Federal Govt. Reportedly Opens Online Portal For Nigerians To Access N75bn Survival Funds On

The federal government has announced that registration for the N75 billion survival fund for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will begin on Monday, September 21.
Mariam Katagum, minister of state for industry, trade and investment, said the programme is aimed at tackling the economic challenges faced by small businesses as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

Katagum was speaking at the virtual commissioning of the fashion cluster shared facility for MSMEs tagged ‘Eko Fashion Hub’ in Lagos.

Katagum explained that the programme, which would run for an initial duration of three months, would be opened for 1 .7 million entities and individuals across the country.

“The federal government is fully committed to empowering Nigerians; more so in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.

Quote
“In this regard, the government, through the economic sustainability committee had announced specific programmes aimed at cushioning the impact of COVID-19 on MSME businesses.

“These programmes include among others, the N75 billion MSME survival fund and Guaranteed Off-take schemes of which I have the honour to chair the steering committee for the effective implementation of the projects.

“The project, which will run for an initial period of three months, is targeting 1.7 million entities and individual and has provisions for 45 percent female-owned businesses and five per cent for those with special needs.

#naijapals

2 Illegal Tax Collectors Arrested In Calabar.

The Cross River Anti Tax Enforcement Team, on Monday began its operation in Calabar with the arrest of 12 suspected illegal tax collectors.

Mr Ani Essien, a Special Adviser on Security to the Governor who led the team, said the enforcement became necessary to ensure total compliance with government directive on tax exemption in the state.

It will be recalled that Gov. Ben Ayede-led administration recently issued an order tax exemption for the poor in the state.


“On the order of the governor, we decided to comb the streets of Calabar metropolis to effect arrest of those engaging in illegal sales of tickets, collectionn of tolls and taxes from the poor citizens.

“The governor had exempted a category of citizens from paying tax, but the government is disappointed that some people are still collecting taxes and illegal tolls from low income earners.

“So our department, the Special Services, in collaboration with Anti Tax Agency, went to the street to clean it up of illegal taxation.



“It is going to be a continual exercise, knowing that these illegal operators come out in the morning, afternoon and evening.

“So far, we have arrested about 12 of them and they will be arraigned before a special court for prosecution.

“Already, there is a law against it which makes provision for the prosecution of the suspect. All we need to do is to trigger it and the sitting of the special court will commence soon,” he said.

Also, speaking, Bishop Emmah Isong, the Chairman of the agency, said the enforcement team was set up to arrest those still flaunting governemnt’s order on illegal tolls.

“Those arrested will not escape the arm of the law and are going to be immediately prosecuted at the special court,” he said.

Isong enjoined the people to go about their lawful businesses and report to the agency, anybody found selling tickets, collecting taxes from commercial motorcyclists and taxi drivers or other low income earners.

The enforcement team also included representatives of the Police, other security operatives and the National Union of Road Transport Workers, among others. (NAN

#orientdailynews

Suarez Ends Barca Contract, Agrees Terms With Atletico Madrid

FC Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has agreed a deal with the club to end his contract and settled on personal terms with Atletico Madrid, according to reports in Spain on Monday.

The Catalans’ third top goalscorer of all time was told he was not wanted by new FC Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman and has been looking for a new club.


The 33-year-old Suarez, who has one year to run on his FC Barcelona contract, agreed a deal with the club to cut it short, the reports said.

A newspaper, Mundo Deportivo, said Suarez has fixed a contract with Atletico Madrid for two seasons, although the club will need to lighten their wage bill to accommodate the Uruguayan.


Media reports in Italy also say Juventus are in talks with Atletico Madrid to re-sign Spain striker Alvaro Morata.


Suarez had been heavily linked with Juventus, but coach Andrea Pirlo said it was unlikely he would come to Italy because of the difficulty in obtaining an EU passport.


