The Senate has proposed imposing sanctions on parents who fail to provide formal education for their children in Nigeria.

This proposal emerged during a session where Senator Adebule Idiat Oluranti (representing Lagos West) introduced a motion addressing the pressing issue of out-of-school children in the country.

Central to the discussion was the suggestion to establish mobile courts dedicated to enforcing the compulsory education mandate outlined in the Universal Basic Education Act.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, emphasized the need for all states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to adopt effective measures similar to those implemented during his tenure as governor of Akwa Ibom State. He referenced a policy that prescribed six months’ imprisonment for parents or guardians of school-age children found loitering during school hours.

Senator Ahmed Lawan (APC, Yobe North) underscored the severity of the out-of-school children crisis, labeling it both a social and security concern. With an estimated population exceeding 20 million, the issue presents a significant obstacle to national development and security.

Echoing Lawan’s sentiments, Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, expressed deep concern over the potential security implications posed by uneducated youth. He highlighted the disproportionate impact of the issue in certain states, particularly those in the northern region of Nigeria, and called for concerted efforts across all levels of government and society to address the problem.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) echoed the sentiment, urging relevant agencies to disclose state-by-state data on the prevalence of out-of-school children transparently. This transparency, he argued, would hold governors accountable for addressing the issue and safeguarding the future of Nigerian youth.

Super Eagles interim head coach, Finidi George has said the team’s objective is to get good results in their upcoming friendlies against Ghana and Mali.

Finidi said it is important for the team to maintain the high standard they set for themselves at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Super Eagles finished second at the competition losing 2-1 to hosts Cote d’Ivoire in the final.

“We finished in second place at the Africa Cup of Nations and everyone expects us to maintain that high rating and be even better in a short while. Our objective is to get good results in these two matches and stay positive ahead of the World Cup qualifiers,” Finidi told thenff.com.

“They call it friendly matches but there is really nothing friendly when you play, especially Ghana. I have been involved in matches against Ghana since the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal. Matches between our countries are serious duels and are always seen as battles by our people. The Black Stars did not perform that well at the recent Africa Cup of Nations and they will be keen to banish that memory.”

Friday’s match will be the 60th encounter between both countries, since a Jalco Cup match on 20th October 1951 ended 5-0 in favour of Nigeria. Twenty of the previous 59 duels have ended in draws, including their last two encounters (2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches) in March 2022.

Their last friendly match, in London on 11th October 2011, ended scoreless.

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, on Wednesday, visited the Barkin-Iku Suleja Central Mosque, located along the Suleja–Kaduna road in Niger State.

In a statement via his official X handle on Thursday, Obi said his visit to the mosque is a continuation of his nationwide tour to identify and share with the Muslim faithful during this sacred Ramadan season.

Obi said during the visit, he was able to offer aid to about 100 individuals, break the Ramadan fast with about 1000 individuals, and share a meal with the devout Muslim community.

He wrote: “In continuation of my nationwide tour of identifying and sharing with the Muslim faithful during this sacred Ramadan season, I made a stop at the Barkin-Iku Suleja Niger State Central Mosque, located along the Suleja – Kaduna road in Niger State.

“It was a privilege to offer aid to about 100 individuals, break the Ramadan fast with about 1000 individuals, and share a meal with the devout Muslim community, fostering a spirit of togetherness and solidarity, while also addressing a critical societal need by installing a borehole.

“During this visit, I had the honour of listening to a Tafsir by the Chief Imam, who revealed the pressing needs of the community that has been deprived of a basic necessity for over three decades—a reliable source of clean water.

“I am thankful that this act of support was able to meet their need for the last 30 years and exemplify the core values of our movement—empathy, inclusivity, and a commitment to uplifting the lives of all citizens, regardless of creed or background.”

Former Governor of Abia State and the immediate-past Senator who represented Abia Central district in the 9th Senate, Senator Theodore Orji, has flatly denied receiving any dime from Abia State Government as pension since his exit as Governor in 2015.

