EEDC through the lawyers today at Enugu High Court, sought for interlucutory injuction against SEECA, to stop SEECA from educating SouthEast electricity consumers on their rights and obligations.
The Judge refused granting the application and slated the main suit for hearing on the 26th July, 2024.
We must peacefully intensify our efforts and remain resolute on our demand of No prepaid meter, no payment on estimated and bulk billings.
EEDC is owing consumers of electricity on estimated and bulk N11. 8 billion naira.
We righteously demand that EEDC exercise restraints, stop billing all owed consumers of electricity until they have been credited with the over-billed.
We urge
consumers(individuals and communities on bulk), to login to NERC website and find out how much being owed, then demand from EEDC to pay forthwith.
The SouthEast must be lighted.
Remain blessed!
Rev Okechukwu Christopher Obioha JP
National Chairman
SEECA, Nigeria
10th July, 2024
You may know someone who would be interested in this special security recruitment by ENSG
ENUGU STATE GOVERNMENT
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
SPECIAL SECURITY RECRUITMENT
A reputable government organization engaged in high-tech security operations is currently in search of capable, qualified, and dedicated individuals of Enugu State to be recruited, trained, and employed in the security operations system
The recruitment is in two categories.
CATEGORY A:
Individuals to be recruited under category A must possess the following
1. Able bodied males,
2. Aged between 30 and 50 years,
3. Ability to read, write, and communicate in English Language.
4. He must be a resident within Enugu State, in a self-detached compound that can afford privacy and security.
5. Must also possess a current National Drivers License and have a private vehicle of his own or very easy access to private vehicles.
6. Work experience in any of the military, paramilitary, or security services will be of great advantage.
Operatives under Category A are required in the course of duty to be able to handle highly trained K9 Security Dogs, which will be supplied to them by the organization. They will be saddled with the responsibility of training and management of K9 department
CATEGORY B:
Applicants under category B should possess the following:
1. Male or female with age range of between 25 and 35 years.
2. Proficiency in ICT, with requisite certificates to that effect.
3. Must be a graduate who has completed the compulsory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) or show evidence of Exemption from Service.
Successful candidates will be engaged in ICT enabled security operations in Enugu State.
REMUNERATION:
Remuneration for both categories A and B will be attractive.
All interested applicants should send in a well detailed curriculum vitae within one week of publication to the under listed contact.
Email: recruitmentconsultant492@gmail.com
Whatsapp only: 08065444847
Only short-listed candidates will be duly notified and contacted.
CAUTION:
1. Any person, group, or organization claiming to be collecting CV for the purpose of this employment should be disregarded as all entries must pass through the above email and Whatsapp. No hardcopy submission will be required for now.
2. No form of monetary payment or bank details will be required at any point in this process and anyone that does that should be deemed as fraudulent.
Signed:
Prof. Chidiebere Onyia
Secretary to the State Government
Monday, July 8, 2024
The Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has commenced the construction of eight Science, Technical, and Vocational (STV) Schools in the state, starting with the Government Technical College, GTC, Enugu
This was made known by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah, during the inspection of work at the GTC, Enugu, on Wednesday, adding that there would be three models of the STV Schools focusing on Science and Technology; Building and Architecture; and Industrial Agriculture.
He regretted that the GTC, Enugu, had lost its glory, reiterating the determination of the Mbah Administration to refocus the young ones of the state on science, technical, and vocational education underlined by practical learning to help them fit into the 21st Century industry.
“As you could see, this historic institution established in 1948 has lost its former glory. The buildings all around us are in different stages of dilapidation.
“But we are happy to share with Ndi Enugu the good news that the Enugu State Government has already embarked on a very audacious education reform project to establish eight brand new Science, Technical, and Vocational Schools servicing SS1 to SS3 in the STVSMB category of schools, starting with GTC.
“The governor believes that we are now in a new age of industry and technology. So, we want to bring back the lost glory of GTC, but making sure that it reflects the new opportunities and realities of industrialisation, of economic development, and of youth empowerment
“We will be establishing one new STV School in each of the eight federal constituencies in Enugu State over the next two years. The very first is being sited at this historic location, GTC, Enugu.
