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Don’t Blame Any Presidential Candidate For Failure To Construct Ariaria Market, Account For N100b Loan, Hon. Ichita Tells Abia Govt

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ABN TV EDITOR
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Abia: Leave Politics Of Endorsement, Speak Against Poor Leadership Of Your Son, Hon. Ichita Challenges Ukwa-la-Ngwa Leaders
Hon. Obinna Ichita

Member representing Aba South State Constituency in Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Obinna Ichita has called on the public to ignore narratives by agents of the state government that a certain presidential candidate stopped CBN from disbursing funds for the construction of Ariaria International Market, saying there is no truth in such.

Ichita, a deputy governorship candidate of APGA in the state instead challenged Abia government to account for the alleged 100 billion naira loan it has incurred in domestic debt, different from other sources of revenue like statutory allocation, Ecological Fund, 13 % derivation, financial donations from international donor agencies and more.

In a statement on Thursday, the lawmaker said the people are wiser now and cannot fall for propaganda allegedly being manufactured by agents of the state government to justify its “failure”, insisting that nobody is withholding funds due to the state government.

READ ALSO: Ikpeazu Restores Electricity Challenge In Ozuitem Community

He said, “On the recent claims by one of the Governor’s associates that some persons stopped the CBN loan to Abia State apparently as punishment to Gov. Ikpeazu for standing with him, I want to say that Abia State does not need any further loans at the twilight of Ikpeazu’s administration.

“It is risky for Gov. Ikpeazu to go for a fresh loan in less than eight months to the end of his tenure when he has not given any good account of how he deployed the previous loans he obtained.”

He added, “It is common knowledge that no authority or personality can withhold any money due to any state in the Federation. This assertion finds support in the Supreme Court pronouncement in the matter between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the government of Lagos state where the apex court held that every money due to each state shall be made available to that state. QED!

“It is another insult on our collective intelligence for the government of Abia or any of their proxies, agents or associates to assume that Abia people are uninformed and unexposed.

“I challenge the state government of Abia to make public, any personality or any authority that has withheld any money due to Abia state.”

He also challenged the state government to tell the people of the state why NDDC contracts are not executed in Abia State unlike in other NDDC states.

While urging the people to ignore what he called the propaganda by those who do not mean well for the state, he said a new government will emerge where good governance and impactful leadership will be enthroned and experienced by the people irrespective of their nativity or their locality.

We Have Put Policies In Place To Tackle Naira Depreciation, Says CBN

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Munachi
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CBN Raises ITMO Application Fee To N10m, Restricts Banks, Fintechs From Providing Services
CBN

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has stated that it has established policies to address the persistent depreciation of the naira.

The local currency currently exchanges N440/$1 at the official market but N751/1$ at the parallel market.

This was made known on Thursday by Osita Nwanisobi, director of the apex bank’s corporate communications during a virtual media briefing at the end of the bankers’ committee’s meeting.

This is coming a few days after the Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) criticized the foreign exchange policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for adversely impacting the naira stability across all markets.

According to the association, the apex bank’s policy created a huge gap between official and parallel market rates.

Speaking with journalists, Nwanisobi said the policies of the apex bank are aimed at boosting foreign exchange inflows to meet citizens’ demands.

While responding to a question on the possibility of the naira falling to N1,000 per dollar at the parallel market before December, he said, “The CBN has put policies in places such as the RT200 FX programme and Naira 4 dollar scheme. These are the measures. If there is a need to adopt more policies, the central bank will not shy away from that.”

Also speaking at the briefing, Ireti Samuel-Ogbu, managing director of Citibank Nigeria, said $1.28 billion was repatriated at the end of the third quarter of the year (Q3) under the RT200 FX programme. 

Out of this amount, she said $870 million was sold on the investors’ and exporters’ (I &E) FX window.

She added that during the period under review, eligible non-oil exporters received N42 billion as rebates for the period.

Use Technology To Fight Insecurity – Pantami Tells Governors

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Munachi
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FEC Approves Policy For Multipurpose NIN, Debit Cards, Automated NIN-SIM Linkage
Isa Ali Pantami

Minister of communications and digital economy, Isa Pantami has stated that the inclusion of technology into sub-national security systems will help to curb insecurity.

