Russian President Vladimir Putin is acting in a newly reckless manner with the invasion of Ukraine, former US President Barack Obama said in an interview that aired Tuesday on NBC’s “Today” show.
“Putin has always been ruthless against his own people as well as others. He has always been somebody who’s wrapped up in this twisted, distorted sense of grievance and ethnic nationalism,” Obama said. “That part of Putin, I think, has always been there. What we’ve seen with the invasion of Ukraine is him being reckless in a way that you might not have anticipated eight, 10 years ago, but the danger was always there.”
The former president declined to directly answer a question about what, in hindsight, he would have done differently while in office, including when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
Instead, he said it’s important to “not take our own democracy for granted” and to “stand for and align ourselves with those who believe in freedom and independence.”
Minister For Labour and Employment Dr. Chris Ngige
Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige has said he is tired of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) going on a strike every time there is a disagreement with the Federal Government.
The minister said this in a statement yesterday in Abuja by the Head of Press and Public Relations, Patience Onuobia, after a meeting with members of the government’s team on the 2009 Federal Government/University-based Unions’ Agreement Renegotiation Committee, led by its Chairman, Prof. Nimi Briggs.
The statement reads: “I started pushing to see that things were done. What the Munzali Committee came up with is a proposal. Both Munzali and ASUU did not sign. At our last meeting in February, before ASUU proceeded on strike, we said everyone should go back to his principal.
“I asked the Education Minister several times what they had done with the document. We later got information on areas of disagreement. There is nothing wrong with that. It is bound to happen. I told ASUU to put up a committee; they said the Munzali Committee had expired.
“As a conciliator, I have to make use of the labour instruments at my disposal. The bosses in the Federal Ministry of Education do not feel the strike. There are things that are above me.
“I am not the Minister of Education. I cannot go to the Education Minister and dictate to him how to run his place. But I told ASUU that they should be bombarding the Federal Ministry of Education for this to be moved forward.
“There are many ways to do so. If you go to the Labour Act, there is something called picketing. You can picket. A strike is an ultimate thing. Picketing means that you can stay in the corridor, clapping or singing. Workers are permitted to do so. But I am tired that every time there is a disagreement, it is a strike.
“And the bosses in the Federal Ministry of Education don’t feel the strike. It is the children and some of us, as parents that have our children in public schools…”
The minister said the Federal Government remained committed to the renegotiation of the conditions of service for all workers in public universities across the country.
Ngige said the Nigerian university system produced him and he remained proud of it.
“When we went to universities here, I knew the course content and as a medical doctor, the doctors we trained here are better than the ones trained abroad. That is one of the counsels I gave to my children. You can do your first degree. One got admission in Ghana, I said no. Others got in Canada and the UK, but I refused.
Orji Uzor KaluThe Senate on Tuesday passed for first reading, a bill to reduce extreme poverty, safeguard vulnerable groups, and implement social protection systems and measures in the country, through the establishment of social welfare services.
The proposed legislation is titled, ‘An act to establish the social welfare service to reduce extreme poverty among the vulnerable groups and implement social protection systems and measures in Nigeria and for related matters ( SB.984). Further details of the bill, sponsored by the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Kalu reveals that the proposed social welfare service will be a department domiciled in the Federal Ministry responsible for humanitarian affairs.
The bill which was the third order of Tuesday’s plenary seeks to establish a welfare service department in all branches of the Ministry of humanitarian affairs across the 36 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory.
The bill also seeks to formulate social welfare programs periodically to address chronic poverty in rural and urban areas and engage in schemes that will elevate poor people from poverty. Leader of the Senate, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi introduced the bill to members of the Senate and its short title was read by the Senate clerk and was subsequently passed after it was put to a voice vote by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
The latest Welfare service bill adds to the list of other notable bills sponsored by the Abia-North Parliamentarian undergoing various stages of legislative input at the Senate. Other bills sponsored by Orji Kalu a first time Senator include;
A bill for the establishment of a Federal Polytechnic Abiriba.
The bill titled “Federal Polytechnic Act (Amendment) Bill , 2022 (SB. 980) ;
A bill seeking to establish a Federal College of Education, Arochukwu;
a Bill to improve the tax administration system and revenue generation by the government through the establishment of a Tax Crimes Commission;
a Bill for an Act to Amend the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency ( Establishment ) Act, 2007 to provide for the prevention and control of Atmospheric Air pollution and other Related Matters there to Bill 2021;
a bill for an Act to Establish the National Foodbank , A Bill for an Act to Amend compulsory Free Universal Basic Act 2004 to provide for Increased funding of Basic Education in Nigeria Bill 2021;
a bill for an Act to Amend the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and Other Related Matters bill 2020;
a Bill for an Act to Amend compulsory, Free Universal Basic Act 2004 to provide for Increased funding of Basic Education in Nigeria Bill 2021, among others.
Arsenal youngster, Bukayo Saka has revealed why he was given the name ‘Bukayo’ by his grandmother.
The England international, who was born to Nigerian parents, said his grandmother named him Bukayo because she wanted him to bring joy to the family.
Saka, who graduated from the Arsenal’s Hale EnAcademy, said his father contributed immensely to his success story in football.
“My grandma gave it to me because of its meaning,” he said when he was asked about his Yoruba name ‘Bukayo’.
