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BREAKING: Joe Biden Withdraws From 2024 Presidential Race

Joe Biden, the United States President, has ended his reelection bid, withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race.

The President announced Sunday that he is dropping out of his reelection battle with Donald Trump, in a historic move that plunges the already turbulent 2024 White House race into uncharted territory.

“While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden said in a letter posted on X.

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FG Slams $220m Fine On Facebook’s Parent Company For ‘Data Privacy Breach’

A $220 million fine has been slammed on Meta by the Federal Government for alleged data privacy breaches.

Meta is the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), said the penalty is in accordance with the FCCPA 2018, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection (administrative penalties) Regulations 2020 (APR).

According to FCCPC’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Adamu Abdullahi, the commission found Meta culpable of denying Nigerian data subjects the right to self-determine, unauthorised transfer and sharing of Nigerian data, including cross-border storage in violation; discrimination and disparate treatment, abuse of dominance, and tying and bundling.

“On May 2021, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (Commission) based on available evidence and sufficient probable cause issued an Order and Notice to Show Cause (ONSC) to WhatsApp LLC and Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly called Facebook Inc.) jointly referred to as ‘Meta Parties’ in respect to this investigation,” FCCPC said.

“The subject of the ONSC was to relay the Commission’s investigative report in respect of its findings that the Meta Parties by their conduct have violated the above stated provisions of the FCCPA and NDPR (which was in force prior to the enactment and operationalisation of the NDPA (Nigeria Data Protection Act), 2023) and for the Meta Parties to show reasonable cause why the Commission should not proceed to enter its orders as final and enforceable pursuant to the FCCPA, particularly sections 17, 18, 155, and 159.

“Between May 2021 and December 2023, and over this period of 38 months, a joint investigation by the Commission, and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) into Meta Parties conduct, privacy policies, the operation thereof, and Meta Parties practices has evolved.

“Meta Parties have provided some information/evidence that are in part responsive to document requests and summons under the joint investigation.

“Meta Parties by themselves, and retained counsels have also repeatedly engaged with, and met with investigators and analysts from the Commission, and the NDPC, including as recently as April 4, 2024.

“The totality of the investigation has concluded that Meta Parties over a protracted period of time have engaged in conduct that constitute multiple and repeated, as well as continuing infringements of the FCCA and NDPR, particularly, but not limited to abusive, and invasive practices against data subjects/consumers in Nigeria, such as appropriating personal data or information without consent, discriminatory practices against Nigerian data subjects/consumers or disparate treatment of consumers/data subjects compared with other jurisdictions with similar regulatory frameworks, abuse of dominant market position by forcing unscrupulous, exploitative, and non-compliant privacy policies which appropriated consumer personal information without the option or opportunity to self-determine or otherwise withhold or provide consent to the gathering, use, and/or sharing of such personal data.

“Being satisfied with the significant evidence on the record, and that Meta Parties have been provided every opportunity to articulate any position, representations, refutations, explanations or defences of their conduct and practices under law, the Commission have now entered a Final Order, and issued a penalty against Meta Parties.

“The Final Order more elaborately describes the specific conduct or practices of the Meta Parties, relationship between Meta Parties with respect to the infringements, particularly with regard to: Denying Nigerian data subjects the right to self-determine; Unauthorized transfer and sharing of Nigerian data-subjects personal data, including cross- border storage in violation of then, and now prevailing law; Discrimination and disparate treatment; Abuse of Dominance; and Tying and bundling.

“The Final Order of the Commission mandates steps and actions Meta Parties must take to comply with prevailing law and cease the exploitation of Nigerian consumers and their market abuse, as well as desist from future similar or other conduct/practices that do not meet nationally applicable standards and undermine the rights of consumers.

“The Final order also imposes a monetary penalty of Two Hundred and Twenty Million U.S. Dollars only ($220,000,000.00) (at prevailing exchange rate where applicable) which penalty is in accordance with the FCCPA 2018, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection (Administrative Penalties) Regulations 2020 (APR).”

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Cholera Vaccines To Arrive In Nigeria Soon

Dr. Sania Nishtar, the Chief Executive Officer of the Vaccine Alliance, Gavi, has announced that cholera vaccines are on the way to Nigeria.

The vaccine aims to mitigate the severe and persistent disease outbreak.

Earlier on June 27, 2024, Nishatar expressed concern over the cholera outbreak in Nigeria and the readiness of the organization to assist the country in its response efforts, including providing emergency vaccine doses as necessary.

