This is the Signature TV News Update
Ndume threatens to quit Nigeria over ‘ticking time bomb’ as Senate slams FG on employment embargo
Ali Ndume representing Borno South in the Senate on Thursday threatened to emigrate from Nigeria if relevant authorities refuse to put things in order by diffusing what he called the ‘ticking time bomb’ .
Senator Ndume made the threat while reacting to submissions by the Chairman of the National Salaries, Income and wages Commission (NSIWC), Mr Ekpo Nta before the Senate Committee on Establishment, over embargo placed on employment.
Failure of Nta to tell the committee the total amount of salaries and wages the federal government pays its workforce yearly, infuriated many members of the committee who wondered why recurrent expenditure in the yearly budget is not decreasing on account of embargo placed on employment and retirements at the various agencies.
Ali Ndume told Nta tha he was supposed to know the total wage bill of the federal government workers in arresting the dangerous trend of increase in yearly recurrent expenditure component of the budget without new recruitments and even with the retirement of workers on yearly basis.
Stop Giving Expired Blood To Patients, Commissioner Warns Hospitals
The Director-General, Nigeria Blood Services Commission, Omale Joseph has warned hospitals against giving expired blood to their patients, while others are selling blood donated to them by individuals to keep in their bank.
The DG raised the alarm while briefing journalists in Abuja on Thursday over a bill sponsored by a member of the House, Abbas Tajudeen.
Omale, while responding to some questions on the need to inject sanity into the process of blood handling, utilisation and administration in Nigeria, said many officials in hospitals were cutting corners in the blood administration.
According to him, safe blood has a lifespan of 35 days after which it becomes unsafe to use, maintaining that some individuals now sell the blood, donated for free at exorbitant cost
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Buhari gives security agencies marching orders on Anambra election
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Armed Forces and other security agencies in Nigeria to ensure that nothing stops the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State.
Briefing journalists after the meeting of security chiefs with the president in Abuja, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno said President Buhari gave the armed forces the marching order in response to the heightened security challenges in the state.
Monguno said the President has directed that under no circumstances will anything be allowed to stop the elections from taking place successfully, adding that the people have a right to vote and select their leader.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, who also attended the meeting, reiterated that the Police were ready to ensure there is peace in Anambra and all other parts of the country.
I won’t rest until Nigeria gets out of security challenges – Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday restated his promise that his administration will not rest until the current security challenges in the country are addressed.
Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonayan Onu, said this at the public presentation of a book- titled “Standing Strong”, written by former Senate President, Ken Nnamani in Abuja.
He said that the government was creating strategic cooperation between the military and paramilitary formations to work together to fight crimes and criminal activities in the country.
Buhari stated that adequate resources had been deployed to strengthen the capabilities of the military for enhanced operations.
He commended the Nigerian armed forces and other security agencies for their efforts in fighting crime and criminality in the country.
In BUSINESS
Fuel crisis looms as private depot owners raise prices
The Kaduna State chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, has alerted the Federal Government on the imminent fuel crisis in the country following the decision by some private depot owners to unilaterally raise the prices of the product.
The IPMAN chairman in Kano chapter, Alhaji Bashir Danmallam, raised the alarm in a statement issued in Kano on Friday.
He said some of the private depot owners had increased the price of the commodity from N148 per litre to between N153 and N155 per litre since Friday last week.
He said the association found it necessary to alert the government in order not to blame its members if they increase the price of the commodity as they would not operate at a loss.
ON THE FOREIGN SCENE
Haiti Police Chief Resigns
Haitian National Police Chief Leon Charles has resigned.
Haitian media reported that Frantz Elbe, the inspector general of the National Police, will replace Charles.
Charles made the announcement hours after a video surfaced on Haitian social media of Wilson Joseph, leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, threatening Prime Minister Ariel Henry and the police chief during an outdoor funeral.
Joseph also threatened to kill the 17 missionaries he kidnapped on Saturday if his demands were not met.
Before being named police chief by former President Jovenel Moise in November 2020, Charles represented Haiti at the Organization of American States in Washington. He also held the post of charge d’affaires at the Haitian Embassy in Washington.
Charles has been dogged for months by criticism over the police’s failure to curb the rampant violence and uptick in kidnappings.
IN SPORTS
Man Utd vs Liverpool: Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher debate inclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo in best combined XI
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have debated their preferred combined Eleven
Jamie Carragher has overlooked Cristiano Ronaldo in a Manchester United and Liverpool combined preferred eleven , reaffirming his belief that the Portugal forward would not be part of a Jurgen Klopp team.
Speaking on Monday Night Football ahead of this weekend’s clash between the two sides at Old Trafford, Carragher and Gary Neville debated the best 11 players on current form, and Ronaldo was not one of eight names unanimously agreed upon.
The 36-year-old has failed to score in his last three games but will look to return to form in style when he faces Liverpool for the 13th time in his career on Sunday.