News
JUST IN: Kogi State Gov. Yahaya Bello Administers Oath of Office for Returning Appointees
The Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello on Monday during an Executive Council Meeting administered oath of office, secrecy and allegiance for five returning appointees of his administration who initially resigned their appointments to seek for elective post in the recently concluded gubernatorial primary elections.
The appointees includes the Chief of Staff, Pharm. Abdulkareem Jamiu, Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic planning, Asiwaju Idris Ashiru, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bar. Deedat Ozigi, Accountant General of the State, Alh. Jubrin Momoh and the Auditor General of the State, Alh. Yakubu Okala.
In a press briefing by the Commissioner for Information and Communication Strategy, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, after the Executive Council Meeting he mentioned that the returning appointees were all charged to continue to be loyal and serve diligently in a bid to move the administration further forward.
Similarly, Mr. Fanwo briefed that the EXCO received reports on the progress on several projects currently embarked on by this administration noting that several of these projects were hinted to be in advanced stages while the governor reiterated commitment and determination to ensure completion of all projects before the end of his administration.
Other approvals at the meeting according to the Commisioner includes the Termination of the appointment of the Former Chairman of the Market Board, Mr. Danjuma Ochima who was accused of neglecting duties and promoting the return of filth in the state adding that his replacement would be announced in next few days.
The Commissioner mentioned also that the EXCO approved a Memo seeking for the establishment of the Directorate of Medical Laboratory Services in the Ministry of Health. He alluded that the creation of the Directorate will create cooperations amongst Medical Laboratory Scientist across the states, particularly in health care institutions.
Mr. Fanwo also hinted that the council approved a Memo seeking for a law to repel the Prohibition of Kidnapping and other related matters, Law 2015 and be reenacted, Kogi State Prohibition of Kidnapping and other related maters, law 2023. He said that the State Attorney General was further directed by the council to forward the bill to the State House of Assembly adding that the law when passed is aimed at strengthening the criminal justice system of the state and to further nip in the bud issues of kidnapping, thuggery and other violent crimes
News
FG introduces compulsory drug tests for secondary school students
The guideline outlines a comprehensive framework aimed at reducing the growing prevalence of substance abuse among students and creating safer learning environments across schools nationwide.
The federal government is introducing mandatory drug tests for students in secondary schools nationwide.
According to the new policy, all newly enrolled secondary school students will be subject to mandatory drug integrity testing at the moment of entry.
The directive is contained in the National Implementation Guidelines Against Drug and Substance Use in Schools in Nigeria for secondary schools.
The guideline outlines a comprehensive framework aimed at reducing the growing prevalence of substance abuse among students and creating safer learning environments across schools nationwide.
According to the document, the policy is designed to “create a conducive environment for teaching and learning in the institutions by reducing the negative effect substance abuse has on the mental health and academic performance of students/learners.”
The guideline states that “all new students/learners shall be subjected to drug tests and other measures approved by the schools/learning centres at the point of entry,” adding that the process must be carried out “in collaboration with approved federal/state health facilities and procedures.”
News
Instagram drops end-to-end encryption for private messages
With E2EE removed, Instagram will now be able to access the contents of direct messages, including text, images, videos, and voice notes.
Users of Instagram will no longer be able to send ultra-private direct messages, after parent company Meta switched off end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for the platform’s messaging service worldwide.
The move marks a major reversal for Meta, which had previously positioned E2EE as the “gold standard” for user privacy.
E2EE ensures that only the sender and recipient can read messages, but it has long been criticised by child safety campaigners who argue it can make it harder to detect abuse and illegal content.
As a result, the decision has been welcomed by child protection groups but strongly criticised by privacy advocates.
With E2EE removed, Instagram will now be able to access the contents of direct messages, including text, images, videos, and voice notes.
No fewer than 16 people have been confirmed dead after an 18-seater passenger bus plunged off a bridge in a horrific accident along the Okene-Osara-Lokoja Road in Kogi State.
The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Friday in Osara, Adavi Local Government Area.
According to the Kogi State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lawal Fagge, two passengers survived the crash but sustained severe injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
Fagge, who confirmed the details in a telephone interview with Arise News, attributed the accident to excessive speeding by the driver.
He commended officers from the Zariagi Unit of the FRSC for their swift response, as they promptly rescued the survivors and evacuated the injured to medical facilities.
The bodies of the deceased victims have been recovered and deposited at a morgue in Lokoja.
The latest road tragedy has once again sparked concerns over the rising cases of reckless driving and over-speeding on Nigeria’s major highways.
Road safety authorities are urging motorists to observe speed limits and adhere strictly to traffic regulations to avoid preventable loss of lives.
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