Okoye recalled.
“Later, Governor Ezeife’s administration divided it into three and shared to Ekwerekwu and Nwokedi families while retaining a part for government,” he recounted.
Since then, Akpaka has seen endless fragmentation with the original buffer zone becoming a tarred road, while the second demarcation is also built up with many residential buildings. The federal government’s warning was conveyed in a signpost by the National Inland Waterways Authority, (NIWA), reading, “property of the federal government, access only to authorised persons.”
Another state government’s directive, “remove by ANSG” issued on November 30, 2018, and August 25, 2023, was sighted on the walls and gates of many houses. The two directives have been flouted apparently without consequences.
“Something like this cannot go on for this long without government involvement,” one of the residents, Philip Abraham, said.
Development showing disregard for buffer zone
Development has been over-stretched to the bank of the river leaving residents with dire consequences. “We know the challenges coming out from the situation in Akpaka with the serious erosion problem. Left for me, we would have done things differently, Felix Odimegwu, the state commissioner for environment said.
Mamu drifting towards Akpaka
Attention has been shifted from Akpaka to the Mamu forest reserve in Orumba North Local Government Area, established in 1928 to fight erosion menace and reduce the destructive effects of climate change. As at February 24, 2024 when this reporter visited, an anonymous source within the ministry of environment noted that only 18 out of its original 64 compartments were functional.
“The damage here is massive,” he noted.
Fragmentation is evident in the number of fences already erected by allottees; some of which had been pulled down, signalling unease around the deals.
“Access roads have been created in various parts of the reserve to ease access for buyers, while the threat of erosion is visible with gullies fast forming.”
Forming gully near the newly constructed Amansea-Ufuma Road.
The president general of Ndiukwenu, Ezechukwu Okoli one of the land donor communities, decried the situation.
“Ozuh, Mkpogho and Ubani villages of Ndiukwenu and the neighbouring Okpeze donated land for Mamu forest reserve. We were not informed when they started giving out the reserve for development. As I speak to you, they are still buying land at Mamu,” he stated.
A letter dated August 8, 2007 written by one C.A Ezejesi on behalf of the then commissioner for environment, was sighted, responding to the request for the de-reservation of part of Mamu forest reserve for development purposes.
It read, “It is important that we remind you that one of the reasons for constituting the area a forest reserve was to preserve the fragile soil type which is much liable to erosion. We all can see how erosion is seriously threatening the only road leading to the reserve especially around Ozuh enclave as a result of human activities there”.
Letter against deforestation of Mamu Forest Reserve in 2007
Apart from the fear of erosion, heat waves, a globally prevailing effect of climate change is a growing concern for residents. “Many years ago, our place was very serene and cool. But now, we suffer from excessive heat because of deforestation by developers,” Ezeokoli remarked in March 2024 when he was interviewed.
State government speaks
Despite concerns around Mamu forest reserve, Anambra State government seems unperturbed with its plan around it. Commenting on the situation, the commissioner for Lands, Offornze Amucheazi, a professor, said that the fate of Mamu was determined prior to the current administration. He also denied allegation of connivance with developers to de-reserve Mamu.
He said, “Anambra State is land starved while erosion and flooding are ravaging us. So, there is so much pressure on the few available areas for development. Before we came in, part of the Mamu forest reserve had been de-zoned by the previous administration and the communities were given compensatory plots.” However, this claim has been denied by the president general of Ndiukwenu, Ezeokoli.
The commissioner further said, “If we leave it the way it is, we run a situation where the entire area will not be properly managed.
“You have heard the governor talk about Awka 2.0. That is where we have it. We’ve taken out time and the design is ongoing,” Amucheazi revealed during an interview on March 25, 2024.
“It’s a brand new city and even within that city, we’re going to have the forest, the trees, the green areas and to also check the soil loss. It’s already a problem as it is. So, we have insisted that no one can undertake any construction unless he obtains approval from the ministry,” he stated.
Fence erected by one of the developers.
