Nigeria Times

The Nigerian Senate is scheduled to start the screening process for seven new ministerial nominees presented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu next Tuesday. The nominees and their designated portfolios include:

• Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction)
• Muhammadu Dingyadi (Labour & Employment)
• Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu (State, Foreign Affairs)
• Dr. Jumoke Oduwole (Industry, Trade and Investment)
• Idi Mukhtar Maiha (Livestock Development)
• Yusuf Ata (State, Housing and Urban Development)
• Dr. Suwaiba Ahmad (State, Education)

For the first time, the nominees’ portfolios are listed in advance of the Senate’s confirmation process. Senate President Godswill Akpabio read Tinubu’s letter to the chamber on Thursday, urging prompt consideration. The Senate may conclude the screening process by Wednesday, depending on document review and proceedings.

A Dutch court has ruled that billionaire and vaccine advocate Bill Gates must stand trial in the Netherlands regarding allegations of misleading the public about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic. The case was brought by seven plaintiffs who claim to have experienced injuries from the vaccines.

The lawsuit names Gates alongside former Dutch Prime Minister and current NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, members of the Dutch government’s COVID-19 Outbreak Management Team, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, and the Dutch state. According to De Telegraaf, the plaintiffs filed the lawsuit last year, accusing Gates of making false claims regarding the experimental vaccines.

The plaintiffs argue that Gates, through his Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and involvement with the World Economic Forum (WEF), promoted vaccines as part of a broader agenda known as “The Great Reset Project.” They allege that this agenda aimed to exploit the global crisis to implement significant societal changes under the guise of pandemic response, including advocating for vaccines they claim were unsafe.

The lawsuit also contends that Gates made misleading statements about the vaccines’ efficacy in preventing transmission and illness, as well as the necessity of masks. Although one of the original plaintiffs has since died, the remaining six continue to pursue the case, with their identities kept anonymous in court documents.

Despite Gates’ attempts to dismiss the case on jurisdictional grounds as a U.S. citizen, the court denied his appeal, ordering him to pay the plaintiffs’ legal fees of €1,406.00 ($1,518.44) within 14 days or face further penalties. A hearing is set for November 27, 2024.

In a statement from 2020, Gates acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the effectiveness of various COVID-19 vaccines in development and urged nations to invest in manufacturing facilities, even if some vaccines might never be used. However, the plaintiffs assert that Gates’ advocacy led to misleading information that caused them harm.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment of the hearing involving former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and two co-defendants until November 14, 2024. This request was made during a session at the FCT High Court, where complications arose concerning the arraignment process.

Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, representing the EFCC, stated that the adjournment is necessary to ensure Yahaya Bello’s presence, as he had been previously summoned via public notice. Oyedepo clarified issues surrounding the summons and the posting of charges after Justice Maryann E. Anenih noted that only the summons had been ordered for public notification.

Tensions flared during the proceedings, with JB Daudu, SAN, representing one of the co-defendants, opposing the EFCC’s request for adjournment. Daudu criticized the EFCC’s tactics, suggesting they were using one defendant as a “human shield,” and expressed readiness for the arraignment, emphasizing that delays were unjust for his client.

A.M. Aliyu, SAN, representing the third defendant, supported Daudu’s position and sought to file a bail application. However, Oyedepo countered that, due to the nature of the charges involving conspiracy, a joint arraignment was necessary, making individual bail requests premature.

After heated exchanges, Justice Anenih ruled against considering bail at this time, instructing that formal applications be submitted in writing. The judge then scheduled November 14 and 20 for responses to the summons and the potential arraignment of the defendants.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu is pushing for the conversion of many filling stations across Nigeria to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) outlets. Speaking after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, Ekpo highlighted Tinubu’s commitment to expanding the CNG programme to every corner of the country.

Ekpo emphasized the benefits of CNG, stating that it is safer, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly than traditional fuel. He noted that while gas is abundant in Nigeria, the main challenge lies in the infrastructure needed to deliver it to filling stations. Tinubu has directed that the necessary infrastructure be developed to facilitate this transition.

Ekpo pointed out that CNG is significantly cheaper than traditional fuel, with a litre costing N200 compared to N1000 for petrol, potentially saving Nigerians N800 per litre. He added that as more private investors engage in the CNG project, the cost of converting cars to CNG will reduce, making it more accessible to the public.

The House of Representatives has instructed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to phase out old naira notes and boost the distribution of newly minted N200, N500, and N1,000 notes. This directive followed a motion of urgent national importance presented by Adam Victor Ogene (LP, Anambra).

The lawmakers urged the CBN to work with commercial banks to increase the availability of the new currency while gradually withdrawing the old notes from circulation. They also emphasized the need for the CBN to launch public awareness campaigns to inform Nigerians of the December 31, 2024 deadline, after which the old naira notes will no longer be legal tender.

Ogene highlighted that, according to a Supreme Court ruling, the old notes will cease to be valid for transactions starting January 1, 2025. He expressed concern over the lack of public awareness and urged the CBN to ramp up its efforts with television, radio, and social media campaigns to prepare the public for the upcoming deadline.

Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has approved a Revised Training Curriculum for all police recruits, aimed at enhancing the professionalism and operational effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force.

The new curriculum includes critical topics such as the Police Act 2020, social media policy, gender mainstreaming, sex education, and anti-corruption laws. It also covers areas like election security, cybercrime, and public relations, preparing recruits to meet modern policing challenges.

Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, highlighted the IGP’s commitment to intellectual growth and capacity building, emphasizing a community-focused approach and adherence to international best practices. The initiative aims to equip recruits with the knowledge and skills necessary to handle the complexities of policing in Nigeria effectively.

Nigeria’s electricity grid will continue to experience frequent collapses unless the federal government addresses the long-standing issues plaguing the power sector, according to the Distribution Companies (DisCos). The national grid has reportedly collapsed 105 times over the past decade, with the most recent failure caused by a transformer explosion in Jebba, leading to a sharp load drop and a system-wide outage.

Speaking on behalf of the DisCos, Sunday Oduntan, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), attributed the frequent collapses to years of neglect, poor maintenance, and insufficient investment in infrastructure by successive governments.

In just the past 10 months, the grid has collapsed over eight times, plunging major cities like Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt into darkness. On October 19, 2024, Nigeria witnessed its third grid collapse within a week, affecting key regions across the country.

Oduntan emphasized that without immediate intervention, the situation will deteriorate further. He called on the government and industry stakeholders to treat the issue as a state of emergency, warning, “Unless we address the root causes of these collapses, the grid will keep failing, leaving the nation in darkness.”

The DisCos are urging comprehensive reforms and significant investments in Nigeria’s power sector to prevent further failures and ensure stable electricity for the country.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed strong disapproval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent cabinet reshuffle, criticizing the quality of the new ministers appointed to replace those recently dismissed. Despite the president’s efforts to streamline his administration for better governance, the opposition has raised concerns over the motives behind the changes.

After a Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, President Tinubu dismissed five ministers and appointed seven new ones in an effort to rejuvenate his cabinet and merge certain ministries. This move is part of a larger administrative restructuring to boost governmental efficiency.

However, the PDP’s Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, dismissed the reshuffle as a “domestic arrangement” aimed at diverting attention from the country’s more pressing issues. In his statement to Punch, Osadolor criticized the replacements, saying, “How can you replace filthy rags with another set of filthy rags? These are merely cosmetic arrangements to deceive Nigerians.”

Osadolor further emphasized that the real issues facing Nigerians, such as hunger, insecurity, unemployment, and instability, remain unaddressed despite the cabinet changes.