Cholera, a highly contagious disease transmitted through contaminated water and food, is caused by ingesting the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

The primary factors contributing to the outbreak include the consumption of contaminated water and poor sanitation, further intensified by the rainy season, leading to an increase in cholera cases due to flooding and the contamination of water sources.

As of July 15, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has documented 3,623 suspected cholera cases and 103 fatalities across 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The outbreak has expanded to 187 Local Government Areas, with a case fatality rate of 2.8 per cent since the start of the year.

Dr Jide Idris, the Director-General of the NCDC, noted that the most affected age group is five years old, with males representing 52 per cent of the cases and females representing 48 per cent.

He also mentioned a 5.6 per cent decrease in the number of cases reported in the current week (July 8 – 14) compared to the previous week.

However, in a post via her official X handle on Thursday, Nishtar wrote: “Encouraged to learn that #Cholera vaccines from the #Gavi-funded global vaccine stockpile will soon arrive in Nigeria to help curb the country’s deadly and ongoing outbreak. We stand ready to work with our partners #UNICEF and #WHO to support Minister #muhammadpate, #Fmohnigeria, and #NCDCgov’s timely efforts to contain this outbreak and protect those at the highest risk.

“Despite the large number of cholera outbreaks this year, our stockpile is now fully replenished, and production continues at maximum capacity. We hope to keep supporting cholera-affected countries with their control plans. #stopcholera.”

In his response, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, thanked Gavi’s CEO for facilitating the vaccines.

Pate wrote: “Thanks #SaniaNishtar for facilitating our early access to #gavi-funded #Cholera vaccines. We will deploy the vaccines efficiently and effectively in response to the ongoing outbreak.

“Thanks also to President Tinubu #officialABAT for his astute leadership in setting up a multi-sector cabinet committee to support the Emergence Operations Centre led by #NCDCgov to work with our 36 states in a national response to the outbreak. We are seeing early signs of slowing down but we’ll not relent as the situation can reverse. So, the cholera vaccines strengthen our hands.”

Furthermore, the Minister has confirmed that the Federal Government is intensifying its endeavours to enhance the water and sanitation conditions within the nation.

Presently, there exist three oral cholera vaccines that have been pre-qualified by the World Health Organization: Dukoral, Shanchol, and Euvichol.

It is important to note that these vaccines necessitate the administration of two doses for comprehensive protection.

 

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We Have Accepted N70,000 Minimum Wage – Labour Leaders

The leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have accepted N70,000 minimum wage approved for Nigerian workers by President Bola Tinubu.
In a briefing with reporters after the meeting, Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), revealed that the unions accepted the offer due to the additional incentives that came with it.
Ajaero was joined by Comrade Festus Usifo, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and other representatives of Nigerian workers who attended the meeting.
He said another reason for accepting the offer is because the president promised a review every three years as against what obtained in the past.
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2024 UTME: JAMB Announces Multiple Top Scorers, Reveals 3 Candidates Got Highest Score

Three candidates achieved a score of 367 in the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, making them the highest scorers of the examination.

This was revealed at the ongoing 2024 policy meeting by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Thursday in Abuja.

They are Olowu Joseph from Ondo State, Alayande David from Oyo State, and Orukpe Joel from Edo State.

In 2023, Umeh Nkechinyere emerged as the highest scorer with a 360 aggregate score.

 

JAMB earlier noted that it won’t announce the 2024 highest scorer to avoid a repeat of the “Mmesoma matter.

Recall that Ejikeme Mmesoma, a 19-year-old student, claimed to score 362 as against her actual score of 249 in the 2023 UTME JAMB portal.

“It is common knowledge that the Board has, at various fora, restated its unwillingness to publish the names of its best-performing candidates, as it considers its UTME as only a ranking examination on account of the other parameters that would constitute what would later be considered the minimum admissible score for candidates seeking admission to tertiary institutions,” Oloyede  said

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Tinubu Resumes Minimum Wage Meeting With Labour Leaders

The organized labor unions, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), are currently meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The meeting is expected to put finishing touches to issues on the new minimum wage.

The Labour team is led by the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero and that of the TUC, Comrade Festus Osifo.

Last week, President Tinubu met with Labour leaders over the Minimum wage issue where he declared that Nigerian workers deserve improved welfare, better wages, as well as safe and enhanced working conditions.

The President also said he was concerned about the welfare of Nigerian workers and that his administration was working seriously to come up with a wage that would be acceptable to all.

Meanwhile on their part, Labour maintained that their demand for N250,000 still stands as against the N62,000 proposal of the federal government.

After last week’s Federal Executive Council meeting, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, told reporters that the President would meet Labour Leaders to reach a consensus.

