Redesign of the Naira: The FG distances itself from policy and cautions the CBN of the repercussions; FG to end Nigerians migration overseas | 5 Things That Should Matter Today

Redesign of the Naira: The FG distances itself from policy and cautions the CBN of the repercussions
FG to end Nigerians migration overseas
Terror alert: Buhari told to sack service chiefs as US, UK citizens flee Abuja
Nnamdi Kanu To Remain In Custody Of Nigeria’s Secret Police, DSS– Appeal Court
Lagos govt to ban sale of bottled drinks exposed to sun

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss:

Redesign of the Naira: The FG distances itself from policy and cautions the CBN of the repercussions

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, has distanced herself from the planned naira redesign, which was announced by the Central Bank governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, 48 hours ago.

The Minister, who disowned the policy, said it doesn’t receive the blessing of the Ministry of Finance and warned of the dire consequences.

Reacting to questions from Senator Bamidele Opeyemi representing Ekiti Central Senatorial district on Friday at the National Assembly, where she appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance for the 2023 budget defence of the ministry, the minister maintained that the policy may be good, but coming at the wrong time.

Opeyemi said the pronouncement may have triggered a rise in naira to US dollars in terms of value, given that naira has jumped from N740 to N788 to a US dollar due to rush in exchange of stashed funds.

Opeyemi said: “To me, the policy may be well conceived, but the timing going by realities on ground is very wrong as the Naira may fall to as low as N1,000 to a US dollar before January 31, 2023 fixed for full implementation of the policy”, he said.

Responding, the Minister said, she read the news in the media and has nothing to do with it.

“Distinguished Senators, we were not consulted at the Ministry of Finance by the CBN on the planned Naira redesigning and cannot comment on it as regards merits or otherwise.

“However, as a privileged Nigerian at the top of Nigeria’s fiscal management, the policy as rolled out at this time, portends serious consequences on the value of Naira to other foreign currencies.

“I will, however, appeal to this Committee to invite the CBN governor for required explanations as regards merits of the planned policy and rightness or otherwise of its implementation now,” she said.

FG to end Nigerians migration overseas

On Thursday, the Federal Government declared that it was looking for measures to stop the trend of Nigerians emigrating.

In order to reduce the necessity for travel overseas, the government also stated that it would seek to ensure that Nigerians were gainfully employed.

The statement was made by Henry Ikoh, the Minister of State for Science, Technology, and Innovation, in Abuja as he greeted Ms. Deemah Yahya, the Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, who was there as a courtesy caller in connection with the upcoming Digital Nigeria Day Conference.

He claimed that industrialization, which could be accomplished by collaborating with the DCO in the field of human capital development, was the government’s plan to reverse the trend.

”If we collaborate and synergise in the area of human capital development, it would guarantee industrialisation, when people are gainfully employed and moved out from poverty, then Africans and Nigerians would not be struggling to travel abroad because everything is here. We have all the raw materials; what we really require in terms of digitalisation is for us to cross fertilise ideas, train and retrain our people then things would be better.”

Yahya said the group was in Nigeria to understudy her digital ecosystem and understand who the players were.

She said, “We are very proud that Nigeria is a founding member of the Digital Corporation Organisation, which is a multilateral organisation that focuses on advancing the digital economy in member states. We represent 12 countries, from three continents, representing 600 million in population and $2 trillion in the GDP.

“We are very happy that Nigeria has been a founding member and we are here not only to reiterate our commitment to empowering digital economic transformation strategies of Nigeria but also to understand the ecosystem of Nigeria, being the players in terms of government, private sector, and civil society. It is also for us to understand how the DCO can help support the growth of Nigeria and hopefully be an enabler.”

Terror alert: Buhari told to sack service chiefs as US, UK citizens flee Abuja

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Friday, called for the sack of all Nigeria’s service chiefs and the National Security Adviser as American and British nationals flee Abuja over imminent attacks by terrorists.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, said the service chiefs have shown themselves to be ineffective, incompetent just as it is suspected that they are simply reeling out bogus records of achievement despite the continued offensive launched by insurgents.

The group also faulted the inability of the service chiefs and their agencies to re-arrest fighters of the Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) sects who escaped from the Kuje prison in July during an unprecedented jailbreak.

