News
Kenyan journalists assaulted by police at Nairobi airport
THE Committee to Protect Journalists today (March 27, 2018) called on authorities in Kenya to immediately investigate the assault of journalists by police at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi yesterday. According to media reports and journalists who spoke with CPJ, police officers attacked reporters covering an opposition politician’s return to the country, causing injuries to at least two journalists.
“Authorities in Kenya cannot resolve their political disputes by beating up journalists,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal from New York. “Kenyan authorities must urgently investigate this attack and put an end to any assaults on the press by security personnel, including police forces.”
Journalists from several media houses had stationed themselves at the airport Monday afternoon to report on the standoff between opposition politician Miguna Miguna and immigration officials who disputed his right to enter the country, according to media reports. Shortly before midnight, officers began to verbally and physically harass journalists reporting outside an international arrivals terminal while ordering them to leave, according to media reports and video footage. Two journalists, Stephen Letoo, a political reporter with the privately owned Citizen TV network, and Robert Gichira, a cameraman with the privately owned Nation TV channel, told CPJ that they were beaten by police.
Letoo, who said he was beaten, pushed, and kicked by an unknown number of officers, told CPJ that he momentarily lost consciousness and suffered injuries to his abdomen and limbs. He said he was treated at an airport hospital and discharged after two hours. Letoo told CPJ that two Citizen TV cameramen were also slapped by police officers at the scene.
Gichira told CPJ that he suffered minor injuries to his arms and legs in the attack. A third journalist, broadcast reporter Sophia Wanuna of the privately owned Kenya Television Network (KTN), told CPJ that she narrowly avoided being hit by a baton-wielding police officer while she was reporting live because her cameraman intervened and stopped the officer. Gichira and Wanuna also told CPJ that the officers damaged their camera equipment.
Dennis Itumbi, who heads digital communication for the office of the president in Kenya, said in a Facebook post yesterday that police had “done well.” Itumbi suggested that journalists had defied police orders and were filming in unauthorized areas. Reached by CPJ for comment today, Itumbi said that he “did not have the complete story” about whether journalists were “beaten” at the airport and directed anyone hurt during the incident to file a formal complaint.
Police spokesperson Charles Owino declined to provide comment to CPJ, and Inspector General Joseph Boinnet of Kenya’s National Police Service did not respond to two phone calls and a text message seeking comment this evening. Ministry of Interior spokesperson Mwenda Njoka told CPJ that the journalists had been in a restricted area of the airport.
Reports by Citizen TV and The Star daily newspaper indicated that authorities today continued to deny press access to Miguna, who was still detained at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Press conditions in Kenya have deteriorated drastically in recent months. CPJ documented harassment of and attacks on journalists by security personnel and politicians during the elections in 2017, and in February authorities shut down four television channels in connection with their coverage of an opposition event in Nairobi.
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.
News
Fuel Price Relief: PETROAN Promises Pump Price Drop This Week
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has assured Nigerians of a reduction in the pump price of petrol within the week, following adjustments to the ex-depot price by key players in the industry.
Last week, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and the Dangote Refinery announced a reduction in the ex-depot price of petrol to ₦899 per litre in Lagos. Despite this, the pump price at many filling stations across the country has remained unchanged.
However, PETROAN President, Billy Gilly-Harry, during a Monday appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, expressed optimism that the price change would soon reflect in retail outlets.
“But I believe from today when members start loading from both NNPC and Dangote at this new price reduction, it will reflect in the market,” he said.
Gilly-Harry lauded some members of PETROAN, particularly in Abuja, for proactively reducing their pump prices to below ₦1,000 even before the official announcement. He emphasized that while members strive to serve Nigerians by providing affordable fuel, they must maintain marginal profitability to sustain operations.
“We don’t encourage our members to try to sell products at a loss because our focus is to serve Nigerians. And the only way we can serve Nigerians is when we have the resources to do so. The resources can only be there if we’re making marginal profit enough to pay for the cost of money and ensure continuity in business,” he noted.
Addressing concerns over the delay in implementing the price reduction, Gilly-Harry explained that some retailers are still selling old stock purchased at higher prices.
“This reduction, if you apply it immediately, don’t forget that some of them bought at ₦970, paid transportation costs and logistics that have taken it quite high,” he said. “By the time it gets to their retail outlets, it’s quite much more than that. And so they must also sell at a profit – minimal marginal profit as provisioned by the PIA. So, that’s the reason.”
The PETROAN boss commended both the NNPCL and Dangote Refinery for their efforts in reducing the ex-depot price, which he described as a significant step toward easing the burden on Nigerians.
Nigerians are now hopeful that the price adjustment will translate into tangible relief at filling stations in the coming days.
News
FG Declares Festive Public Holidays
The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, December 25, and Thursday, December 26, 2024, as public holidays to mark Christmas and Boxing Day, respectively. Additionally, Wednesday, January 1, 2025, has been declared a public holiday to celebrate the New Year.
This announcement was made by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Magdalene Ajani. The minister extended warm greetings to all Nigerians, urging them to embrace the festive period as an opportunity to reflect on the values of love, peace, and unity that the season represents.
Tunji-Ojo emphasized the significance of the season in fostering harmony and strengthening family and community bonds.
“The Christmas season is a good moment for both spiritual reflection and national renewal. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, let us demonstrate kindness and extend goodwill to one another, irrespective of our differences,” he stated.
He further encouraged citizens to remain committed to peace, unity, and progress for the development of the nation, stressing the Federal Government’s dedication to ensuring security and prosperity across the country.
While wishing Nigerians a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year, the minister expressed confidence in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
He assured citizens that the coming year would usher in a stronger and more prosperous economy that would set Nigeria on a global pedestal.
The minister concluded by calling on Nigerians to celebrate responsibly, maintaining peace and unity throughout the festive season.
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