The striker finished as Barca’s second-highest scorer last season behind captain Lionel Messi and scored 198 goals in 283 games for Barca, after joining in 2014 from Liverpool.(Reuters/NAN)

#orientdailynews

Civil Servants In C/River Protest Removal Of Names From Payroll


Some civil servants whose names were removed from the payroll of the Cross River Government on Monday in Calabar picketed the state secretariat complex, demanding reinstatement.

The protesters carried placards with various inscription such as “Ayade pay us our salaries, “No Trade Union in Cross River”, “We will protest until we are reinstated”, among others.It would be recalled that the state government in August 2019 removed the names of no fewer than 2,500 civil servants from its payroll.One of the protesting civil servants, Mr James Obeten, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the situation had caused untold hardships in his families.

“We were duly employed in 2015, and were given employment letters, it is very shocking that the government stopped our salaries since August 2019.“Without any reason, our names were dropped from the payroll, they claim that we were employed through the backdoor,” he said.


He said that the affected workers had undergone several screenings to ascertain the legality of their employments, saying, “our names have not being reinstated till today”Obeten urged the state government to consider the plight of the affected workers whose families had been subjected to hunger and difficulty since 2019.



“Many of us are now homeless, our children are already out of school, life is getting worse by the day,” he said.Also speaking to NAN, another protester, Miss Eno Akan, accused the Nigeria Labour Congress of abandoning them in the struggle.She expressed the resolve of the affected workers to remain resolute in the struggle until their salaries were paid.When contacted, Mr Monday Ogbodum, the Cross River State Chairman, Trade Union Congress, said the matter had been discussed with the state government, and that it would soon be resolved.

“We have been discussing with the government through the office of the Head of Service, those who were genuinely employed in 2015 will soon be reinstated.“We did not abandon the struggle, we are doing our best to resolve the matter, there are plans to carry out screening to know those who were genuinely employed,” he said.

Reacting to the protest, Mr Christian Ita, Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Publicity said that plans were already concluded to conduct a screening exercise in order to determine people who were genuinely employed.

“I think that this protest is unnecessary, after the screening, those who were erroneously removed from the payroll will be reinstated.“ The government reached an agreement in March with the organised labour to resolve this abnormalities. This process was delayed by the outbreak of the Coronavirus,” he said.

He urged the protesters to remain calm as the state government was working with the organised labour to begin the process of reinstating them. (NAN)

#orientdailynews

Inter Chairman Fined After Calling Serie A Chief ‘Clown’

Inter chairman Steven Zhang has been handed a fine by the Italian football federation for his criticism of Serie A president Paolo Dal Pino over his handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Zhang was highly critical of Serie A’s decision to continue matches in March, calling out Dal Pino specifically for disregarding public health.
At the time, the league had announced that Inter’s clash with Juventus, a potential title-decider, would be played on March 8 in what turned out to be the last round of fixtures before the league temporarily shut down due to the coronavirus.

Zhang wrote on his Instagram story: “Playing around the calendar and always putting the public health as secondary consideration.
“You are probably the biggest and darkest clown I have ever seen. 24 hours? 48 hours? 7 days? And what else? What’s your next step?
“And now you speak about sportsmanship and fair competition?
“How about we don’t protect our players or coaches and ask them to play for you 24/7 non-stop?

“Yes, I’m speaking to you. Our Lega President Paolo Dal Pino. Shame on you. It’s time to stand up and take your responsibility! This is what we do in 2020!

“Everybody around the world, doesn’t matter if you are Inter fan or Juve fan or no fan at all. Please be safe!
“This is the most important thing for you, your family, and our society.”
Inter went on to lose the match 2-0, with Aaron Ramsey and Paulo Dybala firing the eventual champions to victory, moving them one step closer to the title.

And, in addition to the defeat on the day, Zhang and Inter have now been hit with sanctions for the chairman’s pre-game rant.

Zhang has been ordered to pay an €8,000(£7,400/$9,40 fine while the club will also be required to pay a fine of  €5,000 (£4,600/$5,90.

