The assurance by Defence Headquarters that despite recent operational setbacks it has suffered in the hands of terrorists, it remains committed to securing all parts of the country dominates the headlines of Nigerian newspapers on Friday.
The Punch reports that the Defence Headquarters has said despite recent operational setbacks it has suffered in the hands of terrorists, it remains committed to securing all parts of the country.
The DHQ, however, urged Nigerians not to despair, following the setbacks experienced by the military.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Benard Onyeuko, disclosed this on Thursday, while briefing journalists on the operations of the military between March 25 and April 7, 2022.
He stated, “The last few days were characterised by some operational setbacks orchestrated by terrorists and criminals in the North-Central region.
“The military high command wishes to use this opportunity to assure Nigerians on the determination of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to deal with all terrorists and criminal elements in the country. The events of the last few days should not bring despair to the populace.”
When asked about the measures the military had put in place to prevent a recurrence of the setbacks, which included the killing of no fewer than 20 troops, he said the military was conducting serious operations where the incidents happened.
Onyeuko stated, “The military is conducting serious operations there and the terrorists are on their heels.
“On the Abuja-Kaduna train attack, the military is on top of the situation and we are carrying out extensive operations to ensure nothing like that happens again.”
The newspaper says that the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission has finally presented the report of the review of the vertical revenue allocation formula to President Muhammadu Buhari, after failing to meet the 2021 deadline.
Last year, the Chairman of the commission, Elias Mbam, said the report would be presented to the president by December 31, 2021. However, the commission failed to meet this deadline.
New formula proposes 45.17% for FG, 29.79% for states, 21.04% for LGAs
The Chairman of the commission announced on Thursday that the proposed vertical revenue allocation formula advised 45.17 per cent for the Federal Government, 29.79 per cent for state governments and 21.04 per cent for the local governments.
Under Special Funds, he said the report by the commission recommended 1.0 per cent for Ecology, 0.5 per cent for Stabilisation, 1.3 per cent for Development of Natural Resources, and 1.2 per cent for the FCT.
The old revenue formula was designed during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Under this new formula, the Federal Government gets 52.68 per cent, the 36 states get 26.72 per cent while the 774 local government areas in the country share 20.60 per cent every month.
The Guardian reports that the Federal Government has condemned the Polish Authority for detaining Nigerians and other African students who fled war-torn Ukraine due to their black skin.
The Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who said this in Abuja, expressed displeasure over the development, saying it was wrong and traumatic.
Dabiri-Erewa was speaking at the commencement of a two-day Psychosocial Trauma Clinic for Ukraine returnees on Thursday.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the clinic was organised by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NiDCOM and Project Victory Call (PVC) Initiative, Naija.
Dabiri-Erewa said that some Nigerian students who fled war-torn Ukraine to neighbouring countries of Poland and Hungary were now in detention in Poland.
A development she said was unacceptable by the Federal Government.
She lauded the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, for making it possible for the stranded students to return home “imagine we are not able to bring them back home look at what is happening in Poland?
“Some Africans and Nigerians decided not to return home, now Polish authority is now going around and capturing blacks and putting them in detention camps.
“So, those Nigerians who refused to return are at a risk, some are in detention centres in Poland and they are in a traumatic condition.
“However, inasmuch as Nigeria has given them the opportunity to come back home and they refused, it does not mean the Polish authority will grab them and put them in detention centres.
“The Federal Government is now calling on the Poland authority to release the blacks in their custody.
It is not right for them to detain the blacks because they decided to take cover in their country (Poland).
“They are not putting whites in those detention centres, so send them back to their countries instead of capturing them in detention centres which is the height of racism in a war situation,” she said.
The newspaper says that the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, yesterday, expressed concern over the relocation of registered companies in Nigeria to other African nations.
He disclosed this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC), saying his ministry is doing everything possible to stop the trend.
Adebayo, who led other agencies under the ministry to appear before the committee, was responding to queries from the Auditor General of the Federation.
He said many of the countries, including Ghana, have increased their capital allowances to companies and have already taken away lots of investment from Nigeria. He added that what still keeps some companies on ground is Nigeria’s population.
Adebayo said government is looking for ways of increase the level of new investment in the country and sustain existing ones.
He said: “Our duty is to support investment growth in Nigeria. It is public knowledge that getting these investments are increasingly becoming difficult today.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has stressed the need for African nations to add value to their abundant natural resources, to achieve wholesome socioeconomic development.
The minister said this when delegates from African Union Scientific Technical and Research Commission (AU-STRC), led by Prof. Mohammed Belhocine, paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja.
The Nation reports that there is a huge gap between supply and demand for electricity in Nigeria and other African countries, and also a significant funding gap, underscoring what appears to be bleak future for African power markets.
According to the ‘Middle East and Africa Market Outlook Report’ released this week, about $1.9 trillion is needed to fund investment in African energy infrastructure between 2018 and 2040.
The report, which was exclusively obtained by The Nation, said based on financing trends, of the amount $1.6 trillion is likely to be forthcoming, leaving a gap of some $244 billion.
The Middle East and Africa Market Outlook Report highlights the power sector with a focus on developed regions, as well as emerging markets.
It explore core findings about the business opportunities, regulatory environment in the Middle East’s power market and more about the planned projects and investments in Africa’s emerging utilities markets.
The report, which described Africa as “chronically underpowered part of the world,” said across the continent, about 844 Terawatt-hour (TWh) of electricity was generated in 2020.
This was just 3.1 per cent of the global total, even though Africa is home to around a fifth of the world’s population.
GIK/APA