“There will be three models of the Science Technical and Vocational schools. The first model is focusing on science and technology. These are schools that are going to train our young people, who have finished from basic schools and the Enugu Smart Green Schools as well as graduates, who have no job. We are going to train them in the areas of emerging technology, preparing them to be ready for industry, the areas of robotics, mechatronics, coding, programming, ICT, and others with the objective of getting these young people ready for industry.
“The other model is the School of Building and Architecture. These are vocational schools where our children will learn all components of building – from bricklaying to electricals, plumbing, roofing, among others. We will manufacture our materials in these schools and we will build.
“The third model is the Science Technical and Vocational School of Industrial Agriculture,” he said.
Prof Mbah also announced the government’s plan to additionally build a smart green school at the GTC, Enugu, premises to ensure easy pathway to science, technical and vocational education in this same environment for the students.
He said the initiative reflected the administration’s 33 per cent allocation to the education sector in the Enugu State 2024 budget, adding that the government equally planned to build smart secondary schools across the state.
“We have model senior secondary schools that are also smart schools that are forthcoming. And there is also historic milestone investment in our tertiary institutions. So, this is once again a very important milestone in the achievement of the educational reform vision of Governor Mbah for Enugu State,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Principal of GTC, Enugu, Mr. Christopher Isife, described the STV School project at GTC as a game changer for the long forgotten and dilapidated institution.
“It has never been better in the past years of our existence as a college, but today, the talk and do governor has come to wipe away our tears. So, the GTC community, students, and teachers are very, very happy and we are grateful to him,” he said.
The Executive Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has appointed the following persons into the underlisted positions with effect from the date of this publication.
1. Mr. Gerald Ilukwe, Chief Information Officer
2. Chief Greene Amankwe, Special Adviser, Investment Promotion
3. Dr. Ebere Uzoukwa, SSA, Public Affairs
4. Comrade Onyebuchi Chukwu, Special Assistant, Youth Development
5. Mr. Peter Ekekwe, DGM, ASEPA, Ohafia Zone
6. Dr. (Mrs) Betty Emeka-Obasi, Administrator, Eye Health Mgt Bureau
7. Mr. Chinedu Micheal Nwosu, Special Assistant, Students’ Affairs
SIGNED:
Ctz. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.
ADMISSION of students for 2024/2025 academic session is ongoing in Peter University, Achina/Onneh, Anambra State.
Twenty-four (24) Bachelor of Science (BSc) courses and a LLB Law degree are available for full-time study in the Catholic university with state-of-the-art facilities and 24-hour Internet service.
The courses, all approved by the Nigerian Universities Commission are available in four faculties, namely: Faculty of Science and Computing; Faculty of Arts, Social and Management Sciences; Faculty of Medical Sciences and Faculty of Law.
The school with en-suite hostel accommodations serves such courses as BSc studies in Industrial Chemistry; Biotechnology; Microbiology; Biochemistry; Forensic Science; Computer Science; Information Systems; Software Engineering; Information Technology; Cyber Security; Physics & Electronics and Mathematics & Statistics in Faculty of Science and Computing.
In the Faculty of Arts, Social and Management Sciences new students are invited for BSc studies in Accounting; Business Administration; Criminology and Security Studies; Economics; Mass Communication; International Relations and Diplomacy; Political Science and Peace & Conflict Resolution.
There are two BSc courses in Faculty of Medical Sciences. They are in Nursing Science and in Public Health.
All the courses are for full-time study. Admission requirement is “Minimum JAMB cut off mark and credit pass on at least, five (5) subjects (including English and Mathematics) at SSCE/GCE/NECO in not more than two sittings.”
Peter University recently recorded the feat of being the first Nigerian tertiary school, private or public-owned to complete its own fiber optic cable for Internet access with a 35-metre mast. The fibre optics cables were laid around the entire school with 10 terminations, to serve users from the base station at Ekwulobia.
The new technology will equally serve the institution’s broadcast station when it becomes operational. The university is equally deploying current Learning Management Systems (LMS) to enable students and scholars who wants to access its lectures from any part of the world do so with ease and in very new technology.
