LAGOS STATE STUDENTS DECLARE SUPPORT FOR SANWO-OLU

...Egunjobi a role model worthy of emulation

In a remarkable event of international world students day held on Saturday, the 17th of November, 2018, the Lagos State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANs, mobilsed all their members from the ten (10) tertiary institutions in the state to stage a Solidarity WALK in support of the governorship candidate of the All Progressive  Congress,, APC, BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU in the forthcoming general elections.

The students in their thousands gathered at Maryland and from where they walked through Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Road and Remi Fanikayode Avenue singing and dancing to music blaring out from sound system. On reaching their destination, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Campaign Organisation (BOSCO) situated on plot 58/60, Oduduwa Crescent, GRA, Ikeja.

Hon Mafe who led a delegation to receive them in the absence of Sanwo-Olu and Mr. Tayo Ayide, Director General of the Campaign Organisation declared that the APC governorship candidate is committed to improving the state-owned educational institutions' infrastructure and regular payment of bursary to students of Lagos extraction.

Hon. Mafe further maintained that Mr. Sanwo-Olu is a man of high integrity with listening ears to all and sundry, and would always carry the students along in his administration.

Hon. Ayodele Ayodeji who was a member of the delegates that received the students assured them that the students have taken the right step in right direction at the right time, that they have no cause to fear at all because Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu will ensure that all their needs are met.

The leadership of the Lagos State Students equally assured the entire team of BOSCO that the students have endorse Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and that they will ensure that the entire students in Lagos State canvass and vote for Babajide Sanwo-Olu come 2019 guber elections. 

The students leaders specially commended the Director for CSOs, NGOs and Students in person of Alhaji Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi for his unrelenting efforts to bring the students together despite the challenges facing them. 

They described Alhaji Egunjobi as a role model worthy of emulation in handling students affairs.

by Comrade Ismaeel Garba Ismaeel*

Alleged resignation: My Boss Has Not Resigned, Adeosun's Aide Reveals

Ifeanyi Onuba

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, is still working in her office despite reports of her resignation.

Our correspondent who was at the ministry around 12pm saw the minister’s official vehicles and her personal staff at the ministry.

When our correspondent visited the minister’s office located on the seventh floor of the headquarters of the ministry, it was observed that she was in her office working.

Officials of the ministry, who spoke to The PUNCH on condition of anonymity, said they were not aware of  her resignation.

As of 4:10pm when this report was being sent the minister was still in her office, while journalists were waiting to interview her outside the ministry.

An aide of the minister, who spoke to journalists, said his boss had not resigned.


It was gathered that the Presidency would issue a statement on this issue later today.

Punch

FG spends N49bn to feed pupils in two years -Presidency

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

The Presidency on Thursday said the Federal Government has spent N49bn on the feeding of primary school pupils under the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, a component of the government’s Social Investment Programme, in the last two years.
The Special Adviser to the President on NSIP, Mrs. Mariam Uwais, disclosed this to journalists in Abuja.

Uwais said 8, 596,340 pupils were currently being fed in 46,247 public primary schools in 24 states.
The 24 states, according to her, include Abia, Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Niger, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara.

The presidential aide said through the programme, 90,670 Nigerians had been engaged and empowered as cooks while over 100,000 local farmers had also been linked with the programme to supply locally sourced farm produce.
She said, “We have created a value chain with significant economic benefits to the microeconomic development of the states.

“The value chain offers additional benefits of job creation and increased livelihood outcomes for both cooks and small holder-farmers, hence improving livelihood and the local economies.”
Uwais noted that government was having challenges with the implementation of the school feeding programme in Niger and Benue states.

She said already some officials in the programme in the two states have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for the investigation and prosecution.

“The National Social Investment Office is ably empowered to suspend the programme in any state where the prescribed standard is reported to have fallen below expectation until a redesigned and realignment is achieved,” the presidential aide noted.

Uwais said the government has achieved 30 percent improvement in school enrollment in the country since the commencement of the programme.

