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Nigeria, Seven Other Countries Get $1.96 million from ECOWAS to Tackle VVF
Nigeria, Seven Other Countries Get $1.96 million from ECOWAS to Tackle VVF
By: Michael Mike
Nigeria and seven other member countries of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have received $1.96 million from the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre to tackle cases of fistula disorder (Vesicovaginal fistula).
All the eight countries got $245,000 each. The other countries are Togo, Benin, Guinea Bissau, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Gambia, and Liberia.
The presentation of cheques to the beneficiaries were one of the highlights at the 91st Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers held in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Chairman ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar revealed that the Council would deliberate on the Community budget for the 2024 fiscal year while lamenting the current economic challenges affecting the region’s Gross Domestic Product and revenue generation.
The Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that: “We must be mindful of the prevailing economic and financial challenges confronting our sub-region, such as inflation, high food prices, and currency devaluation, which have adversely affected our economies.”
He lamented that: “These challenges have impacted on our gross domestic product, revenue generation, and in particular our mobilization of the Community Levy, due to devaluation of some of our major currencies, particularly Cedi and Naira
against the US Dollar.”
Tuggar urged Council Ministers to support the recommendations of the Administration and Finance Committee on enhancing prudence, as well as the efforts of the President of the Commission and other Heads of the Institutions on blocking leakages to ensure judicious use of the meagre resources.
Also, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, decried that member states under sanctions have stopped remitting levies, adding that ECOWAS need enough financial resources to tackle the challenges bedeviling the region.
Touray said: “For some time now, the levy collection has been a challenge. The amount of 0.5% ECOWAS levy on imports from outside the Community has been collected by member states on behalf of ECOWAS.
“However, the deposit of these funds into the ECOWAS bank accounts at the country level and access to the funds have been a challenge. This has led to low resource mobilization.
“The situation is more critical now that our member states under sanctions have stopped remitting the levy. As the financial situation gets more difficult, the tasks for ECOWAS are growing.”
He however urged the Council of Ministers to “mobilise the levy fully to be able to implement our community work programme and keep up with the successes of ECOWAS.”
Nigeria, Seven Other Countries Get $1.96 million from ECOWAS to Tackle VVF
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
By: Our Reporter
Judge bars him from inciting public, undermining national security
The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned a politician and online publisher, Omoyele Sowore, before a Federal High Court in Abuja, for alleged cybercrimes, with the court barring him from further making statements that are detrimental to the peace and security of the country.
Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling, threatened to revoke the bail granted Sowore’ should he ever make such statements. The arraignment came after two previous attempts, with the politician’s lawyer introducing what the DSS lawyer, Akinolu Kehinde SAN, called legal obstacles.
On Tuesday, however, Justice Umar held that since there was evidence that Sowore was a presidential candidate in the country before and having also earlier been granted bail by the court, with his international passport still being held by the court, he was entitled to be granted bail on self-recognition.
The ruling was on a bail application argued by his lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, shortly after Sowore was arraigned on a five-count charge, in which he is accused of defaming President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as a criminal in his posts on X and Facebook.
When the charge, being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS), was read to him, Sowore pleaded not guilty.
In the charge, Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 elections, is accused of contravening the provisions of the the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Criminal Code Act by calling President Bola Tinubu a criminal
The two other defendants listed in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 are X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp.
Details shortly.
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
News
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have carried out a series of coordinated attacks across parts of Zamfara State, killing one person and abducting several others in Zurmi and Bungudu Local Government Areas, security sources have confirmed.
In the first incident, bandits invaded Tungar Tsamiya village in Moriki District of Zurmi LGA at about 10:40 p.m. on Nov. 30, shooting dead one resident and abducting 10 others.
Security forces launched a search-and-rescue operation to locate the victims.
Barely hours later, on Monday morning, another group of bandits attacked Doguwar Gona forest in the same Moriki District.
The assailants abducted 17 men and women who were in the area fetching firewood. Security personnel are tracking the movement of the attackers with the aim of rescuing the captives.
In a separate incident in Bungudu LGA, gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed Makwa village in Kurar Mota District at about 12:15 p.m. on Dec. 1 and abducted an unconfirmed number of residents.
Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA and police operatives, supported by local vigilante groups, have intensified efforts to rescue all abducted victims and restore calm across the affected communities.
Search operations are ongoing.
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
By: Zagazola Makama
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday paid a sympathy visit to the Bishop of Kontagora, Bishop Bulus Yohanna, following the recent abduction of students of St. Mary Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
The NSA, who arrived Kontagora by helicopter at about noon, was accompanied by the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Tony Ajayi; the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs; and senior officials from the Office of the NSA.
Ribadu and his entourage proceeded to the office of the Bishop at St. Michael Church, where they met with representatives of families of the abducted students, the school principal, and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the 19 Northern States, Bishop Joseph Hayap.
During the meeting, the NSA assured the community that the Federal Government was intensifying efforts to secure the safe release of the abducted pupils and staff.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending attacks on schools and ensuring the safety of students across the country.
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
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