Politics
COVID-19: Ex-Lawmaker Donates Cash, PPE To Imo Journalists
A former member of the Imo State House of Assembly, Mr Obulimba Ekeh, yesterday donated cash and other Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to journalists in the state as coronavirus palliatives.
Donating the cash and materials to different Chapels of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state, Ekeh said that the gesture was part of his contribution to safeguarding the lives of journalists in the face of the fight against the coronavirus.
He urged government and other spirited Nigerians to assist journalists at this critical moment.
According to Ekeh, who is the Chairman, Governing Council of the Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo, journalists have played a frontline role in battling the coronavirus since it broke out.
He said as such members of NUJ should be encouraged “at this difficult time”.
“I am donating these palliatives today not because am too wealthy, but because I see journalists as also a vulnerable group.
“They are doing a great job in the society but are appreciated less.
“That is why I started this and I am calling on both government and corporate organisations to key into the idea,” he said.
Ekeh said every country in the world depended on journalists to get quality news and information as well as set agenda for government, as such, government should invest massively in media practitioners.
In his remark, Chairman of the Correspondents Charpel of the union in the state, Mr Steve Uzoechi said it was unusual for journalists to be considered as beneficiaries of such palliatives.
“I observed that as the ceremonial Fourth Estate, we are the only estate that does not get allocation and the only career line where 80 per cent of practitioners work pro bono (unrewarded).
“It is the only career where when workers are owed salaries, nobody protests the injustice and government asks no question,” he said.
Uzoechi, therefore, expressed appreciation to Ekeh for remembering to appreciate journalists as indispensable agents of development and for being among frontline professionals in the battle against COVID-19.
Our source reports that the palliative included cash, hand sanitisers, face masks, and detergents.
Protests erupted in Kano city and its environs on Monday afternoon with the demonstrators denouncing the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal that sacked the state Governor, Abba Yusuf.
The Tide’s source reports that uneasy calm pervaded the state capital following a contradictory Certified True Copy of the Appeal Court that affirmed the prayers of both the appellant and the respondent in the contentious Kano governorship, though the judiciary had since cleared the air.
In what appeared like a coordinated action on Monday, huge crowd of protesters had stormed strategic positions in the city as it visited temporary hiccups on commercial activities.
Kano- Zaria Road, Maiduguri Road by Muhammadu Buhari’s interchange, and Kantin Kwari (Kano textile market) were taken over by hundreds of youths who called for justice for Abba Yusuf.
Some of the placard read: “Kano my city my state”, “Justice for Kano”, “ Justice for Abba”, “Abba’s mandate was stolen in 2019, we will not allow it happen in 2023″.
The protest came on the heels of discovery by the Police that “some faceless group are bent on unleashing violence in Kano”, stressing that the police were on top of the situation.
Cp Hussaini Gumel told newsmen in Kano on Monday that already 7 suspects had been arrested and would be arraigned soon.
Gumel revealed that “we have the understanding with the leadership of the contending political parties, and they have signed a peace pact. In view of that, therefore, any one found outside this arrangement will be treated as common criminal”.
However, normalcy had since returned to the ancient city following the peaceful protest that lasted several hours.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will today, present the 2024 budget to the joint session of the National Assembly.
Secretary, Research and Information of the National Assembly, Dr Ali Barde Umoru, confirmed this on Monday to journalists while requesting the list of those to be allowed into the chamber during the budget presentation.
This will be the first budget estimate President Tinubu will present to the National Assembly in person.
He had earlier transmitted two supplementary budgets, 2022 and 2023, to the National Assembly, which the parliament speedily approved.
President Tinubu had, weeks ago, also forwarded to both chambers of the National Assembly, the 20224-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) where the sum of N26.1 trillion was proposed as the total expenditure for the 2024 fiscal year.
The Senate, following the recommendation of its joint committee, which scrutinised the document, approved the MTEF/FSP.
It approved the N26.1trn proposed as the 2024 budget and other parameters as proposed by President Tinubu.
It approved the new borrowings of N7.8 trillion, pegged the benchmark of oil price for 2024 at $73.96, and oil production volume per day at 1.78 million barrels.
Other parameters approved are a GDP growth rate of 3.76%, an inflation rate of 21.40%, an exchange rate of N700 to $1 dollar, and a projected budget deficit of N9.04 trillion.
Over 1,000 Islamic clerics have offered special prayers for President Bola Tinubu and the NNPP national leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, for peace, progress and political stability in Nigeria.
Abdulmumin Kofa (NNPP-Kiru/Bebeji) hosted the ulamas at Kiru for the success of Governor Kabir Yusuf of Kano State at the Supreme Court, according to a statement by the lawmaker’s media aide, Sani Paki, on Monday.
During the prayer session, the clerics recited the Qur’an 1,101 times and prayed for peace, progress and political stability in the country.
Mr Kofa said his relationship with the president was no secret, noting that Mr Kwankwaso is his mentor. He said he would continue to support and promote a harmonious relationship between Messrs Tinubu and Kwankwaso.
Mr Kofa described NNPP as a promising party open to collaboration, alliance and merger with the APC and even with the People’s Democratic Party, Labour Party or any other party that showed interest, so long as it is for the good of Nigerians.
He also promised to deploy his modest political network to reach out to gladiators in Kano politics towards resolving all resolvable issues and to de-escalate the current tension in the state due to the Kano governorship seat.
Also, after the prayer session, the legislator hosted 5,000 primary school kids across his constituency, as he often does, and provided them with school kits.
According to the statement, Mr Kofa assured the pupils of the good plans of the federal and state governments, especially on free education and free school feeding programmes.