News
FG seeks collaboration with foundation to address poverty and humanitarian crisis
Federal government is seeking the collaboration of development partner, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in the management of humanitarian crisis and poverty alleviation in the country.
Speaking when delegates of the foundation visited the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation on Thursday, the Minister, Dr Betta Edu expressed optimism that the foundation will assist Nigeria in the fight against poverty.
Confirming the achievements of the foundation on relevant issues in the past, the Minister said “your organization is rather very proactive and responsive to issues that had to do with the country and of course with its Citizens, and you have that flexibility that allows government priorities to become your priorities flowing in the direction of the government”.
She urged the foundation to work with the Ministry to tackle the various humanitarian crisis ravaging the country.
She said, “We have a huge task on our hands, as we speak now over 16 million Nigerians are affected by humanitarian crises, either man-made or the natural disasters. Of course, security issues, pockets of unrest in different areas have not made this any better. Other natural disasters like the flooding, which we are presently going through, and the opening of a Dam in another country, which will have its own effect on Nigeria is another call for attention to ensure that people are catered for. We have these unrest in all the neighboring countries – in Cameroon, in the southern part of Cameroon that have over 46,000 refugees coming into Nigeria. So there are over 36,000 in Cross River. We have a whole lot into Taraba and Benue, along that border.
“We are dealing with order crises in Niger, having people coming to Sokoto, Kano, Katsina and all of that. This is an addition to Nigerians that are refugees in this country and the migrants that were trying to go through the Niger and Libya and got stocked around the border. So it’s a whole lot as it concerns the humanitarian crises and what we need to deal with as a Ministry.
“But now the bigger one is here, which is poverty alleviation. We have over from the last statistics done by the Bureau of Statistics, it says that about 133 million Nigerians are poor, that’s multi-dimensional poverty, and then about 70 million of these people are extremely poor. So, they’re basically living below $1.95 cent per day. The President is committed to SDG which is raising these people out of poverty by 2030 and we need your help. We need your help!
That’s a lot of work and I just thought it was important to get you to the table at the foundational stage.
“First, we would need a lot of technical help. Technical help to see that we can draw a baseline, set the agenda and come up with programmes and projects that can be implemented to really lift people out of poverty while addressing the humanitarian needs.
“Secondly, we would also need lots of financial help in terms of supporting programmes, supporting processes, and helping with implementation.
While it starts with one of the innovations we want to put on board, that’s the Presidential Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund, we need to be able to go full-blown into a robust resource mobilization; move that can help us pull together funding into one basket that will be used to address both the humanitarian crises and the poverty alleviation programs and projects without necessarily going through the bureaucratic bottlenecks of government”.
The Country Director, Bill&Millanda Gates Foundation, Jeremie Zoungrana, pledged the foundation’s willingness to partner with the Ministry and assured that it will use its wide contact to link up the ministry with strategic partners in specific areas to eradicate poverty in Nigeria.
The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that it has been vindicated by recent revelations from the state’s former Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke.
The Rivers APC Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, stated this in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists on Wednesday.
The former Head of Service, who recently resigned had alleged that the suspended Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was directly responsible for the political crisis in the state and the bombing of the State House of Assembly.
In response, the Rivers State APC asserted that Nwaeke’s testimony aligns with the party’s long-held position, as frequently stated by Chief Okocha, that the suspended governor was the architect of the state’s political crisis, including masterminding the October 29, 2023, bombing of the State House of Assembly.
Chief Okocha further emphasized that Nwaeke’s account, given his high-ranking position in the state, cannot be dismissed as mere speculation.
He said attempts to discredit the former Head of Service will not deter him from exposing the alleged corruption and misconduct that the APC has repeatedly highlighted.
“What is most interesting to the APC in Rivers State as a responsible political party is that Dr. George Nwaeke’s revelations and testimonies of how suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his squad bombed the Rivers State House of Assembly is an eye witness account.
