The Israeli security cabinet has approved a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, recommending that the wider government give its final green light, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

"After reviewing all the political, security and humanitarian aspects, and understanding that the proposed deal supports achieving the objectives of the war, (the security cabinet) has recommended that the government approve the proposed framework," the office said in a statement. The full cabinet will convene later Friday to decide on the deal.

GOV ENO ASSURES EQUITABLE DISBURSEMENT OF BUSINESS GRANT TO WIDOWS OF FALLEN HEROES

In further demonstration of deep concern for the welfare of widows of Nigeria's fallen heroes, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has outlined modalities of ensuring equitable administration and disbursement of the N250 million business grant he awarded them to mark the 2025 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

The Governor spelled out the disbursement criteria while speaking during the January edition of the Akwa Ibom State Government House Monthly Prayer Service, held at the Later House Chapel, Governor's Lodge, Uyo, Saturday, January 18, 2025, where he also outlined modalities for the proposed town hall meetings across the 10 Federal Constituencies of the State.

Describing the circumstances of his life as the mould that has shaped his governance disposition, Governor Eno urged Akwa Ibom people to thank God for the new year and expect the multiplied grace of God in the new season.

He stressed that his administration is committed to discontinuing the trend of release of government financial support to vulnerable citizens without commensurate socioeconomic effect on the targeted beneficiaries.

The Governor therefore directed the Ministries of Women Affairs and that of Humanitarian Affairs to commence the compilation of data of the widows of service men, to ensure a judicious disbursement process, and utilisation of the fund, towards ensuring optimal attainment of its purpose.

On the planned town hall meeting and empowerment in all the Federal Constituencies in the first quarter of 2025, Governor Eno tasked leaders and stakeholders of each Federal Constituency to, prior to the meetings, come up with a unified presentation that will represent the position and needs of their constituencies.

He further said that only those whose businesses are located within a local government area will be qualified for the special LGA - focused business grants.

Pastor Eno also called on pastors to continually pray for the good of the State and the government, and eschew tendencies that could dent the body of Christ.

The General Overseer of Christian Fellowship Evangelical Church, Reverend Emem Jacob, delivering a homily on the theme, "Dimensions of Grace," culled from 2 Peter 1:2, charged Christians to, while manifesting the various dimensions of God's grace, deliberately ensure that the grace does not end with them, but make a mark on their environments and generations after them.

Girl to girl:: what your favorite sanitary pad?

RAIN


Rain consists of water droplets that form as a result of atmospheric water vapour,it condenses and becomes heavy enough to fall due to gravity.

Also,rain is a type of precipitation that occurs when water falls from the sky in droplets. Rain can range from light drizzles to heavy downpours. The water droplets fall to earth in the form of rain when they become saturated with water molecules.

However,rain is a source of fresh water for many communities around the world where rivers,lakes or aquifers are not accessible. It makes modern life easy by providing water for agriculture, electrical energy etc.

Moreso,rain fall occurs in a particular season of the year and has duration. This season is also known as WET SEASON. In Nigeria for example,it typically occurs from April to September. However,the length the rainy season varies by region,for;

South: The rainy season lasts from March to November.
Far North: The rainy season lasts from Mid May to September.
The rainy season is most noticeable on the Southeastern coast,where annual rainfall can reach 130 inches. Climate change is affecting rainfall patterns in Nigeria,contributing to irregular rainfall events outside of the traditional rainy season.

Also,rain duration can vary depending on the intensity of the rain,the shorter,more intense rains being possible:
Light rain: A light rain typically lasts 30-40 minutes for 0.10 of rain, or 2-3 hours for 0.25 in of rain.
Moderate rain: A moderate rain typically lasts 10 minutes for 0.10 in of rain,or 30-60 minutes for 0.25 in of rain.
Heavy rain: A heavy rain typically lasts 5 minutes for 0.10 in of rain,or 15 minutes for 0.25 in of rain.

Rain intensity is measured by the rate of precipitation in millimeters per hour:

Light rain: Less than 2.5 millimeters per hour.
Moderate rain: Between 2.5-7.6 millimeters per hour.
Heavy rain: More than 7.6 millimeters per hour
Violent rain: More than 50 millimeters per hour.
Rain gauges and Weather radar can be used to measure the intensity of rain.


The importance of rain cannot be over emphasized they are:
Rain is a vital source of water for human and ecological survival. It replenishes water resources like rivers,lakes and aquifers and provides water for drinking, sanitation and industrial use.

It is essential for agriculture,as it provides moisture for crops to grow.

It regulates the temperature, especially in tropical and temperate regions.After a hot day,rain cool down the environment

It provides water for hydroelectric power plants.

It is a vital component of many ecosystems including forest, wetlands and rainforest.


Also, rain can cause damages or disaster in the world even with its advantages. Acid rain for instance causes damage to a lot of materials,stone,metal etc.
Heavy rainfall can cause soil erosion and floods etc.

So to that effect,some necessary measures are to be taken to avoid these damages that occur as a result of rainfall. These measures are:
Improve drainage by keeping it clean
Avoid flooded areas
Build dikes and levees
Consider terracing steep slopes etc.


Rain is an amazing weather that symbolizes a lot of events, festivals, cultures etc. No wonder a popular Nigerian Musician named 2Baba sang a song titled “Raindrops” symbolizing blessing according to the music.

Also,rain is often perceived as a message from the Divine. It signifies the end of a long terror, breaking of drought, unhappiness,rebirth, renewal etc. In the Igbo culture,the New Yam festival is a popular festival celebrated to thank the Supreme God for a good harvest and it is usually celebrated towards the end or after the rainy season.

In Conclusion,the rainy season is a season to look forward to because of what comes alongside it. It can be enjoyable and can be disastrous as well.