Other forest reserves in Ebenebe, Achalla, Osamalla, and several community forests suffer similar fate, even as the proposed Aguaba forest reserve has become an estate.
“We are on the verge of losing almost all of them,” Onyinye Achugamonye, the head of department, forestry and wildlife, ministry of environment, said.
She blamed deforestation primarily on manpower shortage among other factors.
“Many years ago, we had 10 guards manning Mamu forest reserve. So, no one just went to do anything there without any of them noticing it. Today, we have just one. We also don’t have adequate number of forest managers,” Achugamonye lamented.
The commissioner for environment is also touched by the environmental effect of deforestation going on in the state. “When you cut down a tree, it’s almost like you are cutting the blood out of my body. Once forest is de-reserved, my heart bleeds. That shows you the concern that the ministry and the state has,” he said.
In 2020, the state established the Erosion Watershed and Climate Change Agency (ANSEWCCA) to among other things mainstream and implement climate change resilience agenda while also undertaking reforestation, vegetative and other ecological friendly measures to augment rigid intervention.
Also, the forestry and wildlife department is as old as the ministry. However, the alarming deforestation rate has brought their efficiency into question.
One of the reasons for their seeming inefficiency is lack of coordination between relevant government ministries, departments and agencies. “Many MDAs dealing with the environment, deforestation and erosion have not been working together. There is no pooling of ideas together to move in the same direction to achieve a common goal,” one of the government officials, said.
Concerns around ‘outdated’ forestry law
Anambra State operates an obsolete forestry law dating back to 1956, which has largely been described as unfit for the time. It provides that, “any person who on any lands to which its regulations apply, takes any timber or protected tree or any protected minor forest produce or uproots, destroy or injures any protected tree or protected minor forest produce or any tree or plant from which any protected minor forest produce is obtainable, shall be guilty of an offence.
Evidence of erosion threat at Mamu Forest Reserve.
Section 31 prescribes that applications for the grant of any license under the law shall be made to the director of forestry while a fine range of ₦10,000 – ₦100,000 or imprisonment not exceeding twelve months or both is prescribed for any person convicted of an offence under the law. These provisions are viewed as too weak to deter deforestation.
However, the state house of assembly recently passed the new environmental law for the state. Section 114 of the new law prescribes a fine of not less than two hundred thousand naira or imprisonment for a term of not less than six months for anyone convicted of cutting protected trees.
For this and many other novel provisions, the commissioner for environment believes that the law would be the game changer, boosting government’s resolve to see Anambra reckoned as a green state.
“The law will aid the maintenance of the forest reserves. With it, citizens should expect a better management of our forest reserves.
“In the new law, we indicated that June 10, every year will be celebrated as Anambra tree planting day. We started it this year with urban forestation. We want to see our streets, roads and highways adorned with trees.”
“The “cut one, plant three” initiative will ensure that anyone who wants to cut down trees must take permission from the forestry department and must replant trees in the place of the one cut down. Violations will be penalised with the relevant sections of the law.
There are also national laws and regulations governing forestry in Nigeria as well as international instruments. Among them are: the United Nations forest instrument, the Rio conventions, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the International Tropical Timber Agreement ITTA, (1983).
The National Policy on Environment (2016) provides for the protection and sustainable management of natural resources, including forests, while the National Forestry Policy (2006) aims to ensure sustainable forest management, conservation of biodiversity, and equitable sharing of benefits derived from forest resources.
Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020, equally contains strategies for sustainable environmental management, including forest conservation and reforestation efforts.
The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2002) contains strategies for conserving forest biodiversity and sustainable forest management practices while the country’s REDD+ Strategy (2012) aimed to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, enhance carbon stock, and sustainably manage forests.
The 2011 gazetted National Environmental (Desertification and Drought Mitigation) Regulations, in its section 2 (f) seeks to attain the 25 per cent national forest cover as prescribed by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) towards becoming self-sufficient in wood and other forest resources, as well as enhance ecological integrity and abate climate change impacts.
