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March 13, 2024 Federal Government Puts Launch of Students Loan Scheme on Hold
IFMUYONEWS

Federal Government Puts Launch of Students Loan Scheme on Hold

The Federal Government has postponed the launch of the Nigerian Students Loan Scheme indefinitely.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyer, made this known during a television interview monitored by Inspiration FM.

President Bola Tinubu, shortly after inauguration had signed a bill to start a Students Loan Fund that would give interest-free loans to Nigerians for higher education.

A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, proposed the bill and it was supposed to start between September and October 2023.

Meanwhile, Tinubu said the programme would begin in January 2024, after missing the October deadline.

In January, Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, said at a meeting that preparations for the program were finished. This included making the Student Loan Scheme website and planning how to start the programme.

Also, Tinubu told leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students that the programme would start once they added more features, like vocational studies.

However, barely 48 hours before the launch, Sawyer said the loan scheme was postponed due to some corrections that were being made around the launch.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to commit to a specific date. We are sort of waiting to ensure that all the stakeholders are aligned to make sure that nobody is blindsided, then we can actually roll this out in a meaningful, comprehensive, wholesome and sustainable way,” he said.

March 6, 2024 Food Voucher Redemption Centers to be Established in Akwa Ibom
IFMUYONEWS

Food Voucher Redemption Centers to be Established in Akwa Ibom

In a bid to alleviate the hardship faced by Citizens due to rising food prices, the Akwa Ibom State Government  has announced plans to introduce redemption centres where registered vendors will offer basic food items at discounted rates to impoverished individuals holding government-issued food vouchers.

Governor Umo Eno disclosed this initiative during a speech delivered at the All Nations Christian Ministry at its March first Sunday service in Uyo, the state Capital.

Expressing concern over middlemen exploiting the current situation by hoarding staple foods and reselling them at exorbitant prices, the Governor emphasized the need to ensure that food aid reaches those in genuine need.

“We want this food to get to the real people,” Governor Eno stated. “If not properly managed, people would buy it, hoard, and resell at a higher price again to the masses.”

He acknowledged the challenge of ensuring the success of government programs, attributing their failure at times to such exploitation.

Pst. Umo Eno said the proposed system will utilize a social register to identify eligible beneficiaries, and food vouchers will be distributed accordingly.

“Redemption centers will be established across the state, including in local markets, where individuals can exchange their vouchers for essential food items.

To prevent fraud and counterfeiting, Governor Eno mentioned the implementation of security printing for the vouchers and warned against any attempts to forge them. Additionally, measures will be taken to identify and apprehend individuals attempting to sabotage the process.

He also assured support for farmers, stating that the ministry of agriculture would provide necessary inputs for cultivation and would be prepared to purchase surplus harvest from willing farmers.

“The initiative signifies the government’s commitment to addressing the challenges of food insecurity and exploitation, while also supporting agricultural development within the state “he said

March 6, 2024 Edo 2024: House of Assembly Serves Philip Shaibu Impeachment Notice
IFMUYONEWS

Edo 2024: House of Assembly Serves Philip Shaibu Impeachment Notice

The deputy governor of Edo state, Philip Shaibu has been served the petition for his impeachment. A copy of the petition was read on Wednesday at a plenary session of the house.

The Majority Leader, Charity Aiguobarueghian, who read the impeachment petition during plenary, said the petition was signed by 21 out of 24 members against the deputy governor.

Aiguobarueghian, who said the petition was dated March 5, 2024, noted that the number of members who signed the petition were more than the two-third requirement stipulated in Section 188 (2a) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

He said the petition was addressed to the Speaker of the House, Blessing Agbebaku.

The Speaker, who acknowledged the receipt of the petition, said the petition was based on two grounds which were not made public.

The House, however, gave the deputy governor seven days to respond to the petition.

The Speaker directed the clerk of the house, Yahaya Omogbai, to serve the impeachment notice on Shaibu.

Shaibu’s impeachment notice might not be unconnected to his face-off with the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki that had led to him losing out during the just concluded Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial election primaries in the state.

Recall that Shaibu had alleged a plot to impeach him from office, claiming his governorship ambition was responsible for the plot.

The Deputy governor was elected as PDP candidate in a parallel primary election conducted at his residence in Benin City, the state capital, while

Asue Ighodalo was also announced winner of another PDP primary exercise which took place at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin.

March 6, 2024 Tell Nigerians The True State of Petroleum Subsidy – Obanikoro Tasks Federal Government
IFMUYONEWS

Tell Nigerians The True State of Petroleum Subsidy – Obanikoro Tasks Federal Government

Former Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, has asked the Federal Government to tell Nigerians the true state of subsidy removal as he fears the government may be filling the widening gap between the US$ dollar and the naira in the final price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol.

 

Obanikoro, a former lawmaker who represented Lagos Central Senatorial District from 2003 to 2007, Television on Wednesday morning.

 

According to the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, the Federal Government should be transparent and communicate whether subsidy has returned or not.

 

President Bola Tinubu had in his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023 declared an end to the petrol subsidy era, with the essential commodity jumping from around N184 to over N600, depending on the part of the country.

 

The new administration also collapsed the foreign exchange rate with the naira plunging to an all-time low from about $1/N700 last May to over $1/1500 at the moment.

 

Many stakeholders in the downstream sector, especially those involved in the marketing and distribution of petroleum products had lamented that the wobbling value of the naira against the dollar grossly affects the pump price of the product. Some of them had embarked on strikes and threatened to hike the price of the commodity.

 

Recently, the World Bank and the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited, Robert Dickerman, claimed that the Federal Government is still paying subsidy for the product.

 

This week, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, challenged the Federal Government to “without any further delay, confirm or deny the serious allegation and end the opacity surrounding the importation of fuel from foreign countries”.

 

Asked whether subsidy had returned on petrol or not, Obanikoro said, “You talk about subsidy, Mr Falana knows the price of crude in dollars and if our money, the naira has lost so much value, and crude is dollarised, evidently, there must be a cushion somewhere and to what extent is that cushion being done, I can’t speak to that; it’s somebody who is representing the government that can address that.

 

“But my common sense tells me that there is a gap and because of the pain in the country, the government cannot allow that lacuna to be left unfilled, hence government may chip in some amount of money to fill in that gap.

 

“I do believe that that needs to be communicated, no doubt about that. That is why it is important to take the people along step by step “

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