Buhari orders ICPC to sanction corrupt civil servants
Buhari on Tuesday ordered the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to take actions against heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies Ministries, Departments, and Agencies and other personnel involved in project racketeering, budget, and payroll padding as well as ghost workers retention.
Speaking at the opening of the 3rd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption in the Public Sector in Abuja, Buhari said that ICPC investigations had opened the government’s eyes to situations where some MDAs present new projects as ongoing, thereby circumventing his administration’s plan to cut down on the cost of governance.
He stated that he was confident that ICPC will continue to maintain the vigilance required by the commission’s Act in that regard.
Buhari promises to support women in fight against gender-based violence
President Muhammadu Buhari has promised that he would support women in combating gender-based violence.
The president made the promise while receiving Minister of Women Affairs Dame Pauline Tallen in Abuja on Tuesday.
The president maintained that Women were the bedrock of the society and were largely responsible for stabilizing the home front, stating that his faith in the capability of Nigerian women remains steadfast as exemplified by the key positions they occupy in the present administration.
Earlier, Pauline Tallen highlighted to the president various activities her ministry had and would conduct as women observe the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Against Women & Girls from November 25 to December 10.
Currently, there are 31 Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) in Nigeria, as the centers were established to provide free medical assistance, forensic medical examination counseling, and justice support services to sexual violence survivors.
Unvaccinated Civil Servants Barred from Federal Secretariat
Civil servants who have no proof of COVID-19 vaccination and negative Polymerase chain reaction tests were denied access into the Federal Secretariat, Abuja on Wednesday, 1st of December, 2021
This was in line with the October directive from the Boss Mustapha-led Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, which stated that civil servants without proof of vaccination and negative Polymerase chain reaction tests would not be allowed to access government buildings from December 1, 2021.
Despite the appeal from the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria to extend the deadline till March next year, the Presidential Steering Committee has stood its ground, as unvaccinated workers were barred by security operatives.
Civil servants who were barred from entering their offices however rushed to get their COVID-19 vaccine.
#EndSARS White Paper: Lagos govt says no massacre at Lekki tollgateÂ
The Lagos State government has said the findings of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry that nine persons were killed at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020, were not true.
According to a white paper released on Tuesday, the state government said the finding by the panel was baffling because apart from listing out the names of the victims, the Judicial Panel of Inquiry offered no explanation regarding the circumstances of their death.
John Obafunwa, the chief pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), had earlier testified that only three of the bodies that they conducted post-mortem examination on were from Lekki and only one had gunshot injury.
Apart from dismissing the findings that nine persons were killed, the government said it disagreed with the findings that hospitals treated victims of gunshot wounds from Lekki tollgate on the night of the shooting.
IN BUSINESS
CBN lending to Banks increases by 315% to N24.53trn in 11 Months
Deposit Money Banks and Merchant banks’ borrowing between January and November 2021,  hit twenty-four point five three trillion naira, indicating an increase of three hundred and fifteen percent when compared to five-point nine-one trillion borrowed in the previous year.
Banks’ increased borrowing signaled scarcity of funds in the interbank money market, forcing banks to rely more on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for short-term liquidity needs.
Data from the CBN official website showed that commercial and merchant banks’ borrowing through the Standing Lending Facility (SLF)  rose by three hundred and fifteen point two percent to twelve point two-three trillion naira from five-point one-seven trillion while borrowing through the Repo arrangement moved to five-point one-five trillion naira from seven hundred and thirty-five point one-four billion in the previous 11 months.
The Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele at the last Monetary Policy Meeting (MPC) in Abuja said money market rates oscillated within the standing facilities corridor, reflecting the prevailing liquidity conditions in the banking system.
According to Emefiele, the decision to keep the interest rate and other parameters was borne out of the decision to continue the gains recorded in the economy.
ON THE FOREIGN SCENE
Canada Bans Travellers from Nigeria, Egypt, Malawi over Omicron Fears
Canada on Tuesday banned travelers from Nigeria, Egypt, and Malawi over fears of the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, bringing the number of African countries targeted by the country to ten.
Canada on Friday banned entry to all travelers from seven southern African countries; Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
And on Sunday, Canada confirmed it had detected its first cases of the new Omicron strain, in two people who had traveled recently to Nigeria.
Meanwhile, members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives at plenary on Tuesday mandated the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to step up national response to control the emergence and spread of new COVID-19 omicron variant in order to spare Nigeria the full brunt of the third wave of the pandemic.
The house also mandated the NCDC to ensure intensive observation and check on travel protocols for inbound passengers.
ON ENTERTAINMENT
Singer Seun Kuti addresses Gov Sanwo-Olu’s ‘peace walk’ invitation
Nigerian singer and songwriter, Seun Kuti has rejected the ‘peace walk’ invitation extended to him by the Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s invite for a peace walk was part of his efforts to ensure harmony in the state.
In an interview with the media on Tuesday night, Seun Kuti said that he doesn’t need to walk next to the Governor before there would be peace in the state.
He further stated that the first step in bringing peace in the state was to ensure justice for all victims of police brutality and human rights abuses.
IN SPORTS
Reinard snubs Super Eagles job
Representatives of French coach, Herve Reinard said he has turned down the chance to coach the Super Eagles as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) continues the search for a replacement for under-fire Gernot Rohr.
The coach who is presently the head coach of Saudi Arabia is very settled in his new environment but will jump at the chance to have a third spell with Zambia after leading them to the African Cup of Nations, AFCON, title in 2012 during his second spell.
Reinard also led the Ivorian team to the 2015 AFCON title, the same thing he was tipped to do with Morocco at the last AFCON.
Nigeria was told in clear terms that the 53-year-old coach was not interested in the Super Eagles job despite the talented nature of the squad and the lure of qualifying for the World Cup in 2022.