The 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 17 targets identified Goal 15 for conservation of life above the ground of which forests make up a significant component. They were created with the aim of achieving peace and prosperity for people and the planet while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests.
Experts strongly believe that halting deforestation and restoring the use of terrestrial ecosystems is necessary to reduce the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity which are part of our common heritage.
Another warning against encroachment by Anambra State Government.
The soaring rate of deforestation in Anambra and Nigeria in general remains a sore test of efficacy for the aforementioned laws, policies and instruments. This means that the solution lies more in implementation and enforcement than in existence of those documents.
Reserves still in legal existence
Despite the almost irredeemable damage done to the forest reserves across Anambra, experts argue that all the forest reserves are still in legal existence. “The forest reserves are still in existence until the laws that established them are repealed. Whatever is done to the contrary is illegal,” Ogbodo, a former national vice president, International Society of Tropical Foresters (ISTF), Nigeria Chapter, submitted.
While the current Chukwuma Soludo’s administration is acknowledged for its massive tree planting campaign which has seen the distribution of millions of hybrid tree seedlings such as palm trees, coconut, bread fruits, pear, and others, foresters argue that as commendable as the initiative may be, those economic trees being planted cannot replace forest trees such as Iroko, teak, gmelina among others.
“So, when you are planting cocoa and oil palm, you are promoting agriculture and neglecting forestry. It will not yield any international recognition or carbon credit from the Global Climate Fund. So, the government needs to appreciate that,” Ogbodo said.
According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation,(FAO), forest preservation protects the watersheds and offers ecosystem services to those around them. But, with about 80 per cent of the country’s population dependent on forests for fuel, food, fibres, medicines, and dyes among others, Nigeria, as at 2018, had lost about 96 per cent of its original forest.
A March 2022 report by Dataphyte revealed that the value of the forestry sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s economy grew by only 1.41per cent in the fourth quarter of 2021 to N52.2 billion compared to fourth quarter of 2020, representing a 10.6 per cent increase from third quarter same year.
Between the third and fourth quarters of 2021, forestry contributed a paltry 0.26 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
Signpost conveying FG’s warning.
A study by Yusuf and Razaq titled, “The challenges of deforestation and management in Nigeria: suggestions for improvement”, puts the total forest decline between 1979 and 2020 in the southeast at 53 per cent while another research conducted with Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System found that Anambra State has lost almost one quarter of its forest covers between 1980 and 2020.
This, according to Philip Phil-Eze, a professor and the managing director of the state Erosion, Watershed and Climate Change Agency, (ANSEWCCA), who was part of the study, has resulted in the sun heating directly on the soil, increased surface temperature, as well as increased likelihood of global warming and climate change.
Developers, driven by inordinate urge for profit, compromise influential locals and state authorities financially to gain access to the forests.
“They have bought up all recreational open spaces in our urban centres to the extent that trees have largely disappeared,” Phil-Eze said.
A PAST beneficiary of the federal government student loan scheme, Lanre Laoshe, has repaid the student loan of N1,200 he took between 1976 and 1979 with N3.1 million.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) disclosed that the former member of the House of Representatives made the payment in a statement.
The statement showed that Laoshe, who benefited from the defunct Federal Government Student Loan Scheme, expressed gratitude for the financial assistance he received during his school days.
According to NELFUND, Laoshe said to calculate the current value of the N1,200 loan, he consulted with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and obtained a table of average annual exchange rates spanning from 1972 to 1985, which enabled him to determine the loan’s equivalent value in today’s terms.
The statement partly read,” Using the current exchange rate of $1.00 = N1,583.98, Hon. Laoshe calculated that the equivalent amount today would be N3,189,217.00. As a result, he issued a Polaris Bank Plc bank draft (No. 14670909) for this amount to NELFUND, marking his repayment as a token of gratitude to the federal government for the role it played in his educational journey,”
The NELFUND described Laoshe’s repayment of the loan as a shining example of integrity and the positive impact of government support on citizens.
