The media house responsible for publishing the video of Lai Muhammed saying the FG spends over N3.5 million to feed Shiite leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky has apologised to the Minister of Information.
In its apology published online, OAK TV said the minister spoke off the record, but somehow the clip found its way to the internet. The apology stated that it has sanctioned its reporters for breach of journalism code of ethics, as the minister had spoken off record with the reporters.
“On Wednesday, November 7, 2018, Oak TV made some error in its reporting regarding a conversation with the Minister of Information. This is an error which we regret.
All team members involved have been sanctioned, and we would do more to tighten our gatekeeping responsibilities. We apologise and regret any embarrassment this might have caused the Minister” the statement said.
In the video that went viral on social media, Lai Mohammed told journalists he was speaking off record and said.
“The issue of whether, where he (Mr El-Zakzaky) is, at least let’s keep it off record, that he is in a residence and you know eating at the. It costs the government about N3.5 million every month to feed him”.
FG LAUNCHES DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS FOR FEDERAL CIVIL SERVANTS
AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM
SPONSORED BY: H&H
In a bid to enhance the skills and competencies of government employees in navigating digital tools and technologies, the Federal Government has launched a digital literacy training programme for federal civil servants.
This initiative is a collaborative effort between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
The programme aims to equip civil servants with the necessary skills to effectively utilise digital technologies, thereby improving their productivity and efficiency.
This is particularly important as digital transformation is fundamentally about people, and having a workforce that is proficient in digital tools is crucial for driving economic growth and development.
The Director General, of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE at the launch of a 3-day workshop on digital literacy training and certification for federal civil servants in Abuja, emphasised that digital transformation is a journey, not a destination, and it is fundamentally about people, not technology.
He stressed that without the active involvement and engagement of individuals, technology alone will not drive meaningful change. He said, “Technology makes our lives better, the government cannot accomplish that without you, as you are the one who creates the policies, designs the services, and delivers them to citizens”
The NITDA boss revealed that to reach the ambitious goal of 70% digital literacy by 2027, NITDA has launched an innovative initiative called Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) aims to empower Nigerians with essential digital skills, making them digitally literate and proficient in navigating the digital landscape.
He said, “The first initiative to work with the Ministry of Education to develop digital literacy skills curriculum has been approved and we started the implementation this month.
We are working now on training all teachers and collaborating with National University Commission, National Board for Technical Education, and National Commission for Colleges of Education, to infuse it in all tertiary institutions curriculum.
“The second one is working with NYSC to recruit 80 champions in each NYSC stream, every year we will train at least Ten million and three hundred thousand Nigerians on digital literacy. And the third one is the workforce readiness. According to world Bank, by 2030 between 35 to 45 percent of work in Nigeria will need digital competency,” he added.
The representative of Head of Service of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, emphasised the importance of transforming the civil service into a dynamic, technology-driven, and globally competitive workforce, adding that the vision is a cornerstone of the Federal Service Commission’s strategy and implementation plan, which prioritises the journey towards a digitally literate civil service.
She maintained that the workshop is not just a training exercise, but a pivotal opportunity to shape the future of Nigeria’s public service. “By acquiring cutting-edge tools and knowledge, participants will be empowered to deliver their mandate more effectively, driving meaningful change and progress in the country, she averred.
While acknowledging that the partnership between the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and NITDA, serves as a shining example of collaboration in achieving shared goals, she expressed her gratitude to NITDA and other participating organisations for their roles in bringing this vision to life.
“This collaboration underscores the importance of working together to harness the power of digital technology and drive meaningful change in Nigeria’s public service,” she added.
The newly sworn-in Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda on Tuesday, received the endorsement of the Governance Advisory Council, GAC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC August24news.com can authoritatively reveal.
Rt. Hon. Merenda
The leadership of GAC, gave the endorsement on Tuesday, at a closed door meeting with Meranda and some key principal officers, held at Lagos House, Marina.
Meranda, it was gathered sought the cooperation and understanding of the council members to in the discharge of her duty as speaker.
President Bola Tinubu, APC National leader then, created the GAC, which is the highest decision making body of the party in the state.
Fielding questions from the media after the meeting, the Speaker, said, “We briefed the GAC about what happened at the state House of Assembly and to seek their blessings which we have gotten.”
Meanwhile, the GAC, led by Tajudeen Olusi, declined to make any comment on the meeting.
It was however, gathered that the State Governor, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, left Nigeria on Monday night for an official event.
Recall that former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, who is currently abroad, was impeached by members of the House of Assembly on Monday over various allegations of misconducts and financial misappropriations.
Meranda, was immediately elected and sworn-in, replacing Obasa.
Also, the Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko was removed, while all standing committees of the House dissolved.
Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda was born on the 16th day of August, 1980, to the family of late Ojora of Lagos, T. A Lawal Akapo and Princess M. A. Lawal-Akapo of the royal families of Ojora, Aromire, Onitana, Oloto, and Oniru. (Her late father was a legislator at the local level before becoming the Ojora of Lagos).
Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda
She attended Anglican Girls Grammar School and later Ansar-Ud-Deen Secondary School, earning her West African Senior Certificate (WASC) in 1998.
Meranda obtained a Certificate in Software Development (Network Engineering) from NIIT in 2005.
Between 2007 and 2008, she worked in the oil and gas industry as a procurement manager at Cirrus Nigeria Limited.
She began her political journey in 2008, first serving as Senior Special Assistant on Intervention and Intergovernmental Affairs to the then Chairman of Apapa Local Government, Ayodeji Joseph, and later as Supervisory Councillor for Health.
In 2013, Meranda earned a B.Sc. in Public Administration from Lagos State University (LASU) and went on to obtain a Master’s in Public and International Affairs (MPIA) from the University of Lagos in 2020.
In 2015, she was elected as a member of the House of Assembly, representing Apapa Constituency I.
In 2023, she was elected the Deputy Speaker in 2023 Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Public Sector Management at the University of York, UK.
As an advocate for gender equality, Meranda has consistently called for greater representation of women, particularly in political spaces, championing their rights to fair and equal opportunities.
Ajagbe Adeyemi Teslim is the Publisher of August24news.com and a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly Correspondent known as (LAHACA)