Senator Orji spoke exclusively with Vanguard on the heels of the recent abolition of the Abia State Governor’s and Deputy Governor’s Pensions Law by the State House of Assembly.

The Bill entitled:”H.A.B 11: The Abia State Governor’s and Deputy Governor’s Pensions Law Repeal Bill 2024″ was sponsored by the Majority Leader and member representing Arochukwu state constituency, Hon. Okoro Uchenna Kalu.

Speaking through his former Chief Liaison Officer, Hon. Ifeanyi Umere, Senator Orji, said nobody had paid him any pension as former Governor, adding that he has also never asked for it as a matter of morality since he moved to the Senate immediately after leaving office as Governor.

He said:”Since T. A Orji left office as Governor, he has not received any penny as pension.

” He transited from Governor to Senate and he made it a point of morality that he will not, and he didn’t ask for any pension or question anybody about it because he is not interested in it.”

READ ALSO: NASS: Tinubu seeks more restraint in exercise of oversight functions

The former Governor who noted that the House of Assembly has the constitutional powers to review any laws of the state, said he was not part of the scrapped pension law.

“The House of Assembly has the prerogative to periodically review the laws of the state. It’s in their powers to do so but nobody should link Senator Orji with the said pension law because nobody has paid him any pension after leaving office as Governor.

“Senator Orji has not received any pension as former Governor, and as a statesman he has not asked for any. He didn’t receive any pension from Okezie Ikpeazu and he didn’t pay anybody too.”

Leading the debate on the floor of the House, the Sponsor of the Bill, argued that if passed into law, it would help to reduce the cost of governance.

According to him, the humongous amount used in paying the former Governors and their Deputies, would have been channelled into other better uses.

He said that it was not fair for the welfare of the majority of the citizens to be sacrificed on the altar of the comfort of only few individuals who are already comfortable.

The Labour Party lawmaker, therefore, urged his colleagues to give the Bill accelerated hearing, and to consider it for passage.

Other members of the House spoke in favour of the bill, and later it was passed into law.

Announcing the passage of the bill, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, commended his colleagues for their forthrightness, understanding and maturity in supporting the passage of the Bill.

The Speaker who said the passage of the bill was in tandem with the yearnings of the majority of Abians, said the current Assembly would always make people-centric laws.

The Delta State Police Command said its personnel have not been able to access the troubled Niger Delta community of Okuama because of an ongoing military operation.

The Delta State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda stated this in an interview on Arise Television.

The commissioner said, “We have not been able to move into this community. Yes it is our responsibility as the primary line of defense in internal security. But when you have another sister agency conducting an operation, the reasonable thing to do is to wait for them to finish.

“We have not been able for now to get into Okuoma because of the volatile nature of what is presently ongoing around that environment.”

Abaniwonda further stated, “They are working hand in hand with other security agencies to make sure that those who murdered 16 soldiers are caught.

“In the Okuama incident, we have an ongoing military operation there. We have been on ground, we have been supportive. We have not been missing in action. Technology has been an integral part of present day policing. These individuals are being tracked.

“Effort is being made to ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to book. We are working in conjunction with other security agencies and I can assure you that we are making progress.”

Speaking on the current situation within the Okuama community, he said, “Most of the places are deserted. I would not like to say more than that. It’s an ongoing military operation. I think when these things are ongoing, it is better that things are not said that might aggravate or pass information to those who are looking for.”

However, the commissioner assured that the police are offering their full support toward ensuring the safety and protection of life and property in the state.

“I can assure you that very very soon, we will be able to get in. For us to get to Okoloba and Okuoma, you would need to get clearance. So we are working on this so that we can also ensure the safety of our people who are in those environments.

“But we are on the ground, we are in our divisions, we are in our outpost, we are in our various formations. We are rendering our services, which is what the mandate of the inspector general of police is. Protection of lives and property. We are doing this. Not just in this community but all over Delta state,” he said.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said posterity will remember President Bola Tinubu for being a decisive leader.

He said Tinubu has played an important role in guiding the country towards economic prosperity and stability.

The Vice President’s remark was disclosed on the X handle of the Presidency.