See the black market Dollar to Naira exchange rate for 7th July, below. You can swap your dollar for Naira at these rates.
The exchange rate for a dollar to naira at Lagos Parallel Market (Black Market) players buy a dollar for N1520 and sell at N1530 on Sunday 7th July 2024, according to sources at Bureau De Change (BDC).
Please note that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) does not recognize the parallel market (black market), as it has directed individuals who want to engage in Forex to approach their respective banks.
Dollar to Naira Black Market Rate Today
Dollar to Naira (USD to NGN)
Black Market Exchange Rate Today
Buying Rate
N1520
Selling Rate
N1530
Dollar to Naira CBN Rate Today
Dollar to Naira (USD to NGN)
CBN Rate Today
Buying Rate
N1516
Selling Rate
N1517
Please note that the rates you buy or sell forex may be different from what is captured in this article because prices vary.
Nigeria’s Foreign Exchange Reserves Hit $34.7 Billion
Nigeria’s Foreign Exchange (FX) reserves climbed to a peak of $34.7 billion based on figures from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s website.
Naija News reports that this marks a rise of $110 million from the day before, which stood at $34.5 billion.
Over the last seven days, the reserves have been on the rise, accumulating an increase of $316 million since July 1.
This surge can be attributed to various reasons, such as the recent uptick in oil prices, better remittances from the diaspora, and the Central Bank’s initiatives to stabilize the local currency.
Analysts see this rise in international currency holdings as beneficial for Nigeria’s economy, as it offers protection against external disturbances and bolsters the nation’s capacity to fulfil its financial commitments.
A recent assessment by Fitch Ratings has given a favourable outlook to Nigeria’s economic situation, highlighting major reforms that have brought back macroeconomic stability and improved the consistency and reliability of its policies.
Fitch said, “The positive outlook partly reflects reforms over the last year, which have reduced distortions stemming from previous unconventional monetary and exchange rate policies.”
The military leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger signed a new “confederation” treaty on Saturday after they convened for a maiden summit in the Nigerien capital, Niamey.
The heads of the three countries, who came to power through coups in recent years, “decided to take a step further towards greater integration between the member states” and “adopted a treaty establishing a confederation”, they said in a statement at the end of Saturday’s summit.
In January, the three countries severed ties with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), accusing the bloc of being influenced by the West.
The “Confederation of Sahel States” uses the acronym AES and will have about 72 million people.
All three countries broke their military and defence ties with France and turned towards Russia instead.
“Our people have irrevocably turned their back on ECOWAS,” said General Abdourahamane Tiani, the head of Niger’s military government, as he opened the summit.
Relations between ECOWAS deteriorated following a July 2023 coup that brought Tiani to power, with ECOWAS imposing sanctions and even threatening to intervene militarily to restore the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum.
The sanctions were lifted in February, but relations between the two sides have not improved.
The move comes before ECOWAS’s leader’s summit on Sunday in Abuja, where the new alliance will certainly be on the agenda.
The AES countries had earlier entered a military alliance in March to combat the extremist groups that regularly attack their territory.
Midfielder Halimat Ayinde, a vital member of the team, will miss the tournament after sustaining a knee injury.
Just a day after the official announcement of the Super Falcons squad for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, a key player has been sidelined due to injury.
Midfielder Halimat Ayinde, a vital member of the team, will miss the tournament after sustaining a knee injury during training with her Swedish club, Rosengård.
The club confirmed the devastating news on their social media account, stating, “Halimatu Ayinde injured her knee during training and will miss the Olympics. We wish her a speedy recovery.”
Ayinde’s absence is a blow to the Super Falcons, as she’s battled injuries in recent times, missing crucial games for both club and country.
“With a heavy heart, I announce I won’t be part of the Super Falcons for the Olympics. I’m deeply grateful to FC Rosengård and my teammates for their support and love. Best of luck to my fellow Super Falcons. I’ll be cheering for you and will return stronger. Go Superfalcons!!. Ayinde also wrote on her x page.
Aside from featuring at the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada with the Falconets in 2014, Ayinde was also part of the Super Falcons at the Women’s World Cup in France and the recently jointly hosted tournament by Australia and New Zealand.
