Category: cover

 

Bauchi State Government has signed a financial agreement for the implementation of the Value Chain Programme in the state.

 

According to a press release issued on Thursday by the Special Assistant on Media, Bauchi Deputy Governor’s Office, Muslim Lawal, the $158 million Value Chain project is designed to be implemented in Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi states.

 

He said while signing the agreement at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Deputy Governor, Auwal Jatau reaffirmed the state’s government commitment to the successful implementation of the programme.

 

He explained that the programme is a transformative initiative aimed at bolstering agricultural productivity and economic resilience across the benefiting states.

 

Jatau noted, “The Value Chain Programme is a strategic partnership that aligns with the vision of Governor Bala Mohammed’s administration of harnessing Bauchi State’s vast agricultural potential to drive industrial growth, create employment opportunities, and enhance the livelihoods of the citizens.

 

“This momentous occasion marks a significant stride in our collective journey towards achieving sustainable development, food security, and economic empowerment for our people.

“Under the leadership of our amiable Governor, the Bauchi State Government has developed a comprehensive agricultural development plan that leverages our land assets to unlock the state’s industrial potential.

 

“In this regard, Bauchi State has achieved certification as a food export processing zone, underscoring our commitment to enhancing agricultural productivity and positioning ourselves as a key player in the regional and global agricultural markets.”

 

Jatau assured that the government of Bauchi State is fully committed to providing a conducive environment for the implementation of the new Value Chain Programme, and will continue to prioritise policies and initiatives that support agricultural development, ease of doing business, and private sector investment.

 

He emphasised “Our administration has demonstrated strong commitment and willingness by participating in the World Bank’s first performance-for-result programme known as the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms , and we will build upon this foundation to ensure the effective implementation of this programme.”

 

Jatau conclude by appreciating all the partners, stakeholders, and development agencies for their unwavering support and collaboration with Bauchi state, paving the way for a prosperous and sustainable future.

 

The project is co-funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the French Development Agency, and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

 

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has issued a formal letter of sanction to Kenya Airways following multiple violations of consumer protection regulations involving three passengers, including Gloria Omisore.

 

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, made this announcement on his official X account on Wednesday night.

 

“According to the NCAA, the sanctions stem from the airline’s failure to uphold several key obligations, including the NCAA has sent a letter of sanction to the operator, Kenya Airways, over the cases of Gloria Omisore and two other passengers.

 

“The penalties are for consumer protection-related infractions including right to care, failure to provide full disclosure of terms of carriage, failure to respond to the Authority’s request, failure to process refund and compensation, and lost baggage.”

 

The letter sent outlines both financial penalties and specific remedial actions.

 

“In addition to the fine in line with the NCAA Regulations 2023, the airline has seven days to pay the refunds and compensation of 1000 special drawing rights to the affected passengers,” the NCAA made it clear that non-compliance will lead to more severe consequences.

 

“Failure to comply with the letter will attract stiffer penalties for the airline,” the authority warned.

Recall that in February 2025, the NCAA initiated enforcement actions against Kenya Airways following a widely publicized incident involving Nigerian passenger Gloria Omisore.

 

The controversy began when Omisore was flown from Lagos to Nairobi without the necessary France transit visa for her onward journey to Manchester.

 

This oversight led to her being stranded in Nairobi for a 17-hour layover, followed by an additional 10-hour wait.

 

During this period, Omisore, who was experiencing a medical condition, requested care but was reportedly met with inadequate assistance from the airline staff.

 

The NCAA noted that the airline issued a misleading statement about the incident, which the regulatory body rejected.

 

Achimugu said that the determination was for the airline to update its initial statement to reflect the facts of the case and noted that there has been no compliance.

 

The United States of America’s National Transportation Safety Board has linked the unfortunate helicopter crash that killed the former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, alongside his family, to ‘pilot’s spatial disorientation.’

 

The NTSB report further indicted the helicopter company, accusing it of “inadequate oversight of its safety management processes.”

 

This was contained in the NTSB final report unraveling the reasons for the helicopter crash in February 2024.

 

A preliminary report earlier showed that the helicopter, registered as N130CZ, crashed while operating under visual flight rules in what ultimately became instrument meteorological conditions, requiring different flight protocols and instrumentation.

According to the report, investigators determined the “probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and loss of control.”

 

The crash, which occurred near the California-Nevada border on February 9, 2024, claimed the lives of all six people on board, including Wigwe, his wife Doreen, their son Chizi, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc.

 

The US accident investigators further reveal that the helicopter company failed to ensure pilots properly completed flight risk analyses, recorded maintenance issues, and followed required regulations before departure.

“The pilot likely experienced spatial disorientation while maneuvering the helicopter in IMC [instrument meteorological conditions], which led to his loss of helicopter control and the resulting collision with terrain,” the report stated.