“Again , it has clearly vindicated the APC in Rivers State as the only visible and viable opposition political party in the State, and has cemented the love for the party in the heart of well meaning Rivers people as the voice of the voiceless, and the hope for a better Rivers State.
“The revelations made by the former Head of Service in Rivers State has further positioned her as a political party with high level of integrity, and the hope of Rivers people for a viable alternative to produce the Governor of Rivers State in 2027.
“The verbal attacks staged against the resigned Head of Service will not deter him from exposing the corruption within Sim Fubara’s administration, which we have consistently highlighted as the opposition party. On this matter, the APC shall function as watchdogs”, the party stated.
Chief Tony Okocha expressed confidence that security agencies would thoroughly investigate the matter.
“The APC in Rivers State strongly believes that the relevant security agencies will be professional enough to get to the root of the matter and make their findings public”, he said.
A coalition of civil rights organizations, the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness (CCLCA), has called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the allegations leveled against suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, by Dr. George Nwaeke, the former Head of Service of the state.
During a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Dr. Gabriel Nwambu, Director General of the CCLCA, urged the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to take swift action in probing the allegations. He emphasized that if proven true, these claims pose serious risks to governance and democracy.
The coalition, comprising 30 civil society organizations, stands in solidarity with Dr. Nwaeke, who has expressed willingness to provide evidence of alleged corruption and constitutional breaches involving Governor Fubara and his Chief of Staff, Mr. Edison.
“We collectively urge the relevant authorities to act swiftly and transparently. Addressing these allegations is critical to restoring public confidence in governance at both the state and national levels,” Dr. Nwambu stated.
He commended President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for his intervention in Rivers State, which led to the declaration of a state of emergency, a move he described as crucial for stabilizing the region.
Dr. Nwaeke’s accusations against Governor Fubara include:
Arson and Sabotage: Allegedly instructing his Chief of Staff to burn down the Rivers State House of Assembly to prevent impeachment proceedings, a violation of Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.
Corruption and Financial Misconduct: Claims of large sums of money being used for personal and illegal activities, contravening Section 15(5) of the Constitution.
Threats to Public Safety: Alleged plans to sabotage state infrastructure, potentially inciting public disorder, which falls under Section 1 of the Terrorism Prevention Act (2011).
Collusion with Militant Groups: Alleged meetings between the governor, his Chief of Staff, and militant leaders, posing a threat to national security and violating Section 43 of the Constitution.
Suppression of Labour Rights: Alleged attempts to bribe labour leaders to silence dissent, contravening Section 40 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of assembly.
The coalition has urged law enforcement agencies to ensure a thorough, transparent, and expedited investigation into these allegations.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has appointed Sam Ifeanyi Hart, Esq. as his new Chief of Staff (CoS).
Hart replaces Hon. Toby Okechukwu who was recently appointed Executive Director, Projects of the newly established South East Development Commission (SEDC).
Prior to his appointment, Hart served as Special Adviser to the Deputy Speaker on Public Affairs and has an extensive background in training and consultancy.
Hart also previously served as Director-General, Abia State Marketing and Quality Management Agency from 2019 to 2023 after occupying other appointive positions.
He was also a member of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru where he attended the Senior Executive Course 45, serving as Course Secretary-General.
He has also served on the Boards of several corporate and non-governmental entities.
Hart brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new role, with a distinguished career spanning law, leadership, and public service.
A lifelong learner, he holds multiple academic qualifications, including a Master’s Degree in Environmental Law (LLM) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB) from Abia State University.
The new Chief of Staff is also currently pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Law.
A seasoned professional, Hart has attended prestigious institutions, including the GOTNI Leadership Centre, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), and the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG).
He is also a member of several professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Directors of Nigeria (M.IoD), Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (ACIArb), and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
As Chief of Staff, Hart will provide strategic guidance and support to the Deputy Speaker legislative activities, leveraging his expertise to drive policy initiatives and promote good governance.
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