The 28-year-old businessman became the youngest ever chairman of Inter in 2018, having been instrumental in Suning Holdings Group’s acquisition of Inter in 2016.
Suning Holdings Group owns 68.55 per cent of the Nerazzurri.

Inter finished last season second in Serie A and will begin play this weekend against Fiorentina. 

#orientdailynews

Scientists Discover Impossible Planet, Having Possibility For Life 

An international team of astronomers are baffled after discovering an "impossible planet" the size of Jupiter – which could even host life.

Of the thousands of planets discovered outside the solar system, most orbit stars that will eventually evolve into red giants and then white dwarfs as part of their natural life cycle.

During a star's red giant phase, any planets caught in too close an orbit will be engulfed. Further away planets can survive and continue to orbit around the following white dwarf, although at a distance.

Until now there's been no evidence that planets can survive intact while in close orbit around white dwarfs.

However a group of astronomers from around the world using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and the retired Spitzer Space Telescope recently observed a giant planet candidate "transiting" the white dwarf WD 1856+534 (TIC 267574918) every 1.4 days.

Transiting means when a planet eclipses its orbit star, from the perspective of observers on Earth.

The planet, believed to be around the same size as Jupiter, seems to be intact and locked in a tight orbit with the white dwarf, something previously thought to be impossible.

Researchers involved in the discovery, which was published in the journal Nature, say it defies much of what we know about the formation of planets.

Andrew Vanderburg, an assistant professor of astronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who contributed to the paper, says one of the defining features of a white dwarf is that it tends to pull in celestial bodies with its strong gravity and destroy them in the process.

If the newly-discovered planet is verified to be intact, it will be an unprecedented discovery.

"The explanation that we think is the most likely is that there were other planets in the system or other objects in the system," Prof Vanderburg told Salon.

"We know that there are two other stars orbiting this white dwarf very far away. Maybe they could have exerted some influence on this planet that we saw back when it was orbiting far away originally because it had to be orbiting far away, or it would have been engulfed.

"It could have changed its orbit so that it was very, very elliptical, and then when it came in close to the star, it just barely grazed the surface."

The alternative explanation is that the planet avoided being engulfed by the white dwarf through its sheer density.

Prof Vanderburg says the discovery is particularly exciting because it suggests new types of planets existing in a "habitable zone" on which we can search for life.

"I think the biggest implication for this is that there's a possibility for life to be in places that we hadn't really considered before," he said.

"In a white dwarf system there's also a habitable zone, but because the white dwarf is really tiny and it's cooling off and is really, really faint, you have to huddle a lot closer to that star in order for it to be potentially habitable."



#dailystar #

Colonel D.C. Bako Dies After Boko Haram Ambush. Army Confirms Death 

The Nigerian Army has confirmed the death of a colonel after an ambush by Boko Haram terrorists.

The army described D.C. Bako as “one of our gallant and finest war heroes.”

PREMIUM TIMES reported the ambush, near Damboa, which led to the death of Mr Bako, a colonel who also commands an army brigade in Damboa.

Ado Isa, the spokesman of the Nigeria Army’s Operation Lafiya Dole, in a press statement, confirmed the death.

He said Mr Bako was until his death the commander of 25 Task Force Brigade in Damboa.

Mr Isa said the colonel died in a military hospital where he was receiving treatment after the ambush.

The statement was silent on the fate of the soldiers who were with Mr Bako during the ambush with an army source telling PREMIUM TIMES that six other soldiers died in the ambush.

That information was, however, not corroborated by other sources.
Read the full statement by Mr Isa, an army colonel, below.

“Operation LAFIYA DOLE wishes to intimate the general public of the demise of one of our gallant and finest war heroes Col DC Bako. It could be recalled that the professional, gallant senior officer who always led from the front and a patriotic Nigerian, led a patrol to clear Boko Haram Terrorits from Sabon Gari-Wajiroko axis near Damboa when his patrol team entered an ambush at about 10 a.m Sunday 20 September 2020. Under his able leadership, the troops cleared the ambush resulting to the killing of scores of terrorists and recovery of weapons and equipment.
“Sadly however, he was wounded in action and immediately evacuated by the Air Task Force Operation LAFIYA DOLE to the 7 Division Hospital at Maimalari Cantonment.


