Headlines
Senate Screens 31 Ministerial Nominees, 12 to Go, Resumes Monday
The Senate on Friday screened seven more ministerial nominees forwarded by President Muhammadu Buhari.
They are former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika; former Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehinare and former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Pauline Tallen.
Others are Muhammadu Dingyadi; Festus Keyamo and Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Ali Isa Pantami.
This brings the total number of nominees screened to 31 of the 43 sent by the president.
Of the seven nominees screened on Friday, two were given the traditional ‘take a bow’ treatment. They are Mr Sirika who was asked to take a bow on grounds of legislative background and Mrs Tallen, on grounds of gender.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported the number of nominees screened as at Thursday, as well as nominees who were told to take a bow and those who were grilled by the lawmakers.
The final nominees screened by the lawmakers were Mr Ehinare, Mrs Tallen, Mr Dingyadi and Mr Pantami.
Apart from Ms Tallen, the final nominees answered questions from the lawmakers ranging from health to technology as well as communications.
During his screening, Mr Pantami was asked if the Nigerian Communications Satellite should be privatised or commercialised.
According to him, he “will go for commercialisation.”
He said NigComSat has played a significant role in the country’s security architecture and “sadly, when you want investors to come, there should be tax holiday, when that is achieved, we can come up with some agreement how we can start benefitting.
While stressing the need for laws that will encourage investment, he said more funds should be voted for education.
After the screening process, the lawmakers reverted to plenary to report progress.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, announced that the screening will continue next Monday and extend to Tuesday.
Nominees to be screened on Monday are Gbemisola Saraki, Goddy Jedy-Agba, Sulaiman Adamu, Maryam Katagum and Clement Agba.
Others are Geoffrey Onyeama, Muhammad Mahmoud, Babatunde Fashola and Rauf Aregbesola.
Also to be screened on Tuesday are Sabo Nanono, Lai Mohammed and Saleh Mamman.
Premium Times
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
