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Nigeria: Court Rules El-Rufai’s Plan to Licence PFN Pastors in Kaduna Illegal
Human Rights, Judiciary, News, Nigeria, Religion

Nigeria: Court Rules El-Rufai’s Plan to Licence PFN Pastors in Kaduna Illegal

A Kaduna State High Court has ruled that the plan by the Kaduna State government to issue licences to the pastors of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) using the Religious Regulatory Bill is a gross violation of their fundamental human rights, which guarantees freedom of association and freedom of religion. Thus, inconsistent with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). Therefore it is hereby declared illegal. The judge, Hon Justice D. Gwadah further added that the actions of the Kaduna State House of Assembly in proceeding to pass the bill into law despite the pending court proceedings and the subsisting court injunction restraining the action, "is an affront to this honourable court". This was declared today, June 19, 2019 in a ruling on the case...
Nigeria: Sanwo-Olu Denies Promising to Fix Apapa Grid-Lock in 60 days
Environment, News, Nigeria

Nigeria: Sanwo-Olu Denies Promising to Fix Apapa Grid-Lock in 60 days

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has made a U-turn, insisting that he never promised to solve the Apapa gridlock crisis in 60 days. The governor said this while fielding questions from State House correspondents in Abuja on Tuesday. Sanwo-Olu, who was still governor-elect on May 18, 2019 had during an interactive session with his classmates at the Executive Master of Business Administration class, University of Lagos, 1998/2000 set, said that he would end the protracted gridlock in Apapa area of the state within the first 60 days of his administration. He said not minding the politics involved, he would rid the area of all the trailers whose operations have been responsible for the intractable gridlock. Sanwo-Olu had said, “The Apapa trailer issue; it’s a campaign issu...
Nigeria: Lagos Pipeline Explosion Attributed to Acts of Vandalism
Crime, Environment, News, Nigeria, Security

Nigeria: Lagos Pipeline Explosion Attributed to Acts of Vandalism

.....nolmacy now restored to the community A fresh pipeline explosion which occurred on Monday at Gloryland Community in Isheri – Olofin, Egbe – Idimu LCDA of Lagos state has been linked to the activities of vandals This is coming two days after a similar incident which occurred on Friday was put out. Speaking on behalf of Gloryland Community, the General Secretary of Gloryland CDA, Mr. Olarenwaju Jimoh called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and Lagos State Government to save their lives and property from vandals operating in the area. Noting that the Community had been experiencing the incident for over two years, the community leader appealed to the authorities of NNPC and State Government to provide a twenty- four hour security surveillance on the pipelin...
Nigeria: Foundation Urges Humanitarian Agencies on Africa Child Right’s Promotion
Africa, Human Rights, News, Nigeria, Press Statement

Nigeria: Foundation Urges Humanitarian Agencies on Africa Child Right’s Promotion

STAND Foundation has urged humanitarian agencies in the Africa continent to keep working to promote, protect and enforce the rights of children, creating a conducive environment for their future. In a statement released by the Executive Director of the foundation, Ms Olusayo Adeleyein in commemoration of the African Child, with the theme “Humanitarian Action in Africa; Children's Rights First" According to her, Whenever humanitarian crises occur, they leave tears, turmoil and destruction in their wake. When communities are affected in this manner, it is the children, who are most vulnerable that are most affected. From Uganda to Sudan to North East Nigeria, the story of hopelessness and despondency is the same. "Humanitarian crises often result in the violation of the rights of th...
Opinion: Celebrating Democracy Day with Election Rigmarole by Femi Aribisala.
News, Nigeria

Opinion: Celebrating Democracy Day with Election Rigmarole by Femi Aribisala.

What we have in Nigeria is government of the government by the government and for the government. The Nigeria of today is stranger than fiction.  The government has just legally declared June 12 “Democracy Day” and proclaimed that, henceforth, it will be a public holiday when we will celebrate Nigeria’s hard-won democracy.  Except that this celebration of democracy is at the instance of an undemocratic government that has done a lot in the past few months to destroy democracy in Nigeria. June 12 is in remembrance of that day in 1993, when one of Nigeria’s freest elections was maliciously annulled because the powers-that-be did not like the result.  President Buhari is now trying to make political capital out of the matter by proclaiming government remorse over that act of brazen ille...
Nigeria: Sanwo-Olu Promises to Revamp Lagos State’s Security Architecture
Environment, News, Nigeria, Security

Nigeria: Sanwo-Olu Promises to Revamp Lagos State’s Security Architecture

Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday promised to address the emerging security challenges facing the state through an overhaul of the state's security architecture. He disclosed this while addressing journalists after an emergency security meeting with chiefs of security agencies in his office at Alausa, Ikeja. According to him,  the aim is to address the emerging security challenges facing the state, noting that a re-organisation of the state’s security template was necessary in order to make the state safe for business and living. Sanwo-Olu stated that security agencies had been placed on alert in preparation for the development. He added that the reform would lead to a new operational template for security operatives and help in achieving efficiency in combating ...
Nigeria:  Lagos Commences  Second Phase of Polio Vaccination Campaign
News, Nigeria

Nigeria: Lagos Commences Second Phase of Polio Vaccination Campaign

The Lagos State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commenced the second phase of the 2019 Polio Vaccination Campaign which was preceded by a sensitisation training for health reporters and journalists, ahead of the statewide polio vaccine administration. Speaking at the training exercise on Monday, the Permanent Secretary Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Tayo Lawal, disclosed the level of progress that had been made to eradicate polio and drastically reduce the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases. According to him,  the objectives of the campaign are aimed at halting the spread of the polio virus in Lagos State, increasing the coverage of immunised children against vaccine-preventable diseases, reducing the number of unimmunised chil...
Boko Haram: 30 Killed in Konduga Following Multiple Suicide Bombings
Boko Haram, Crime, News, Nigeria, Security, Terrorism

Boko Haram: 30 Killed in Konduga Following Multiple Suicide Bombings

Thirty people were killed late Sunday in multiple suicide bombing in northeast Nigeria, emergency services reported, in an attack bearing the hallmarks of the Boko Haram jihadist group. Three bombers detonated their explosives outside a hall in Konduga, 38 kilometres (24 miles) from the Borno state capital Maiduguri, where football fans were watching a match on TV. “The death toll from the attack has so far increased to 30. We have over 40 people injured,” Usman Kachalla, head of operations at the State Emergency Management Agency, said on Monday. An earlier toll from the blasts, the bloodiest in months, gave 17 dead and 17 wounded. The attack happened around 9:00 pm (1800 GMT), Ali Hassan, the leader of a self-defence group in the town, said. The owner of the hall prevented...
Nigeria: LASG Closes Mile 2 Road to Tincan Island Ports for Repairs
Environment, News, Nigeria

Nigeria: LASG Closes Mile 2 Road to Tincan Island Ports for Repairs

The Lagos State Government on Monday announced the closure of the road from Mile 2 to Tincan Island Ports with immediate effect. The closure which is to allow for palliative repair works on the corridor will last for 48 hours. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation Dr. Taiwo Olufemi Salaam disclosed that the closure would allow  Hitech Construction Company speed up the repair works on the road which motorists have for some time been experiencing  incessant and avoidable accidents. He advised  all trucks to avoid the road to allow the repair works which is being done in the interest of motorists to go on smoothly. Olufemi, noted that these repairs and so many others planned for repairs were in keeping with the plans of the administration of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to make L...