This was made known on Thursday by Pantami at the broadband technical awareness forum for governors organized by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Abuja.

While addressing the governors, the minister said access to broadband, simplified as high-speed internet, is no longer a luxury but a necessity with ties to economic development.

“We have realized that broadband penetration cannot be achieved in Nigeria without accommodating our sub-nationals so we can work together and ensure its success,” Pantami said.

“As we all know that the Federal Government of Nigeria has developed Nigeria’s broadband plan 2020-2025 which has been unveiled by my boss and principal PMB on the 19th of March 2020.

“Since the launching of that policy we have been working day in and day out by inviting and collaborating with all other stakeholders to ensure we achieve broadband penetration in Nigeria and we also derive the benefits of broadband penetration in the country.

“Access to broadband today is no more a luxury but a necessity because there is no way we can ensure security and safety without broadband globally. There is no way we can achieve economic development without connectivity and there is no way we can acquire knowledge effectively and deliver our targets without access to broadband.

“For example, when it comes to security, if you look at all the server systems that are being deployed by security institutions, you can’t manage all the servers effectively without broadband penetration. Computer systems, communication systems, command systems, information systems, and intelligence systems – all need broadband to be effective and efficient.

“If you look at the broadband penetration in Nigeria from 2019 till date, you will discover that year in and year out, the increase in broadband connectivity is directly related to an increase in our prospects.”

The minister noted that the country is on course to achieving its national target of 70% broadband penetration by 2025 while calling on state governors to play their part in enhancing the country’s digital economy.

“Based on the report I have received from the NCC which has been dated 26 September 2022, about 152, 275, 265 people representing 79.8 percent of Nigerians are connected to the internet while 85,232, 000 representing 44.68 percent of Nigerians have access to broadband,” he said.

“By implication, when it comes to broadband penetration, we are on track, we are delivering, and in some cases, we have delivered the tasks given to us by 590 percent.

“When there is broadband penetration in our states, it will go a long way in supporting our security institutions and the entire ecosystem, our schools, and our systems.

“It is because of this that we note that our sub-nationals have a strong role to play. I do hope that our governors and their representatives with us will unleash the benefits of broadband penetration so we can achieve the targets of the Nigeria broadband plan.

“The journey has been encouraging but we must continue to support one another at the federal and state level.”

Allegation Of N480b Fraud False And Baseless – Minister Of Niger Delta Says

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Munachi
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Allegation Of N480b Faud False And Baseless – Minister Of Niger Delta Says

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Umana Okon Umana has dismissed allegations against him, including an imaginary and libelous claim of N480 billion fraud as false and baseless.

In rejecting the false allegations made by professional petition writers to the National Assembly, Umana said no fraud has been committed under his watch in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

He so said that no money has been released or expended on the projects cited in the petition.

The Minister explained that in line with his directive at the last meeting of the National Council, adjustments had been made in the 2022 budget proposals of the NDDC to accommodate core regional infrastructure projects based on a new template for the development of the Niger Delta region.

”It is senseless for the petitioners to allege that the compilation of projects to include in the budget proposals of NDDC for 2022 for transmission to the National Assembly is a crime.

“Everything is at the proposal stage; no contracts have been awarded and no money has been disbursed or expended,” he said. “Anything to the contrary is false and should be dismissed in its entirety,” he said.

Umana also refuted another allegation that he sacked 700 workers in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on the assumption of duty as Minister.

Umana said he has not sacked or approved the sack of 700 workers of the Commission.

The Minister recalled that on the assumption of duty, he was briefed by both the ministry and the NDDC, whose interim administrator at the time complained of a bloated staff strength which made him (the Minister) ask what the interim administrator had done about it.

The Minister said after the inaugural briefing, the interim administrator of the NDDC never came back to him on any action he had taken or planned to take on the issue and whatever he did about “the bloated staff strength” he had complained of had no ministerial approval.

The allegation of non-performance peddled in the same petition is also baseless. The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs reports to the President and does not to hired petition writers. It is the President that assesses the performance of his Ministers.

National Grid Yet To Collapse In 2022 – Minister

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Munachi
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National Grid Yet To Collapse In 2022 – Minister

Goddy Jedy-Agba, the Minister of State for Power revealed the national grid has not collapsed this year.