 

Significantly, the investigation showed that the helicopter’s radar altimeter was non-functional prior to the fatal flight.

 

The report detailed that during an earlier flight, the pilot had texted the maintenance director about an issue with this critical instrument.

 

“A company mechanic performed some troubleshooting on the radar altimeter; however, he was unable to rectify the issue, and the radar altimeter remained non-functional.

 

“The mechanic reported that the pilot and the DOM [director of maintenance] were aware that the radar altimeter was not functioning, yet they departed at 1822 on the positioning flight to pick up the passengers,” the report noted.

 

The investigation further found that after arriving to collect the charter passengers, the pilot and flight follower exchanged messages but “did not discuss the status of the radar altimeter or weather conditions.”

 

President Bola Tinubu has arrived at the Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri, Anambra State, for an official visit to the state.

 

On the President’s entourage was the special adviser on security, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, among others.

 

The Nigerian leader arrived on board the Nigerian Air Force Airbus at about 12:17 pm, wearing the Akwete Igbo fabric with a red cap to match, and headed straight to the podium where the national anthem was sung.

 

Present to receive the president at the airport were the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo; his Deputy, Onyekachukwu Ibezim; members of the House of Assembly; top dignitaries from the state, among others.

 

Tinubu, after receiving some gun salutes from personnel of the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, entered into an official car waiting for him with Soludo, where he is being taken to where he is expected to commence the business of his visit.

The president is expected to commission some “legacy” projects completed by the Soludo administration.

 

Among the projects to be commissioned by the president are the New State Government House, Solution Fun City, the New Governor’s Lodge, built for the first time in 34 years, and the revamped House of Assembly, among others.

 

According to a statement by the special adviser to the state governor on political matters, Dr Alex Obiogbolu, on Thursday, Tinubu, during the official working visit, is expected to host a high-level town hall meeting between the president and key stakeholders in the state at the newly refurbished Dr Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka.

 

Obiogbolu had reportedly warned party members not to wear party uniforms at the venue.

 

At the moment, everywhere is wearing a new look in Awka, the state capital, in anticipation of the arrival of the president.

 

 

With a population of 23.6 million sheep and 5.3 million people, there are about 4.5 sheep for each New Zealander, the statistic showed.

 

According to the statistics, that’s down from 22 sheep per person in 1982, when farming sheep for meat and wool was New Zealand’s biggest earner.

 

Now, years of falling wool prices prompted by a global shift to synthetic fibers have led farmers to change what they do with their land, the sector’s biggest lobby group said.

 

The lobby group added that, however, humans were gradually trying to catch up with the sheep.

The vast number of sheep in New Zealand relative to the country’s scant human population has long been the subject of jokes aimed at New Zealanders abroad.

 

The country is one of a handful in the world that’s still home to more sheep than people, but humans are catching up, according to new figures released Tuesday.

 

More than 120 endangered vultures died after eating an elephant carcass poisoned by suspected poachers in South Africa in one of the single largest such spikes in the region, wildlife officials said Thursday.

 

Another 84 vultures were evacuated by road and helicopter for treatment and monitoring after the poisoning in the Kruger National Park early this week, the park and Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) said in a statement.

 

“The scale of the tragedy is staggering: 123 vultures were found dead at the scene,” the statement said.

 

The dead birds of prey included white-backed vultures, Cape vultures and a lappet-faced vulture, which are all listed as endangered or critically endangered species.

 

Poachers had laced the elephant carcass with highly toxic agrochemical pesticides in a method increasingly being used to target species such as vultures and lions, whose body parts are in demand for traditional medicine, the statement said.

 

It was the biggest single such poisoning since 2019, when more than 500 endangered vultures died in Botswana after eating elephants whose carcasses were poisoned by poachers, EWT birds of prey programme manager Gareth Tate told AFP.

Poachers who use poison either lace a dead animal with a toxin or snare one to use as bait, he said.

 

“We have seen a massive spike in poaching for lion parts, for which sometimes vultures are the unintended victims,” Tate said.

 

In some cases, birds of prey are “maliciously targeted” by poachers because they are natural sentinels and can give away the location of the poaching of other animals, he said.

 

The member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State in the House of Representatives, Amobi Ogah, has dismissed his purported suspension from the Labour Party, insisting his loyalty to Governor Alex Otti remains unwavering.

 

The Julius Abure-led Labour Party faction recently suspended Otti and all LP lawmakers in the House of Representatives.

 

Ogah told NAN on Thursday in Abuja that the indefinite suspension from Abure’s faction had no weight and as such would not affect his loyalty to his state governor, Otti.

 

He reiterated his determination to remain focused on his legislative duties and unshaken in his political conviction.

 

“The suspension is a joke taken too far and a distraction sponsored by elements threatened by the new face of leadership in Abia State.