The Minister had said President Tinubu would hold a follow-up meeting with the labour leaders in continuation of his consultation with the stakeholders.

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Stop Giving Admission to Underaged Persons – JAMB Warns Universities

Prof Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has issued a warning to universities.

Oloyede asked universities to stop admission of underaged persons, describing the development as “illegal”.
He said that illegal admission, such as admitting underaged, should be stopped.
Oloyede made the assertion at the opening of the seventh biennial conference of Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria on Tuesday in Lagos.
The theme of the conference was ‘Effective University Governance: Role of Stakeholders’.
He said that for the sake of accountability, data protection and integrity of the nation, this act needed to stop because anything that was irregular was illegal..
“About two months ago, I received a letter from an European country to confirm if a student actually graduated from a particular university because she is 15 years old and applied for postgraduate course.
 
“They question they asked me is “Is this possible in Nigeria.
 
“I had to call the Vice Chancellor of the institution and he confirmed the student graduated from the university but was not admitted by JAMB.
 
“He had to include that he was not the VC at the time the student was admitted,” Oloyede said.
 
He noted that state owned universities must do a lot on this situation because they constituted more in number than federal universities.
 
“Also illegal admission of diploma students needs to stop because last year, we admitted 9,000 diploma students; I was alarmed that about 3,000 students came from a particular university.
 
“Everyone of us should be accountable because all these acts can damage our education system,” Oloyede said.
Prof Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to the President urged the pro-chancellors to make plan of action on how they could make their institutions as competent and attractive as federal and private universities.
Gambari said that by so doing, it ensured that they were able to retain some of the best faculty and staff which attracted the best in the pool of eligible students.
“State owned universities must explore how best to carve out specific niches which inevitably place them in a position to exploit corresponding comparative advantages that enhance their position.
 
“Successfully executing this , a foundation for brand creation and recognition is ascertained,”he said.
Senator Joshua Lidani, Chairman of COPSUN, said that the theme encompassed many issues that had to do with governance in the university system.
Lidani, Pro-Chancellor, Gombe State University, said that currently there were several challenges bedevilling the university system and tertiary education generally.
 
“Some of these challenges include: corrupt practices, impersonation, miracle exam centres, inadequate funding, proliferation of universities.
 
“Others were discriminate and premature dissolution of governing councils and boards of tertiary educational institutions and delay in reconstituting them,” he said.
Lidani added that apart from the illegality of these acts, a huge vacuum was usually left in the administration of the institution leading to all kinds of anomalies.
“Incessant strike action by ASUU and other labour unions and the attendant consequences in stability, quality and standards.
 
“These are definitely not exhaustive but are symptomatic of the deep malaise that is affecting the system and extent of the problem.
 
“Of course, this conference alone will not be able to address the problem but it can raise public consciousness and alarm at the threat posed to good governance, standards and quality in the tertiary educational system.
 
“I have no doubt that the conference can point the way forward and advise on the way stakeholders can play a better and rightful role in uplifting the standards of education in the country,” he said.
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BREAKING: JAMB Releases 2024 Supplementary UTME Results

The results of candidates of the supplementary Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME have been released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB.

The supplementary UTME was conducted between Friday, June 21st and Saturday, June 22nd, 2024.

JAMB’s spokesman, Fabian Benjamin, directed candidates on how to check their results.

“To check their supplementary UTME results, candidates are to send UTMERESULT to either 55019 or 66019 through the same phone number they had used to generate their profile codes at the start of registration,” he stated.

Benjamin said the supplementary examination was conducted for 28,835 candidates, who were unable to be biometrically verified during the main 2024 UTME and were unable to take their examination.

A statement by Benjamin said: “Similarly, the other category of candidates were those suspected to have been involved in examination malpractices during the main UTME but who were given a second chance to sit the examination.

“The exercise, which recorded a huge success nationwide, was marked by heightened security measures put in place by the Board to preclude any instance of examination infractions. As such, some nefarious characters, who had attempted to impersonate bona fide candidates were apprehended and handed over to law enforcement agencies for further investigation and prosecution.

“The Board would continue to ensure that no candidate benefits from any acts of infractions through the deployment of state-of-the-art technology before, during and after its examinations.

“Candidates are, therefore, urged, in their own interest, to refrain from engaging in any form of irregularity during their examinations. They are also enjoined to desist from soliciting score upgrades from fraudsters or engage in the mutilation of their result sheets while trying to generate fake result sheets with higher scores.”