He claimed that rather than collapsing, there had just been disruptions.

This was said by Mr. Jedy-Agba on Thursday when he testified before the House of Representatives Committee on Power regarding the ongoing investigation into the frequent national grid failures.

According to reports, the system meltdown caused four total blackouts throughout the nation this year.

The Minister explained that disruption could cause a blackout.

“So, please let us understand that we have not had any collapses this year, we have had disruptions and disruptions could lead to blackouts, a blackout is not a collapse.

“These ones we have had this year, in fact, four of them, but they have not collapsed, it is disruption. And disruptions have been as a result of the human factors, they could be increment factors, they could be political factors, it could be other factors,” he said.

Mr. Jedy-Agba blamed the unavailability of gas for some of the disruptions experienced so far this year.

“Gas supply has been a problem but we are tackling that already because we are discussing with NNPC and Nigerian Gas Corporation. We are coming to an agreement and gas is flowing systematically now to the generating companies and we are seeing a steady increment in the generation,” the minister said

Name Second Niger Bridge After Ojukwu, Ohanaeze Tells Buhari

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ABN TV EDITOR
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Second Niger Bridge Completed - Fashola

Ohanaeze Ndigbo has commended the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari for the completion of the second Niger Bridge.

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation said the completion of the project had earned Buhari forgiveness from the Igbo people for not fulfilling his 2015 electoral promises, which included revamping the Enugu coal mine.

In a statement signed by the Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and made available to newsmen on Thursday, Ohanaeze stated that the project “will strengthen the level of people’s confidence in expecting more from the Buhari administration.”

READ ALSO: Second Niger Bridge Completed – Fashola

The statement read in part, “We are conscious of the fact that there are about 3.3 km of uncompleted road from the Asaba axis and 7km of uncompleted road from the Anambra axis of the second Niger Bridge.

“We are hopeful that the contractors will expedite actions for the realisation of 10.3 km of roads from both axes of the roads to ensure that commuters and road users will enjoy the benefits of the Second Niger Bridge during the festival period of Christmas and New Year.

“This is a legacy project that Ndigbo will always refer to as the mother of all infrastructural facilities completed by Buhari’s government and should be renamed after Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Bridge instead of the proposed name, Buhari Bridge.

“Ndigbo are relieved of unbelievable treaties of previous governments on the Second Niger Bridge and also pardon President Buhari over his inability to fulfil other 2015 electoral promises, which included the revamping of the Enugu coal mine.

“The announcement of the completion of the Second Niger Bridge, including a 35km bypass road linking Anambra and Delta states through a concession under a public-private partnership scheme, has restored the confidence of Ndigbo that the project, which started on September 1, 2018, will be fully ready for inauguration by December 2022. Ndigbo is grateful for this feat and urges President Buhari to complete other projects in the southeast before May 2023.”

U-23 AFCON Qualifier: Olympic Eagles Promised $20,000 To Beat Tanzania

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Munachi
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U-23 AFCON Qualifier: Olympic Eagles Promised $20,000 To Beat Tanzania

The Olympic Eagles will earn $20,000 if they defeat Tanzania in the first leg of their U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Saturday in Dar es Salaam.

Aminu Balele Kurfi, Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) task force on youth competitions, made the announcement on the eve of the team’s departure for Dar es Salaam.

On Thursday evening, a Kenyan Airways flight transported the athletes and their representatives to the nation in East Africa.

The game is billed for the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

The reverse fixture will hold at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan, on October 29.

The winner over two legs will proceed to the final round of the qualifiers.

The 2023 AFCON will serve as the qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games to be hosted in Paris, France.

Ronaldo Should Be Shut Out From Man United Squad, Says Darren Bent

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Munachi
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Ronaldo Should Be Shut Out From Man United Squad, Says Darren Bent
Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Tottenham striker, Darren Bent has advised Man United to shut out Cristiano Ronaldo from the squad due to his unprofessional attitude.

Ronaldo has been widely criticized for disrespecting his manager, Erik ten Hag, teammates, and fans by leaving early and also refusing to go on during his team’s 2-0 win over Tottenham.

The Portuguese have since been punished. He won’t be taking any part in the game against Chelsea on Saturday and has been banned from training with the first team.

