News
Queen Elizabeth II turns 96
Gun salutes will mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 96th birthday on Thursday, although the monarch herself was expected to mark the occasion with little fanfare after a troubled year hit by health concerns.
Royal officials released a photograph of the horse-loving head of state with two of her fell ponies, as family members wished her well.
Her grandson Prince William and his wife Kate called her “an inspiration to so many across the UK, the Commonwealth and the world”.
In the British capital, 62 gun rounds will be fired later from the Tower of London and 42 in Hyde Park, where a military band will also play “Happy Birthday”.
Royal tradition since the 18th century has also seen the monarch have a second, official birthday, typically celebrated in warmer weather in June.
This year’s official birthday coincides with four days of public events from June 2 to 5 to mark the queen’s record-breaking 70th year on the throne.
No official engagements are planned on Thursday and the queen is spending time at her late husband Prince Philip’s cottage on her Sandringham country estate, where he lived after retiring from public life in 2017.
The trip is being seen as a “positive step”, given the queen’s recent health problems, British media reported.
Since an unscheduled overnight stay in hospital last October, she has cut down massively on public appearances on doctor’s orders.
A back complaint and difficulties standing and walking have seen her cancel a number of engagements, including recent church events to mark Easter.
A bout of Covid-19 in February left her “very tired and exhausted”, she admitted earlier this month.
But William’s brother Prince Harry told US broadcaster NBC in an interview aired on Wednesday that she was “on great form” when he saw her last week.
The queen was last seen in public at Westminster Abbey in central London on March 29 at a memorial service for Prince Philip, who died last year aged 99.
Health and succession
The queen’s enforced retreat from public life in her Platinum Jubilee year has increased attention on the succession and future of the monarchy.
Her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, has assumed more of his mother’s responsibilities in preparation to take over the throne.
His popularity has increased in recent years, according to an Ipsos poll of more than 2,000 adults in Britain in March.
But his 43 percent approval rating is still well behind that of his mother (69 percent), his eldest son Prince William (64 percent) and his daughter-in-law Kate Middleton (60 percent).
Some 42 percent of those surveyed also said they believed Charles, 73, should step aside for William, who turns 40 in June.
Aside from questions about the queen’s health and the succession, the royals have rarely been out of the headlines due to a succession of scandals.
Last month there was controversy after the queen’s disgraced second son Prince Andrew supported her at Prince Philip’s memorial service.
In February, he settled a US civil claim for sexual assault that had earlier seen him stripped of his honorary royal military titles and charitable roles.
The palace is said to be bracing for fresh revelations about royal life from Harry, who is due to publish his memoirs later this year.
The former British Army captain quit the royal frontline last year and moved to California with his American wife Meghan Markle.
From there, the couple accused the royal family of racism, while Harry claimed his father Charles and brother William were “trapped” within the system of the British monarchy.
The future of the royal family’s global reach is also far from assured.
The queen is head of state of Britain and 14 other Commonwealth countries around the world.
But Barbados became a republic last year and a number of other Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, have since indicated they want to follow suit.
News
Rep Oseni Urges Unity, Compassion in Christmas Message to Nigerians
As Nigerians celebrate Christmas amidst festivities and reflections, the Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo state, Engr. Aderemi Oseni has sent a heartfelt message to Nigerians, emphasising the importance of unity, compassion, and selflessness in nation-building.
In his Christmas message on Wednesday, contained in a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the lawmaker described the season as a time to reflect on the love and sacrifice demonstrated by the birth of Jesus Christ.
He urged citizens to embrace the spirit of giving, kindness, and shared humanity that Christmas symbolises.
“Christmas is a season of hope, joy, and renewal,” Oseni said. “It reminds us of our shared duty to show love to one another, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliations. Let us work together to foster unity and peace in our country, especially as we navigate through challenging times.”
The lawmaker also highlighted the significance of collective responsibility in nation-building.
“As we celebrate, we must remember the less privileged in our communities. Acts of charity and kindness, no matter how small, can make a significant impact on someone’s life,” he added.
The APC chieftain expressed gratitude to his constituents in Ibarapa East/Ido for their unwavering support, assuring them of his commitment to delivering more impactful governance.
He also called for patience and cooperation as the government works towards addressing issues affecting the nation, including infrastructure development, economic stability, and security.
“Let this Christmas inspire us to continue building bridges of hope and fostering the true Nigerian spirit of togetherness,” he stated.
As the year draws to a close, Oseni encouraged Nigerians to remain optimistic about the nation’s future, assuring them that better days lie ahead with collective effort and unwavering faith.
News
NCAA Sanctions Five Airlines Over Regulatory Breaches
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has initiated enforcement action against five airlines—two international and three domestic operators—for various violations of its regulations under Part 19.
The offenses include non-payment of passenger refunds within the stipulated timeframe, non-responsiveness to NCAA directives, mishandling of luggage, short-landed baggage, delayed and canceled flights, among other infractions.
Addressing journalists at the NCAA’s corporate headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Michael Achimugu, the Authority’s spokesman, stated that airlines must adhere to regulations regarding flight disruptions. He emphasized that failure to comply attracts sanctions.
“Although airlines are not always responsible for flight disruptions, NCAA regulations stipulate actions that airlines must take during such incidents. Failure to comply attracts various levels of sanctions,” Achimugu said.
He reminded airlines of the NCAA’s recent directive mandating refunds to passengers within 14 days for online ticket purchases and immediate cash refunds for tickets bought with cash.
The yuletide season has seen a rise in passenger complaints about delays and cancellations, largely attributed to harmattan-induced poor visibility. Achimugu clarified that airlines are not liable for cancellations due to force majeure but stressed that the enforcement actions are for cases where airlines are found at fault.
“This is harmattan season, so there is poor visibility. Flights must get canceled. This is force majeure, and the airlines do not owe passengers anything in those instances. The enforcement we are initiating today is on cases where the airline is deemed to have been at fault. More will come,” he explained.
Achimugu further disclosed that the NCAA would summon the chief executives of all airlines this week to address flight disruptions and regulatory breaches.
While the names of the sanctioned airlines were not officially revealed, sources close to the Authority identified them as Ethiopian Airways, Royal Maroc Airways, Arik Air, Aero Contractors, and Air Peace.
News
FG Targets 15m Households for Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Nentawe Yilwatda, has announced the Federal Government’s plan to reach 15 million households, representing 75 million people, through its conditional cash transfer scheme.
Speaking on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Yilwatda explained that the initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to mitigating the economic hardships faced by vulnerable Nigerians.
“The president was so specific,” Yilwatda noted.
“There are policies that he brought in to see if that can ease those challenges for people at the lower end of the pyramid. One of those policies is to reach out to 15 million beneficiaries under the conditional cash transfer, targeting households rather than individuals. Each household will receive ₦25,000 monthly, paid three times a year.”
Yilwatda further clarified that the 15 million households being targeted translate to 75 million Nigerians, assuming an average of five persons per household.
So far, the Federal Government has reached five million individuals but is facing challenges in fully sanitizing the social register, particularly with the implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) policy mandating digital identities for transparency and traceability of payments.
“Currently, only 1.4 million people on the social register have digital identities. Many of those we are targeting are outside the formal banking system,” the minister disclosed.
Yilwatda emphasized that women are specifically targeted as household leaders under the program to ensure the funds are used effectively for the benefit of children and other vulnerable members of society.
The conditional cash transfer programme, which is administered under the National Social Investment Programme, had earlier been suspended by President Tinubu in January due to allegations of corruption. However, the scheme was reinstated in February, with plans to extend the initiative to an additional 12 million households.
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