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You Have No Power to Query Me, Chief Imam Not Traditional Title Holder – Ayilara Slams Soun of Ogbomoso

The Chief Imam of Ogbomoso, Sheik Teliat Yinus Avilara has replied the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye.
According to the Imam, the office of the Chief Imam is not a traditional title.
Ayilara noted that the Chief Imam is not under the control of the Soun of Ogbomoso, hence, Soun has no power to query him.
Ayilara made these declarations in a letter addressed to the Soun as a response to a query issued to the Chief Imam by the traditional ruler.

 

 

Recall that the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye, had earlier issued a query to the Chief Imam for going to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj exercise without informing him. https://dailypost.ng/2024/06/27/hajj-soun-of-ogbomoso-issues-query-to-chief-imam/
But, the Chief Imam, in his reaction, noted that he responded to the letters issued by the traditional ruler out of deep respect he have for Yoruba culture and tradition.
Ayilara, in the letter signed by his secretary, Ogunleye Sulaimon Ajasa, insisted that as a Muslim and spiritual head of the Muslim community in Ogbomoso, he is not subjugating the rules regulating the practice of Islam to Yoruba tradition and culture.
In the letter made available to DAILY POST on Thursday, Ayilara said, “My case is that the office of Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland is not a traditional title, and as such, it is not under the control of Soun of Ogbomosoland.
 
“My case against your majesty is still in court. And I strongly believe that when a matter is in court, the parties in the case must respect the authority of the court by abstaining from anything that may affect the case in court.
 
“Your majesty calling on me to revert the appointment of those Muslim brethren I installed as Grand Mufti of Ogbomosoland, Amirul Wa’izin of Ogbomosoland, Khadimul-Islam of Ogbomosoland and Kanzul ‘Ulama’ of Ogbomosoland, to immediately return to Nigeria and rectify the appointment of acting Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland I made is directly related to the case in court and I think the court must be respected.
 
“I also need to state that I am responding to your Majesty’s letters out of deep respect I have for Yoruba culture and tradition.
“However, as a Muslim and spiritual head of the Muslim community in Ogbomosoland, I am not subjugating the rules regulating the practice of Islam to Yoruba tradition and culture. It is a collective right of all Muslims. Kabiesi, I have forwarded the letters to my lawyers for onward transmission to the court. God bless Ogbomosoland, God bless Oyo State and God bless Nigeria at large.”
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Soun of Ogbomoso Queries Chief Imam for Going for Hajj Without Approval

The Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye, has issued a query to the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso, Shiek Taliat Yunus Olusina Ayilara.
The monarch said the Imam failed to seek the traditional ruler’s permission before embarking on Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

Recall that the traditional ruler has been at loggerheads with the chief Iman for the past few months.

The Chief Imam was among the pilgrims from Nigeria who performed the 1445 Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia.
Soun, in the query, claimed that the Chief Imam did not inform him before he embarked on the journey.
The traditional ruler in the letter dated 10th June 2024, said that what the Chief Imam did was in contrast with the undertaking he signed before he became the Chief Imam.
In the query, made available to newsmen yesterday, was signed by the palace Secretary, Toyin Ajamu, on behalf of the traditional ruler.
The letter reads: “I refer to the earlier query issued to you with regards to your unbecoming and reprehensible conducts as Chief Imam Agba of Ogbomosoland and the need to desist from such conducts.”
 
“You will recall that on your appointment as Chief Imam Agba of Ogbomosoland you signed an undertaking and agreement which you agreed will be binding on you.”
 
“In the said undertaking, you unequivocally undertook to inform the Soun of Ogbomoso before traveling outside Ogbomoso.”
 
“However, we have been informed that you are currently in Mecca on a Holy pilgrimage without notifying the Soun. This is a clear violation of your undertaking.”
 
“Secondly, you agreed not to appoint any surrogate during your tenure without the approval of His Royal Majesty, Soun of Ogbomoso.”
 
“Nevertheless, we have received information that you have appointed a surrogate namely Sheik Abdulrahman Alim Areo as the acting Chief Imam Agba of Ogbomosoland, who led the Jumat Prayer of Friday, 7th June, 2024 of the Central Mosques.”
 
“This action is a direct breach of your undertakings. As the Soun of Ogbomosoland, I hereby demand that you immediately return to Ogbomoso and rectify these violations and desist from any further actions that violate the the undertakings you signed on the approval of your appointment as Chief Imam Agba of Ogbomosoland.”

When contacted for his reaction through a telephone call, the Chief Imam confirmed the development to newsmen.
He noted that this was not the first time that the monarch will issue him a query.
He said: “Yes. That is what I am confirming for you. He has issued some queries to me in the past. I will send you the documents.”
 
“This time, he issued the query to me that I didn’t inform him before going to Saudi Arabia.”