She said while the Federal Government budgeted and appropriated N500bn for the 2016 fiscal year and the same amount in 2017, only about N140bn was released in 2017 while N80bn was accessed in 2016.


Other components of the SIP are N-Power, National Cash Transfer Project, and Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme.

Punch

Workers’ salary arrears will be paid in six months –Fayemi

The winner of the Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said that he will pay the backlog of salaries owed civil servants in the state within the first six months of his return to office.

Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress beat Kolapo Olusola of the Peoples Democratic Party in a keenly contested race to succeed the incumbent Governor  Ayodele Fayose.

Speaking at his residence in Isan-Ekiti, the former Minister of Solid Mineral Development, said Ekiti State lost value under Fayose, while also promising to re-introduce free education in the state.

He said, “Ekiti people should expect the eight-point agenda redoubled. They should expect the backlog of salaries cleared within the first six months of my coming to the office. They should expect re-introduction of free education, including payment of fees for the West Africa Examination Council, National Examination Council, National Business and Technical Examinations Board and the national entrance examination into tertiary institutions which they lost out on.

“We will re-introduce social security scheme for the elderly in an enhanced manner. They should expect the return of our youth volunteer programme. Luckily, the Federal Government has started a programme similar to what we used to have in Ekiti State, called N-Power. We will add our own initiative to that programme.

“The outgoing government is not interested in what happens to the young in our society beyond using them as thugs and forcing them to eat crumbs from the table of the master. They should expect a return to decency, decorum, integrity, values in Ekiti State. It is about reclaiming our land and restoring our values which we have lost in the past four years.”

Meanwhile, an APC chieftain, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has congratulated Fayemi on his victory at the poll.

According to the former Minister of State for Works, Fayemi’s victory will change the leadership style in the state, stressing that the people of Ekiti deserved mature leaders who value development of state’s human and natural resources.
Punch

Ambode boasts of two years achievements without increasing taxes

AgegePulse magazine

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode said that his administration would take necessary steps to eliminate any incidence of multiple taxation in the State, especially at the local government level.

The Governor, said the tax system in the State must be presented in such a way that would be clear to all and sundry.

He, therefore, tasked Professor Sanni to use his tenure in office to address issues relating to multiple taxation, noting that his administration was able to achieve the level of infrastructural development in the last two years without necessarily increasing taxes.

“You know the citizens believe strongly that the way and manner we structure our tax system is done in such instance that we are doing multiple taxation within the local government and the State. That’s one aspect that we think that we can create some kind of partnership to be able to say that in no distance future that nothing exists in Lagos that relates to multiple taxation. I would like that aspect to be something of interest in the course of your research.

“In the last two years, we have seen the level of infrastructural development that we have put in place without necessarily increasing the taxes or levying citizens to pay more taxes. You have seen development taking place in the midst of recession.

“The only way to sustain this growth will be coming from the aspect of how we can sustain the revenue model that Lagos State can use to drive this growth and development in the State”, Governor Ambode said.

The Governor also said that there was a need to grow the financial template of the State.

Lagos could take to secure the next 50 years.

I’m Under Pressure To Contest In 2019, Says Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan says people have been asking him to contest the 2019 election.

In an interview with Dele Momodu, celebrity journalist, the immediate past president said he is moved to tears seeing people shouting “GEJ, we want you back.

Jonathan, who ruled out the possibility of returning to office, said reflections on his achievements and mistakes make him sober.

I’m not God but I sincerely doubt the possibility, Jonathan was quoted to have said in response to a question on the next election.

People come to me every day saying they want me back. I’m always moved to tears whenever I go out and see the huge crowds shouting GEJ, we want you, even in the north.

Instead of getting swollen headed, I actually reflect on my achievements and mistakes and feel humbled and feel very sober…

I have never been a man of inordinate ambition. I’m a man of very modest means. I hardly travel because of the logistical costs. I’ve played my part and I have moved on.

Asked what he would do if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gives him its presidential ticket in 2019, he said: Are you not aware that our party has zoned the presidency to the north, and the chairmanship to the south?

Even Fayose that has declared his interest may face big challenges because of the decision of our party.

Source: Online