The late senior officer was recuperating well after successful operation at the hospital, in good spirit and also said his prayers in the early hours of this morning before his sad passing at the hospital.

May Almighty Allah grant his soul eternal rest. Ameen.
“The Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen TY Buratai on behalf of himself, gallant troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE and indeed well meaning Nigerians hereby express his heartfelt condolences to his esteemed family.


We are most grateful for his contributions and sacrifices to the motherland. May God grant eternal rest to the gentle soul of Col DC Bako and the souls of all Nigerian Army officers and soldiers who paid the supreme prize in the defence of our father land.”

#premuimtimes

Super Eagles List For Friendlies With Tunisia & Ivory Coast Released By NFF 

The NFF has released the list of Super Eagles players that have been invited for the friendlies against Tunisia and Ivory Coast.

The Eagles play Ivory Coast on the 9th of October and then facr Tunisia four days later on the 13th. Both games will be played in Austria.

Both games will be held in Austria for a few obvious reasons
Here are the players.

Goalkeepers
Okoye
Alampasu
Yakubu
Defenders
Ekong
Omeruo
Balogun
Ajayi
Awaziem
Sanusi
Aina
Collins

Midfielders
Etebo
Ndidi
Agu
Onyeka


Forwards
Musa
Simon
Iwobi
Kalu
Osimhen
Dessers
Iheanacho
Chukwueze
Ejuke.

Standby
Onyekuru
Maja
Shehu
Azeez
Ebuehi
#sports #nff #supereagles #nairaland

Eze Chukwuemeka Blames Oshiomhole For APC's Loss In Edo Election 

A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, on Monday attributed the party’s defeat in the Edo State governorship election held on Saturday to what he called “the unpleasant carriage and incoherent disposition” of the party’s former National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

According to the result released by the Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday, the state governor, Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party defeated APC’s Osagie Ize-Iyamu and other contestants.

But Eze, who is the former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct nPDP, in a statement titled “Press release” regretted that Edo State has been added to the league of states like Zamafara, Rivers, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Sokoto, Adamawa, and Oyo that are being governed by the PDP.

He claimed that it was Oshiomhole’s “self-styled and kooky steering model” that scuttled APC’s electoral chances and deprived the majority of having their way.

He said Oshiomhole must apologise to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and members of the APC for “the serial embarrassments and heavy damages occasioned by his hinky and very quirky carriage.”

Eze congratulated Obaseki and commended the people of the state for ending godfatherism in the state.

The statement added, “While appealing to Obaseki to find a place in his heart to forgive Oshiomhole and all those who helped him cause havoc in the APC, Chief Eze tasked the Edo State Governor to begin the process of taking back his position in the progressives family which he described as his natural habitat considering his numerous sacrifices and contributions in the formation of the party, assuring him that his place in the APC is still very much reserved and intact.

“Eze further hailed the good people of Edo State for demonstrating character and displaying their resolve to guard jealously and protect the funds and economy of the state from external hawkers who are shopping for opportunities to extend the boundaries of their squandermania and slavery spirit to other territories.

The APC stalwart counselled the candidate of the APC in the just concluded Edo election, Pastor Ize-Iyamu, to prevail on Oshiomhole to offset all his electoral expenses, seeing that it was his damaging campaign against him as well as his poor leadership mannerisms that caused him and the APC the election.

Eze joined President Muhammadu Buhari in commending INEC and security agencies for displaying a high degree of competence and professionalism which translated into a peaceful and very successful electoral outing.

He called on Nigerians to commend the President for allowing a transparent process, describing him as a true statesman and democrat.

Eze said with this record, President Buhari has equaled the democratic feat of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who allowed the votes of Edo people to count in 2012 when Adams Oshiomhole was re-elected as the state governor against all odds.”

#punchng