The 29-year-old has also featured in two editions of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Waldrum to name a replacement
With the Olympics approaching, head coach Randy Waldrum will need to name a replacement for Ayinde. The frontrunners for the spot include Jumoke Alani, Ifeoma Onumonu, Gift Monday, and Morufa Ademola who are on the alternate list released on Wednesday.
Waldrum’s initial selection for the Paris Games included a mix of seasoned veterans and promising youngsters. Captain Rasheedat Ajibade, goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, and defender Osinachi Ohale bring experience to the squad alongside star forward Asisat Oshoala who will be leading the attack.
Tough mission in Paris
The Super Falcons will begin their preparations for the Olympics with a two-week training camp in Sevilla, Spain.
Their quest for Olympic gold gets underway on 25 July against Brazil at the Stade Bordeaux.
They will then face Spain at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes on 28 July followed by their final group stage match against Japan at the same venue on 31 July.
Keir Starmer on Friday promised to “rebuild Britain” as he took office as the United Kingdom’s new Prime Minister following his center-left Labour Party’s landslide general election victory that ended 14 years of Conservative rule.
Head of state King Charles III asked Starmer to form a government during a meeting at Buckingham Palace, officially appointing the 61-year-old former human rights lawyer as PM.Flag-waving crowds of cheering Labour activists lined Downing Street as Starmer arrived as the party’s first Prime Minister since Gordon Brown in 2010.
“Now, our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service.
“The work of change begins immediately, but have no doubt, we will rebuild Britain,” he said in his first speech in the role.
– ‘Sorry’ –
A sombre Rishi Sunak conceded defeat during a torrid night for his Conservatives that claimed the scalps of at least 12 of his senior Cabinet colleagues — and his predecessor Liz Truss.
Truss’s disastrous 49-day tenure effectively sealed the Tories’ fate with the public two years ago when her unfunded tax cuts spooked markets and crashed the pound.
Before leaving Downing Street for the final time as prime minister, Sunak said “sorry” to the public and that he would step down as Tory leader once formal arrangements for a successor were in place.
Labour raced past the 326 seats needed to secure an overall majority in the 650-seat House of Commons at 0400 GMT, with the final result expected on Saturday.
As of 1200 GMT on Friday, the party had won 412 seats in the House of Commons with only two results left to declare, giving it a majority of more than 170.
The Tories won just 121 seats — a record low — with the right-wing vote spliced by Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party.
In another boost for the centrists, the smaller opposition Liberal Democrats ousted the Scottish National Party as the third-biggest party.
– World reaction –
The results buck a trend among Britain’s closest Western allies, with the far right in France eyeing power and Donald Trump looking set for a return in the United States.
Congratulations came in from the European Council chief Charles Michel, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who said Starmer would be a “very good, very successful” prime minister.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the two countries would “continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin.”
Outside London’s busy Waterloo station, Ramsey Sargent called it a “super exciting time.”
“It was a momentous election. It has been very rocky over the last few months and years. I’m excited to see what happens next,” the 49-year-old engagement officer told AFP.
– ‘Catastrophic’ –
Sunak tendered his resignation to the king shortly after returning to London from his rural constituency in northern England, where the depth of his party’s defeat quickly became apparent.
Nigerian poultry farmers have complained that several poultry farms are shutting down operations due to skyrocketing prices of poultry feed and unsustainable cost of production, among other challenges in the sector.
The farmers, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES within the week, said the worrying trend could lead to a total collapse of Nigeria’s poultry industry in no distant time if not addressed by those in authority.
The skyrocketing prices of essential livestock feed ingredients such as maize and soybeans and the growing spate of insecurity across farming communities are negatively affecting poultry output.
The farmers also lamented that general price levels have impacted the purchasing power of most Nigerians, with an attendant effect on the poor sale of poultry products such as eggs and broilers.
The farmers also lamented that general price levels have impacted the purchasing power of most Nigerians, with an attendant effect on the poor sale of poultry products such as eggs and broilers.