According to Shettima, Tinubu does not apportion blame over the current economic situation in the country.

He said: “We have crossed the Rubicon, and the nation is on the path to sustained growth. Some nations have gone through worse cases in the annals of their history than us.

“The President means well for the nation. He has a good heart for the nation and we have the moral imperative to support him in whatever way we can to salvage the ship of the state.

“The President doesn’t subscribe to the idea of apportioning of blame, the buck stops on his desk and he has not shied away from taking those decisive actions.

“Be rest assured that in the fullness of time, posterity will be very kind to him.”

A report by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revealed that out of the total loans of N10.3 trillion disbursed as intervention, N193 billion has been declared lost and another N418.9 billion remains doubtful.

According to the report, which was last updated in September 2023, detailed the breakdown of the bank’s intervention funds over the years.

A doubtful loan is one for which full repayment is questionable and uncertain. The degree of repayment of loans in question ranges from a complete loss to an uncertain loss unless corrective actions are taken.

According to the report, out of the N10.3 trillion in intervention funds, N4.4 trillion has been repaid, while approximately N5.8 trillion remains outstanding. Some of the loans are tenured, meaning they only fall due when the principal repayments mature.

However, only N969.8 billion of the outstanding amount was past due, as some loans had repayment tenures extending years beyond 2023. Based on this, the report claimed the percentage of repayments to amounts due was 75.8%.

The apex bank report also indicates that N289 billion of the loans are performing, N67.9 billion is substandard and N418.9 billion is doubtful and N193.9 billion of the loans are lost.

The apex bank governor, Yemi Cardoso, has repeatedly criticised the intervention funds carried out under the leadership of Godwin Emefiele, claiming that the bank could not implement the interventions appropriately.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that the National Assembly’s constant summons could disturb and distract his appointees from carrying out their primary duties.

The Nigerian leader asked the lawmakers to be accommodating enough and ‘let the poor breathe’.

Naija News reports that President Tinubu stated this during the Ramadan fast-breaking event in Abuja on Wednesday, March 20.

At the religious event, Tinubu acknowledged the importance of oversight in ensuring transparency and accountability in governance. However, he said that excessive summoning of officials can lead to disruptions in operations and affect service delivery to citizens.

Tinubu advised lawmakers to exercise discretion in carrying out their oversight responsibilities.

He said: ”I have been watching various committees summon ministers and agency heads. I have complained to the Speaker to let the poor breathe. Let these people do the job. We are not saying you are not influential. We are not saying you cannot do your oversight.

“But consider the primary duty of each agency, its personnel, or the responsibilities of the Governor of the Central Bank or the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to you and the entire nation.

”If they are distracted or disturbed, maybe we will shift parliamentary sitting all through the night. We must find a way to accommodate one another. This is an appeal to you. See if you can accept representatives in some instances or even documentation.”

President Tinubu expressed his trust in the National Assembly’s capacity to maintain good governance and commended the positive rapport between the executive and legislative branches.

He noted that the collaborative efforts have led to the swift approval of numerous bills aimed at enhancing the well-being of the Nigerian people.

Tinubu encouraged lawmakers to remain connected with their constituents and utilize the holy month of Ramadan as an opportunity to demonstrate kindness and aid to those in need.

”We are making sacrifices for the country, and we are assuring citizens that there is a very bright light at the end of the tunnel.

”We must have faith, and please do not forget your constituencies and remember what they are going through.

”I cannot thank you enough for what you are doing, but it is for our country. There is nothing personal about this. It is for Nigeria, and we have no other country but Nigeria,” the President was quoted as saying by Daily Trust.

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani yesterday convened an emergency meeting with heads of security agencies and stakeholders from the frontline communities in Kaduna Central.

The resurgence of banditry and kidnapping dominated talks at the parley, which was attended by stakeholders from seven local governments of Chikun, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru, Igabi, Kachia, and Kagarko local government areas.

The governor, who said efforts were being made to rescue the 287 schoolchildren abducted from Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area, expressed concerns about the rising number of informants in the communities, pledging efforts to identify and apprehend them.