However, in a chat with talkSPORT Drive, the former England man said he sees no way the former Real Madrid star can come back from this.

“What he did…, I thought, was really disrespectful to his teammates. I thought he let himself down.

“The club is trying to go in the right direction and I think Erik ten Hag is doing a good job.

“It was their performance of the season and it has been overshadowed by Ronaldo being upset because he didn’t come on.

“It was like a spoilt brat. There’s no way back for him.

“We know how good he’s been, he’s a great one of the best to ever do it, but we are talking about the here and now.

“He’s been petulant and disrespected his teammates who have worked hard. They’ve put in the performance of the season and he’s just left”

Ronaldo, who scored 24 goals in all competitions last season, has netted just two this term majorly due to lack of game time.

Pentagon To Bear Cost Of Travel For Service Members Seeking Abortion

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ABN TV EDITOR
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Pentagon To Bear Cost Of Travel For Service Members Seeking Abortion
Lloyd Austin

The Pentagon is picking up the tab for service members who opt to travel to obtain abortions, according to a new policy directive by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Austin announced Thursday that the Department of Defense was setting up transportation allowances for service members and their dependents who opt to travel to receive an abortion.

“Our Service members and their families are often required to travel or move to meet our staffing, operational, and training requirements,” Austin wrote in a memo unveiling the policy. “Such moves should not limit their access to reproductive health care.”

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu’s Lawyer Seeks Recommendation Of US Senate To Joe Biden To Impose Visa Ban On Buhari, AGF

The policy change comes in response to the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, a landmark 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. Earlier this year, the court ruled that there was no federal right to abortion — a move that essentially sent the issue back to state governments for regulation.

After the ruling, 13 states imposed bans on abortion. Several of those jurisdictions are home to large-scale military installations that house and employ thousands of military personnel.

Fort Hood, for instance, is located in Texas, where abortion is now illegal. The army base has an active military population of more than 40,000, not including civilian family members of service members stationed there.

Austin said that with such states having banned abortion, service members and their families were now facing distinct disadvantages that could impact morale and recruitment.

“In my judgment, such effects qualify as unusual, extraordinary, hardship, or emergency circumstances for service members and their dependents and will interfere with our ability to recruit, retain, and maintain the readiness of a highly qualified force,” Austin wrote.

Federal law bans abortions from being performed on military bases. Tricare, the health insurance plan administered by the Pentagon for armed service members and their families, also does not cover the cost of the procedure.

Given that reality, the Defense Department’s new policy allows service members to request travel allowances if they or a dependent need to travel across state lines to obtain an abortion. The policy also allows service members to request an administrative absence from their duties in order to obtain an abortion, instead of having to take personal leave.

Steven Gerrard Sacked As Aston Villa Manager

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Munachi
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Steven Gerrard Sacked As Aston Villa Manager

Steven Gerrard has been sacked as Aston Villa’s manager after a poor run of results in the Premier League.

Gerrard was fired 90 minutes after Aston Villa fell to an embarrassing 3-0 defeat by Fulham at Craven Cottage last night.

Gerrard paid the price for Villa’s wretched start to the season, which sees the club languishing just one place above the Premier League relegation zone.

The 42-year-old has been in the job for less than a year and has been unable to make a success of his first management role in English football. “We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future,” a Villa spokesman said.

It is unclear who will take charge of Villa when they host Brentford on Sunday. They will hope to make a swift appointment and have considered an ambitious move for Mauricio Pochettino.

It remains to be seen if the former Tottenham manager, who is out of work after being sacked by Paris Saint-Germain at the end of last season, would be willing to enter a relegation battle.

Outside football

Gerrard’s cousin, Anthony Gerrard, became a professional center-back. He came through at Everton, where he did not make the first team and spent most of his career in the Football League. The two faced each other in a professional match for the first time in the 2012 Football League Cup Final when Steven’s Liverpool defeated Anthony’s Cardiff City in a penalty shoot-out in which both Gerrards missed.

Gerrard and his wife, Alex Curran, married on 16 June 2007, the same day as the weddings of his England teammates: Gary Neville, and Michael Carrick. The ceremony took place at Cliveden House Hotel in Taplow, Buckinghamshire. They have four children together.

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