“It means ‘God has added joy to my life.’ She wanted me to add joy to the family, so she named me that…Every time she called me, that’s probably what I meant to her,” he said.
Saka has been a shining light for Mikel Arteta’s Gunners this season as they battle for a place in the top four in the Premier League, which will guarantee them a return to the Champions League.
The World Trade Organization has sharply cut its outlook for global trade this year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, warning the world “must brace for the fallout.”
“The organization now expects merchandise trade volume growth of 3.0% in 2022 — down from its previous forecast of 4.7% — and 3.4% 2023, but these estimates are less certain than usual due to the fluid nature of the conflict,” WTO said in a press release.
WTO added that, given current GDP assumptions, “merchandise trade volume growth in 2022 could be as low as 0.5% or as high as 5.5%.”
WTO said that the biggest impact of the crisis has been a sharp rise in commodity prices as Russia and Ukraine are both key suppliers of essential goods, including food, energy, and fertilizers — “supplies of which are now threatened by the war.”
“The war in Ukraine has created immense human suffering, but it has also damaged the global economy at a critical juncture. Its impact will be felt around the world, particularly in low-income countries, where food accounts for a large fraction of household spending,” director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said in the press release.
“Smaller supplies and higher prices for food mean that the world’s poor could be forced to do without. This must not be allowed to happen,” she added.
Speaking during a press conference, Okonjo-Iweala warned that there is a potential food crisis looming, and 35 African countries that import food from either Ukraine or Russia or both are seriously impacted — citing Egypt and Tunisia in particular.
“This is why we need to act and act decisively on this issue of food in order to avoid food riots,” the WTO director-general said.
Okonjo-Iweala also expressed her concerns about harvest and planting season in Ukraine for this and next year. “We hope there will be some sort of humanitarian cover so farmers can plant,” she said.
There are increasing reports of rape and sexual violence being used against women and children in Ukraine, the executive director of UN Women said Monday, adding the allegations must be investigated.
“A combination of mass displacement with a large presence of conscripts and mercenaries and the brutality displayed against Ukrainian civilians has raised all [the] red flags,” Sima Bahous told the UN Security Council.
“The risk of human trafficking is increasing as the situation becomes more desperate,” Bahous added. “Young women and unaccompanied teenagers are at a particular risk.”
Her remarks followed a visit to Moldova, which she said had welcomed an estimated 95,000 Ukrainian refugees, while “thousands more” have transited through the country. She noted that those arriving were largely women, children and the elderly.
Bahous called for increased resources for police forces at the border between Moldova and Ukraine “so that they can ensure support to victims of gender-based violence and trafficking.”
“Gender-sensitive and survivor-centered response must be at the heart of all humanitarian action,” Bahous said.
Nokia has officially announced its exit from the Russian market.
Nokia has officially announced its exit from the Russian market.
Nokia has officially announced its exit from the Russian market.
“It has been clear for Nokia since the early days of the invasion of Ukraine that continuing our presence in Russia would not be possible,” the Finnish telecoms company said in a press release Tuesday.
Nokia said its top priority continues to be the safety and wellbeing of its employees.
“For humanitarian reasons, Western governments have expressed concerns about the risk of critical telecommunication network infrastructure in Russia failing,” the press release read.
They have also emphasized the importance of ensuring the continued flow of information and access to the internet which provides outside perspectives to the Russian people.
“Therefore, as we exit we will aim to provide the necessary support to maintain the networks and are applying for the relevant licenses to enable this support in compliance with current sanctions,” Nokia added.
Nokia said that it does not expect this decision to impact its financial outlook and that Russia accounted for less than 2% of its net sales in 2021.
This comes after Swedish telecoms company Ericsson said Monday it was suspending its business in Russia indefinitely.
Nearly two-thirds of Ukrainian children are now displaced due to the ongoing conflict, UNICEF has said.
UNICEF’s emergency programs director Manuel Fontaine told the UN Security Council on Monday that the war was a “nightmare” for children.
“They have been forced to leave everything behind: Their homes, their schools, and often, their family members,” he said.
Fontaine said the UN had verified the deaths of 142 children with 229 injured as of Sunday, but that “the true figures are most certainly much higher given the scale of attacks.”
Meanwhile Liudmyla Denisova, commissioner for human rights of the Ukrainian Parliament, said Tuesday that 186 children had died and 344 had been injured.
“It is not possible to establish the actual number of dead and wounded children due to the fact that the occupying forces are actively fighting in Ukrainian cities,” she added, stating that the figures were according to the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations and “other sources that need confirmation.”
In his Security Council comments, UNICEF’s Fontaine also drew attention to the 3.2 million children estimated to still be in their homes.
“Nearly half may be at risk of not having enough food,” he said. “Attacks on water system infrastructure and power outages have left an estimated 1.4 million people without access to water in Ukraine. Another 4.6 million people have only limited access.
“The situation is even worse in cities like Mariupol and Kherson, where children and their families have now gone weeks without running water and sanitation services, a regular supply of food, and medical care. They are sheltering in their homes and underground, waiting for the bombs and violence to stop.”
He also said unaccompanied children in Ukraine face a “much higher risk of violence, abuse, exploitation, and trafficking,” and pointed to the impacts of school closures on 1.5 million students in higher education and 5.7 million school-age children.
The people of Ebem Ohafia Ancient Kingdom have rolled out warm tributes to Hon. Chief Ibe Okwara Osonwa, Member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in...
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