Also yesterday, the House of Assembly member representing the Kajuru Constituency, Usman Danlami Stingo, told reporters that members of the communities affected by the recent attacks have been traumatized and economically impoverished.

The governor told his audience that had assurances from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, during his meetings with them that the abducted school pupils will all be rescued safely.

He, however, urged local government chairmen and traditional rulers to report any strange face in their community to security agencies to curb infiltration by informants and other people with dastard intentions.

Sani said: “I have series of discussions with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and the service chiefs, they have done so much. Lots of progress have been made, and I can assure you that our children will return back home safely.

“We will continue to fight until we get our children back. At the end of this meeting, we will have enough information, idea and strategy to work together. We would do everything to assist the security agencies in protecting our citizens. We are working to ensure their safe release.”

“We are here this afternoon to have a meeting which would be interactive between Kaduna state government, local government chairmen, security heads, traditional rulers, and members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly from the seven local governments affected by the incident of insecurity in the last few weeks. We are here to look at the efforts towards intelligence gathering and sharing especially at the grassroots level.

“In the last six months, we have been having meetings which showed that we have enough synergy between state, local government, traditional rulers and security heads.

“This is to support the security agencies in the state towards intelligence gathering and sharing. We have some setbacks in the last few weeks. The Local government chairmen and Kaduna state House of Assembly members, we have to look at other areas especially the incident in Kajuru local government area with series of incidents within 48 hours.

“We have people within the community who should have alerted the security agencies when the first incident happened before the second incident.

“We believe that the traditional rulers have important roles to play in monitoring the community and they should have enough knowledge of their subjects to raise the alarm over anything that is strange. They should fish out strange individuals and report them to security agencies.”

He added: “We realised in this meeting that, there are a lot of complaints about some disgruntling elements that are penetrating some communities.

“The issue of security is pertinent to everyone and we believe traditional rulers have massive responsibility in assisting the security agencies and particularly ensuring that all the strangers that come into the communities are identified.

“We are suspecting that some of them are informants and today I have instructed the traditional rulers and the local government chairmen to fish out most of these strange individuals and report to the security agencies immediately. It will go a long way in enhancing security efforts and also deepening our intelligence gathering and sharing information.

“I have also instructed the Local Government chairmen to go back to their local governments and stay there and also report to us any suspicious movement.

“We also discussed the progress we have made so far and I can say here, most of the children in Kuriga community, we are having a lot of interface with the parents in the community.

“Yesterday, the IG deployed some mobile policeman to Kuriga community, we are making progress and we are also having a lot of support from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the service Chiefs are also trying. So it’s only a matter of time.”

A bill proposing a new structure of salaries and allowances for judicial officers in the country has passed the third reading at the House of Representatives.

President Bola Tinubu forwarded a letter along with the executive bill to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, urging swift passage of the proposed legislation.

In the letter, the president said the bill seeks to end the “prolonged stagnation” of the remuneration of judicial officers.

“The judicial office holders salaries and allowances bill seeks to prescribe salaries and allowances and fringe benefits for judicial officials to end the prolonged stagnation in their remuneration and to reflect contemporary socio-economic realities.”

Yesterday, the lower legislative chamber passed the bill after the third reading.

In the breakdown of the bill seen by TheCable, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, will receive a monthly salary of N5.4 million, amounting to N64.8 million per annum.

The breakdown of the remuneration shows that the CJN will receive a monthly basic salary of N1.1 million and N4.3 million in regular allowances.

The annual pay includes various components such as personal assistant allowance of N3.6 million, hardship allowance of N6.7 million, entertainment allowance of N6 million, utility allowance of N4 million, outfit allowance of N3.3 million, journal subscription allowance of N2 million, medical allowance of N5.3 million, long service allowance of N1.3 million, restricted or forced lifestyle allowance of N6.7 million, dual responsibility allowance of N2.9 million, and legal researchers’ allowance of N6.9 million.

The bill also proposes N61.4 million annually for justices of the Supreme Court.