Following its notice of a possible terror attack, the United States Mission and the British High Commission suspended consular services in Abuja and began the evacuation of their citizens from Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.

However, the Federal Government through the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has insisted that there were no threats of terrorist attacks in Abuja.

The Federal Government has maintained that the President Buhari government won’t be stampeded.

Continuing, Onwubiko said, “To lend credence to the terror alerts by the US and the UK, a joint operation launched by the Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency, the police and some American soldiers this week reportedly arrested five ISWAP commanders and 30 fighters in phase 3, Trademore Estate in Abuja.

“The detained fighters reportedly masqueraded as artisans, cart pushers and security guards in Abuja and they are all from a particular tribe known to have terrorist affiliation!”

Onwubiko further highlighted that heightened tension in the nation’s capital has made the popular Jabi Lake Mall shut its doors to shoppers and visitors yet the Federal Government is grandstanding emptily and releasing Boko Haram members in detention all in the name of deradicalization.

“Shockingly, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor recently said 101 convicted terrorists and those awaiting trial have been moved from prisons to a deradicalisation camp for reintegration into society. Should the government even have contemplated that? Shouldn’t terrorists be summarily executed after conviction?

“Where are the Boko Haram terrorists that escaped from Kuje prison in July when it was attacked and hundreds of inmates freed? Where are all the thousands of terrorists that escaped from the over 10 jailbreaks in Nigeria in the last two years?” he asked.

Onwubiko added, “HURIWA calls for a comprehensive investigation by the National Assembly on all the claims by the military heads of successes against terrorists because if terrorists can constitute such a huge threat to Abuja and even threaten to take over Abuja imminently, this shows that there is something fishy with the information the military dishes out to Nigerians claiming successes against insurgents. These stories might be empty propaganda because these claims aren’t backed up with authentic photographic evidence!

“Also, why is the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola still on seat? Why are the non-performing service chiefs being rewarded with further stay by the government when the terrorists are still able to threaten Nigeria and the world is running away from Abuja? Why is this government made up of deceivers and liars? Pathetic! Abuja must not fall like Kabul in Afghanistan!”

Nnamdi Kanu To Remain In Custody Of Nigeria’s Secret Police, DSS– Appeal Court

The Nigerian government requested that the Court of Appeal give a stay of execution of the decision ordering Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, to be released (IPOB).

A three-person panel of the Appeal Court found on October 13 that the Nigerian government’s unlawful rendition of the IPOB leader from Kenya in June 2021. As a result, Kanu, who is being tried for treasonable offenses, was released and found not guilty by the appellate court.

Kanu cannot be released from the Department of State Services’ custody, the secret police, according to Abubakar Malami, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, as he is still facing more charges.

The Nigerian government then filed an appeal with the Supreme Court against the appellate court’s decision and requested a stay of execution of the appeal court’s decision, which had mandated Kanu’s immediate and unconditional release from custody.

Justice Haruna Tsanammi of the Appeal Court granted the federal government’s request on Friday, but he also ruled that the Supreme Court should receive the decision’s outcome within seven days to allow for a speedy hearing.

With the new turning, Kanu will remain in jail pending when the Supreme Court hears the case and determines the appellate court verdict.

Lagos govt to ban sale of bottled drinks exposed to sun

The selling of drinks in plastic bottles that have been exposed to sunlight is prohibited, according to the Lagos State Government.

This was revealed by Afolabi Solebo, the general manager of the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

“Plastic bottled drinks exposed to continuous sunlight are dangerous to health and very cancerous. Therefore, it will be part of our public enlightenment between now and the end of the year.

“So that by 2023, we will not only confiscate such drinks but we will prosecute people that are displaying those products under sunlight.

“We also want to have a stakeholders’ meeting with manufacturers of those bottled drinks so as to get alternatives for dummy of the products for distributors to display.

“The essence of displaying those products in the sunlight is to attract consumers to come buy. So if you can put dummies in the sun it has no effect since dummies look like the real thing,” Mr Solebo said.

Consumables that kill slowly should be avoided, he advised.

Additionally, Mr. Solebo asked customers to make sure they always receive value for their money on all goods and services provided to them.

According to him, consumers have a legal right to protest if they feel they are not receiving value and satisfaction for their money and can do so by seeking redress.

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