The biggest scandal in the current administration unraveled and took a new dimension when the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo was linked to Beta Edu’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. The Minister of Interior was allegedly linked to a scandalous contract at the Ministry. An opposition party had warned that failure to suspend the minister within 48 hours would lead to them mobilizing youths across the nation to shut down Abuja on Monday, 15th January 2024.

The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its dedication to creating a resilient city by eradicating open defecation and promoting effective sanitation practices throughout the state. This commitment was highlighted during the Year 2024 World Toilet Day celebrations held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja. The event emphasized the state’s efforts to address sanitation challenges and improve hygiene across Lagos.

BREAKING: SERAP Drags Tinubu To Court Over ‘Failure To Probe Missing N57billion In Humanitarian Affairs Ministry, Other Funds’

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President Tinubu To Present N47trillion 2025 Nigerian Budget Tuesday

The development was communicated by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

President Bola Tinubu is expected to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly on Tuesday.

The development was communicated by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“The president has made his intention known to the National Assembly to present the 2025 budget to the joint session of the National Assembly on the 17th of December, 2024," Akpabio said during the announcement at the Thursday plenary on the floor of the Senate.

Akpabio announced that the budget presentation would take place at the House of Representatives Chamber.

This move follows the submission of the medium term expenditure framework of the government by the lawmakers.

According to the MTEF, the 2025 budget is expected at N47.9 trillion and is the highest in the country’s history.
The Senate Committee on Finance, National Planning, and Economic Affairs is expected to consider the MTEF/FSP documents and report within one week.

Key estimations in the MTEF/FSP include a $75 oil price benchmark per barrel, daily oil production of 2.06 million barrels, an exchange rate of N1,400 to $1, and a targeted GDP growth rate of 6.4%.

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President Tinubu to launch construction of 3,500 housing units in Lagos, Kano

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to launch the construction of 3,500 housing units in Lagos and Kano on December 17 and 18, 2024.

These housing projects, comprising 2,000 units in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, and 1,500 units in Kano, are part of the Renewed Hope Cities under the broader Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, aimed at addressing Nigeria’s housing deficit, with construction work already commenced at both sites.

These housing projects, comprising 2,000 units in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, and 1,500 units in Kano, are part of the Renewed Hope Cities under the broader Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, aimed at addressing Nigeria’s housing deficit.

While the official launch is yet to take place, construction work has already begun at both sites.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Musa Dangiwa, made this disclosure during the Presentation of the 1st to 3rd Quarters 2024 Performance Assessment on Implementation of the Presidential Priorities and Ministerial Deliverables.

This information was outlined in a statement published on the ministry’s official website on Tuesday.

“From December 17 to 18, Mr. President has graciously accepted to break ground for two additional Renewed Hope Cities totaling 3,500 units —2,000 housing units in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, and 1,500 housing units in Kano. In fact, construction work is already ongoing at these sites,” Dangiwa stated.

Dangiwa also disclosed that the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme now comprises 13,612 active housing units, including the projects in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, and Kano.

Additionally, he highlighted plans for new Renewed Hope Cities sites, with 2,000 units each, in Nasarawa, Enugu, and Borno States.

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Student loan beneficiaries may hit 2.1m, says NELFUND

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, an intervention agency set up by the Federal Government, projected on Tuesday, that the beneficiaries of student loans may hit an estimated 2.1 million.

The Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed this at the inauguration and induction of members of the SERVICOM unit and committee in Abuja.

His projection comes one week after data obtained from NELFUND showed that it has disbursed over N104bn to 613,734 students from Nigerian tertiary institutions since inception.

The disbursed funds encompass institutional fees paid directly to the institutions of applicants and upkeep loans paid directly to the account number provided by the applicants.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Sawyerr explained that with the admission of about 400,000 new entrants this year, the Fund may be anticipating its total number of registrants to reach 2.1 million students.

He said, “For the people we are responsible for in tertiary institutions that are government-owned such as polytechnics, universities and colleges of education and the bulk of students who will be coming in for the next session, we have estimated our commitment today to these people is somewhere in the range of 2.1m.

“It is an estimate and it gets bigger than that when we start our skills programme. That is because there we have a lot more. We are expecting that about 400,000 students will be starting this new session.”

When asked if the Fund would also address the plight of the over 20 million out-of-school children in the country, Sawyerr dismissed the notion.

According to him, the loan scheme is strictly for students in tertiary institutions in line with the building principles and law.

“When you look at the Act that set up NELFund, it is very specific that it is for tertiary education. So, while we recognise that there may be 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, the law only allows us to address those who are studying or about to start the course of tertiary institutions owned by the Federal Government and subnationals.

“So the rest of the population of students is important. Some of them may eventually come into our purview as they get through their education system. But as of today, by law, we are only able to address those at the tertiary level. We have a two-pronged process. Before anyone can apply for a loan, he has to register with us.

“We have about 417,000 students who have registered on our portals and about 328,000 who have actually applied. Some have been processed, many have been looked at and most of them will get the loan,” he stated.

Earlier in her address, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of SERVICOM, Mrs Nnenna Akajemeli, called for teamwork and cooperation among the inductees to make the student loan process a seamless one for the beneficiaries.

SERVICOM is a Federal Government initiative to promote effective and efficient delivery in ministries, departments and agencies to ensure customer satisfaction and manage performance.

She said, “Wherever Nigerian students go, they stand out. So we need to continue encouraging them. It is also our job to build the skills of public servants for excellent service delivery.

“I want to appreciate NELFUND because it has been in constant touch with the SERVICOM office to ensure this programme is a success. For you to go fast, you can walk alone. But to go far, NELFUND needs to walk together as a team.”

Punch

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