Nigeria seeks N40 billion in private sector funds to battle tuberculosis
Nigeria is looking to raise N40 billion (USD 25 million) from the business sector to help bridge the financial gap and abolish tuberculosis in the country by 2030. Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, stated this in Lagos over the weekend, saying the federal government would equal the private sector’s financial contribution to the aim.
“What we’ve offered to the private sector and captains of industry, to Nigeria’s millionaires and billionaires, is that if they contribute $25 million (N40 billion), we will work to match them with what the federal government and development partners will put in, in terms of domestic resources, as well as mobilising other philanthropic sources to invest. The federal government has reached an agreement with the private sector to abolish tuberculosis by 2030. Together, we can ensure that our resources are used efficiently, effectively, and transparently, with a plan for tracking our progress over time.
My government would not tolerate corruption or the plundering of public monies, says Kano Governor Yusuf
Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf warned on Saturday that his government will not tolerate corruption or the plundering of public funds.
This was because he would not hesitate to fire any government official found wanting or involved in public-sector plunder and corruption. The Governor mentioned this during the payment of the second round of N260 million (N50,000 each to 5,200 women from the state’s 44 local government areas) for empowerment.
“Our government will not tolerate corruption or the plundering of public funds. We are working to retrieve all public property and monies. “Whoever is found wanting will be removed from the government,” he stated.
NBA tells IG seven days to halt issuing CMRIS certificates
The Nigeria Bar Association Section on Public Interest has given a seven-day ultimatum to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to suspend the directive forcing car owners to register and receive a Central Motor Information System Certificate for a price of at least N6,000.
NBA-SPIDEL questioned the legal foundation for the Nigeria Police Force’s issuance of CMRIS Certificates, claiming that no law gave the police the right to provide such licences or certificates to car owners after registration at the authorised offices.
It sought an immediate halt to the issuance and enforcement of CMRIS Certificates, requesting the Inspector General of Police to issue a directive to end the practice worldwide. The association also urged for the closure of the registration website and physical registration centres, with refunds issued to individuals who had already paid.
The call was made in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, which was signed by NBA-SPIDEL Chairman John Aikpokpo-Martins and Secretary Funmi Adeogun. It said: “Any such certificate being issued by the Nigeria Police Force without legal backing is outright illegal, null, and void, and therefore of no consequence.”
It stressed that the police’s responsibility to protect civilians and uphold the law does not include collecting money or granting certificates to car owners.
Representatives strive to put an end to unethical actions by foreign corporations
The House of Representatives has reaffirmed the need to address what it calls unethical commercial practices by foreign corporations operating in Nigeria.
Last week, Babajimi Benson, a member of the House representing the Ikorodu Federal Constituency in Lagos State, called on the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to immediately stop the unfair business practices of some foreign businesses operating in Nigeria. The lawmaker argued that a local airline operator, Air Peace, and the Dangote Oil Refinery and Petrochemical Company had been subjected to unethical behaviour by their foreign counterparts, warning that if the trend continued, the Nigerian economy’s survival would be jeopardised.
Before Air Peace Airlines began flying from Lagos to London for less than N1 million, foreign airlines including British Airways and Ethiopian Airlines sold one-way tickets for up to N4 million. As soon as Air Peace Airlines began selling tickets at a lower price, other airlines dropped their prices much below Air Peace Airlines’,” Mr Benson bemoaned on the Green Chamber floor last week.
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH in Abuja, Benson, an All Progressives Congress chieftain, explained why President Bola Tinubu’s government must rise to the occasion and defend Nigerian firms from harmful competition.
He stated, “Unethical activities can result in a huge loss of government money, reducing public spending on essential areas such as infrastructure, healthcare, and education. Unethical practices include profiting from unfair competition.
Tinubu approves new heads for the Code of Conduct Tribunal, National Pension Commission, and NSITF
President Bola Tinubu has appointed new leaders to many critical organisations, including the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), the National Pension Commission (PenCom), and the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA). Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokeswoman, said on Saturday that Dr Mainasara Kogo has been named Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The President expects Dr. Kogo, who is well-known for his knowledge of law, security, economics, politics, and foreign diplomacy, to bring professionalism, integrity, and national loyalty to his job on the tribunal.
Similarly, Mr Cornelius Oluwasegun Adebayo has been named the new Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority. Mr Adebayo, an engineer and specialist in community and social development, is entrusted with utilising his abilities and experience to boost Nigeria’s agriculture industry, according to the presidential announcement. Furthermore, President Tinubu has authorised the appointment of Mr. Jobson Ewalefoh as the next Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, which must be confirmed by the Nigerian Senate.
Mr. Ewalefoh, who has vast experience in government, development organisations, and public-private partnerships, is expected to lead the ICRC’s efforts to increase national infrastructure investment with unflinching dedication and honesty. Ms Omolola Oloworaran has also been selected as the next Director-General of the National Pension Commission. Ms Oloworaran, a seasoned finance and banking specialist, is expected to enhance efficiency and remarkable performance in Nigeria’s pension system, pending confirmation by the Senate.
President Tinubu has appointed Mr. Oluwaseun Faleye as the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund’s new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, and Mrs. Mojisolaoluwa Kehinde Alli-Macaulay as Executive Director (Operations). Mr Faleye, a legal and corporate finance expert, and Mrs Alli-Macaulay, a former lawmaker and chairperson of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Women Affairs, Poverty Alleviation, and Job Creation, are tasked with repositioning the NSITF to improve social protection and service delivery to Nigerians.
These nominations demonstrate President Tinubu’s dedication to providing qualified leadership and effective governance in crucial sectors of Nigeria’s economy and public administration.