Crates of eggs
Concerns
In recent years, the prices of widely consumed staple food items have skyrocketed amid widespread insecurity and fluctuating weather patterns (climate change), among other concerns.
Meanwhile, the situation became worse in the past year after President Bola Tinubu, upon assuming power in May 2023, announced subsidy removal alongside other policies that triggered a spontaneous economic crisis and other concerns.
An immediate impact of the president’s decision was the sudden jump in the price of petrol by over 100 per cent, with an attendant increase in transportation costs. The aftermath of this became obvious in the increasing prices of goods and services across the country.
In less than two months after Mr Tinubu took office last year, he declared a state of emergency on food insecurity, with the hope of addressing the increase in food prices.
Consequently, the prices of major staple food items and livestock feed ingredients such as maize and soybeans rose from what they were before he took over power from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
Meanwhile, the rising cost of poultry products has made the prices of basic protein such as eggs also unaffordable for many. An egg which was selling for N100 last year is being sold for N200 and above, depending on its size.
The continuous increase in the prices of goods and services over the past year has made some farm owners close shops, poultry farmers said, and that many have already cut down on their production quantity amidst fears that feed producers might have also compromised livestock feed qualities due to skyrocketing prices of feed ingredients.
Meanwhile, a review of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data in the past year indicated that despite moves by the government to boost food production, inflationary pressure subsisted.
Nigeria’s inflation rate has risen since Mr Tinubu became president. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), inflation rose to 33.95 per cent in May 2024 from 22.41 per cent in May last year. Food inflation followed a similar trend, climbing to 40.66 per cent in May 2024 from 24.82 per cent last year in May.
Distribution of farming activities among agricultural household
According to the latest NBS National Agricultural Sample Census (NASC) Report 2022, published last month, there are about 40.2 million agricultural households in Nigeria. Of this figure, the report says only about 42.5 per cent (approximately 17.1 million) of agricultural households raise birds, most commonly chicken.
“While chicken is the most common poultry type raised by more than 95 per cent of poultry-raising households in most of the States, turkey is raised by only 5.4 per cent of those households,” the NBS said.
breakdown of poultry production households in Nigeria by NBS
Poultry farmers lament
Speaking on the recent development, a former president of the Kaduna State chapter of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Timothy Okunade, said people are already running away from the poultry industry due to the continuous increase in the prices of poultry feeds and day old chicks ( pullets).
“There is no money in circulation. The purchasing power has dropped to an unimaginable level,” Mr Okunade said, adding that poultry products are now luxury as far as Nigerian society is concerned.
Mr Okunade lamented that a bag of maize and soya beans, which are essential ingredients for feed formulation, is selling for N85,000 to N87,000 per bag in his region.
This, he said, is affecting the industry because the higher the prices of these products ( Soybeans and maize), the higher the price of finished products (feedstock).
“As of today, eggs are selling from farms at N4,000/crate. I don’t know how much an egg is being sold at the retailer’s end,” Mr Okunade said, stating that a man who has not eaten since morning, or who is probably receiving N20,000 as salary, cannot afford to buy it conveniently anymore.
In the previous year, Mr Okunade said a bag of maize was sold at the rate of N50,000 to N60,000 but that things took a turn due to the economic crisis.
“This is the first time in the history of Nigeria or the industry ( maize/Soy would be selling for N87,000 and above). The worst period was when we bought a bag of maize for N20,000, not knowing that we had not reached anywhere,” the farmer said.
He explained that when the price of maize rose to N40,000 and above, they were still managing the situation. However, he described the current situation as a “complex one” because farmers are being kidnapped on their farms daily.
“You dare not enter the bush now as a farmer as you’ll regret making such a mistake because kidnappers will kidnap that farmer, and the money he/she has not seen in their life is what the kidnappers are demanding,” Mr Okunade explained, adding that most of the farmers kidnapped don’t survive the trauma.
“I’d rather stay and be hungry than go and die,” he added.
The farmer lamented that the high cost of feed has also made him cut down his production.
On his part, Jolayemi Christopher, who runs a poultry farm in Abuja, explained that the rising cost of poultry feed in the market has also affected his poultry business over the past year.