The student loan body said Laoshe’s action underscored the importance of fulfilling one’s obligations.
The organisation reaffirmed its dedication to empowering Nigerian students through its various programmes
Tinubu signed the new Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2024, into law on Wednesday, April 3, following approval by the Senate on Wednesday, March 20.
The chairman of the Senate committee on tertiary institutions and TETFUND, Muntari Dandutse, presented a report on the bill to the Senate the same day.
Tinubu first signed the bill into law in June 2023 to enable students in need to access interest-free loans to pursue their education in any tertiary institution in the country.
However, its implementation was postponed.
In April, Tinubu approved the appointment of a managing director (MD) and two executive directors to serve on the management team of the organisation.
The appointees are Akintunde Sawyerr, MD; Frederick Akinfala, executive director of finance and administration, and Mustapha Iyal executive director of operations.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the president, Ajuri Ngelale, said the appointments were in line with the determination of the president to secure Nigeria’s socio-economic future by ensuring sustainable higher education and critical skill development for all Nigerian students and the youth.
The organisation has since commenced operation, supporting students of public tertiary institutions.
THE United States, on Tuesday, August 27, donated 10,000 doses of Jynneos vaccine to Nigeria as part of efforts to combat the spread of mpox in the country.
Jynneos, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is used to prevent smallpox and mpox in adults aged 18 and older who are at risk of infection.
This donation followed recent statements from the African Centre for Disease Control which highlighted the alarming spread of mpox across Africa.
Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, with two distinct clades: Ccade I and clade II. The disease can be transmitted through close contact, such as sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person.
The ICIR reports that Tanzania became the latest African nation to record a significant surge in mpox cases, according to the Africa CDC in a statement on Friday, August 23.
These cases were primarily detected in the regions of Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, with fears that the virus could spread to other parts of the country if not swiftly contained.
The development adds to the continent’s growing health crisis, with more than 21,000 mpox cases and nearly 600 deaths reported across 13 African countries since the start of 2024.
During the official handover ceremony in Abuja, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, a professor, expressed gratitude to the U.S. government for its timely support.
Pate, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom, emphasised the federal government’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of Nigerians.
“This is a spirit of cooperation and collaboration through the years, and this vaccine will be of great help to us. The Federal Ministry of Health understands the importance of having a healthy nation, so all the policies that we implement and the collaborations are focused on ensuring our citizens’ health.
“The minister emphasises that all health matters are important to him, and Nigeria is very fortunate to have such a dedicated Coordinating Minister and Dr Tunji Alausa as the Minister of State for Health. Together, we are transforming the health sector.”
He minister further stated that the country looked forward to receiving more doses of the vaccine from the US government, adding that its support would significantly aid those in need.
“We all recognise the size of our population, and we must ensure that we address every disease, especially those that pose public health concerns. On this note, I would like to extend our gratitude.”
Currently, the outbreak has spread to 16 countries in the continent, with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and South Africa recording the highest number of infections.
Recall that the World Health Organisation on August 14, declared mpox as a global public health emergency, for the second time in two years.
The declaration followed an outbreak of the viral infection in Democratic Republic of Congo that had spread to neighbouring countries.
This American Life is seeking entries to its six-month production fellowship.
The fellowship runs twice yearly. The first starts in January and the other in July, based in the organisation’s office in New York City.
This is a paid fellowship as fellows will earn about $6,250 monthly before taxes.
Benefits like health insurance and relocation reimbursement will be added.
The organiser says, “The fellowship aims to train people in what we do.
“The fellows observe and participate in all aspects of the radio show’s weekly production.
“They learn to structure and mix radio stories, sit on group edits where stories are shaped, pitch stories, participate in the programme’s weekly story meetings and yes, perform assorted menial tasks that are the true signs of any apprentice programme”.
Fellows are encouraged to produce their own pieces, including reporting, interviewing, structuring, editing and mixing.
Journalists with radio or audio editing experience can apply for this fellowship.
The deadline for the submission of the application is October 1, 2024. Interested applicants can apply here.
