Category: News

The United Nations’ office on drugs and crime report, said that people under the age of 35 make up the majority of those being treated for drug use disorders in Africa and Latin America.

This is one of the statistics included in the UN agency’s 2022 drug report.

The UNODC report estimates that, approximately 284 million people worldwide between the ages of 15 and 64 used drugs in 2020.

This stands for a twenty six percent increase from the previous decade.

It also revealed that young people are using more drugs with usage levels in many countries higher than the previous generation.

As a result, Nigeria’s first lady Aisha Buhari was urged with all parties involved to positively contribute their quota to the country’s effort to combat drug use.

A two day workshop on drug prevention, treatment and care training organised for the wives of governors is designed to enhance their capacities to implement evidence based drug prevention education programs.

This will also enhance the visibility of treatment of care for those with substance use disorder and facilitate their re integration into society.

Nigeria’s first lady who was represented by the wife of the vice president, Dolapo Osinbajo stated the need to give priority to the existence of state drug control committees.

The UNODC used the avenue to urge the government to consider the quick need to conduct a second national drug use survey due to the growing youthful population in the country.

According to the United Nations, while some progress has been made, more needs to be done by exposing children to skills that will help them deal with the challenges of drug use and abuse.

It also paves way for the inclusion of counseling services in primary health care clinics.

The repeal and re-enactment of the Act establishing the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, ( NITT) have commenced in the House of Representatives.

According to Gbemisola Saraki, Minister of State for Transport, the proposed law will reposition NITT as a leading national institution inorder to achieve growth in the economy.

She furthered that the ministry’s goal was to support it in reaching its full potential as a global standard institute.

The Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology was created in 1986 as the apex transport and logistics management development Institute across the West African sub-region.

Its made compulsory the aspect of building workforce capacity in order to make the transportation and logistics industry more effective and efficient.

The result goal is to boost economic growth and development.

Sixteen years after, the House is moving to repeal and re-enact a law that will guide the operations of the Institute.

The parliament said if it being tackled adequately, the Institute will liberate the country from over-dependence on oil.

Speaker, Gbajabiamila stated that if the bill is passed, it will bring about direct and indirect job opportunities as well as reduce traffic congestion on roads and waterways.

Chairman of the House of Reps Committee, Abbas Tarjudeen stated in his comment that transportation is important in people’s daily lives.

Stakeholders are urged by the prospect of a new law that adheres to global best practices.

The Institute gives management training for personnel working in all modes of transportation.

It also provides equipment and facilities for the support, promotion, and conduct of applied research in all modes of transportation.

The Absence of social media celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha (alias Mompha), again, on Thursday, stops his alleged N6billion money laundering trial before an Ikeja Special Offences Court.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has in January 2022, charged Mompha and his company, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd., on eight counts of allegedly laundering six billion Naira.

In the past week, Justice Mojisola Dada issued a bench warrant for his arrest following his absence in court.

The court also revoked the bail it earlier granted to the defendant.

The social media celebrity was also absent in court on June 16.

On June 10, the EFCC accused him of flouting the court’s order by travelling to Dubai with a new international passport.

On Thursday, EFCC counsel, Samuel Daji, told the court that the commission was still in the process of re-arresting Mompha and he asked the court to adjourn the case.

“My lord, we are still making frank efforts to re-arrest the defendant wherever and whenever he is found.

“We humbly ask for another date from the court,” he said.

Defence counsel, Kolawole Salami, also prayed the court for an extension of time to bring the defendant to court.

“My lord, we are working with the prosecution to make sure that the defendant is brought back to court.

“We confirm with the prosecution and also plead for another date,” he said.

Justice Dada adjourned the case until Sept. 21 for further report.

The charges against Mustapha include alleged conspiracy to launder money obtained through unlawful activities, and laundering of money obtained through unlawful activities.

The other allegations include retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, use of property derived from an unlawful act, possession of a document containing false pretences, and failure to disclose assets.

Chairman, Correspondent Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalist, NUJ, Mallam Abdulhakeem Garba, had asked the Kwara State governor, AbdulRahaman AbdulRazak, to be the advocate of journalists especially in the area of welfare in the employment of the state owned media.

Garba, a journalist with Channels Television, made this comment in a speech he delivered at the 2022 Press Week, where he drew attention to the plight of journalists incessantly harrassed by men of security agencies in the state.

“The media industry is the most distressed in the country.

“Our members are subjected to irregular salaries, no allowances, despite the many hazards that attend our jobs.

“We are often, needlessly harassed by security agencies.

“To cap it all, there are no insurance policies available to us,” Garba said.

One of the awardees at the Press Week event happened to be reporter who was subjected to punitive transfer for reporting the other side of a political divide in a participatory multi-party democracy in the state.

Asking the governor to see the the plight of journalists, the Chairman of the Correspondent Corps challenged governor AbdulRazak to be the media’s advocate in the corridors of power.

“We understand your limitations as governors.

“But as chief executive of your state, you can be our ambassador in the power circles were policy decisions are made,” he said.

At the same event,

Governor AbdulRazak vowed to do more in the areas of governance after being awarded winner of the Human Capital Development Advocate Award while also dedicating it to all residents in his state.

The award was presented to the governor as part of the activities marking the Press Week of the Nigerian Union of Journalists NUJ’s Correspondents Chapel, Kwara State.

The governor, speaking through his deputy, Kayode Alabi, who attended the Award Night of the two day Press Week at the E-Phoenix, GRA, Ilorin, said that the award will only spur him to do more.

“My team and I feel honoured with this recognition by the Kwara State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and we will not not take it for granted.

“This award is a challenge for our administration to continue to prioritise and deliver on the most basic needs of our people and make life worth living for all of them — irrespective of where they are in every corner of the state,” the governor said.