 

“I want to make it clear; the so-called suspension means absolutely nothing to me.

“I have the mandate of the people, and my commitment to Gov. Otti and his transformational agenda in Abia remains unshakable,” Ogah said.

 

He reaffirmed his confidence in the governor’s leadership, adding that Otti has brought hope, accountability and progress to Abia.

 

Otti said, “Gov. Alex Otti is the best thing that has happened to our state in decades. I am with him full time.

 

“Nobody can bully us out of this progressive movement. No amount of intimidation can stop the will of the people.”

 

The lawmaker called on his constituents to remain calm and focused, assuring them of his commitment to his mission of delivering effective representation to the people of Isuikwuato and Umunneochi.

 

NAN

 

Black smoke billowed from a chimney over the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel for a second day Thursday as cardinals meeting in conclave once again failed to choose a new pope.

 

Thousands of the faithful and curious were awaiting the smoke in St Peter’s Square on the morning of the second day of secret voting by the 133 cardinal electors.

More details later…

 

The Director of Public Communications, Lagos Catholic Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Anthony Godono, on Thursday confirmed that the 133 Cardinal-electors for the new Pope would return to the Sistine Chapel to elect a new Pope after their first ballot on Wednesday failed to produce a new Pope.

 

Godono, spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria described the process as flawless as the cardinals decisions were being directed by the Holy Spirit.

 

The Lagos archdiocesan communications director, spoke on the process, said that after the first ballot, no Pope elected that the trend has been for centuries.

 

“Today, May 8, the Cardinal-electors will return this morning to continue with voting until a Pope is elected. The Cardinals are expected to have two rounds of votes this morning and two more in the evening if we do not have a Pope elected in this morning’s session.

 

“Black smoke emanated from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel yesterday evening, indicating no new pope was elected during the first round of voting.

 

“One hundred and thirty-three red-robed cardinals from around the world have filed into the Sistine Chapel to the strains of a choir backed by organ music, and the doors were sealed behind them.

“The papal conclave — a centuries-old tradition to elect a new head of the Catholic Church,” he said.

 

He said that the announcement of a new pope will be made with white smoke billowing from the Apostolic Palace. Soon after, the new pope will emerge onto the balcony to greet his flock.

 

The cardinal electors faced a stark choice to select a pope who would follow in the footsteps of late Pope Francis, an Argentine reformer who advocated for migrants and the environment, or one who would guide the Catholic Church down a more traditional path.

 

NAN reports that the meticulous selection process has kept the world in suspense for weeks after the demise of Pope Francis

 

Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has dismissed recent criticism accusing him of de-marketing Nigeria, saying truth-telling about the country’s challenges is essential to national growth.

 

Obi, in a post on X on Thursday, said his remarks about Nigeria’s economic and political realities are meant to strengthen, not tarnish, the country’s image.

 

Although he did not mention names, Obi’s comments come a week after Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu accused him of speaking negatively about Nigeria abroad.

 

“I tried reminding those who argue that I de-marketed Nigeria by telling the truth about its economic and social status vis-à-vis the rest of the World that truth does not in any way demarket a nation,” he said.

 

He added, “Rather, it refines and strengthens it. But the moment we begin to weaponise the truth for political convenience, we dishonour the legacy of those who came before us. We betray the very essence of their sacrifices, their struggles, their hopes, and their dreams.”

 

Obi spoke after attending the memorial lecture in honour of elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, alongside former President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-Head of State Yakubu Gowon.

 

In his address, the former Anambra State governor questioned the silence of once-vocal critics who had protested fuel and food price hikes under Jonathan, saying the situation has worsened today.

 

He stated, “I asked some very vital rhetorical and reflective questions, like what has suddenly happened to the protesting voices in this country, where are those who, in 2012/13, protested vigorously when increases in fuel, exchange rate, food and transport prices were moderate and manageable under President Jonathan.

“Where are those who called President Jonathan all sorts of names, “Clueless, corrupt, ineffective and lifeless government”? Where are they now that the Prices of everything have increased tenfold?”

 

Obi also decried Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, poverty and institutional decay.

 

“We are also losing innocent lives daily through insecurity, poverty, poor healthcare, and avoidable hardship. This is not the Nigeria our founding heroes envisioned.

 

“We must not reduce their sacrifices to mere ceremonial tributes. The best way to honour Chief Edwin Clark and others like him is to restore integrity in governance, rebuild trust in our public institutions, and ensure that truth and justice are the foundations of our national journey.

 

“Nigeria must work for all Nigerians, not just for a privileged few,” he said.

 

Sanwo-Olu had, in a statement on Monday, April 28, accused Obi of making “disparaging” comments about Nigeria during his recent appearance at Johns Hopkins University in the United States.

The Lagos governor said prominent Nigerians travelling abroad should promote the country’s image rather than de-market it, especially in front of a global audience.