Author: user user

Speeding gas tanker bursts into flames in Lagos

A potentially devastating fire involving a gas tanker was brought under control on Thursday after the vehicle burst into flames at Ola Farm Bus Stop along Abaranje Road in Ikotun, Lagos.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed that no one was killed or injured in the incident.

In a statement issued by the agency’s Head of Public Affairs, Olawale Afolabi, the tanker reportedly ran into trouble after hitting a road bump at excessive speed. The impact caused the driver to lose control, while one of the tyres burst and triggered the fire.

Emergency responders arrived to find the tanker completely engulfed in flames. Working alongside the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, they succeeded in putting out the fire before it could spread to nearby buildings or other road users.

Traffic and security around the scene were jointly managed by officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, the Federal Road Safety Corps and officers from the Ikotun Police Division, ensuring order while emergency operations continued.

Although the blaze has been extinguished, the damaged tanker was still being removed from the roadway, with heavy-duty recovery equipment deployed to clear the obstruction and restore normal traffic flow.

The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, used the incident to remind motorists of the dangers of reckless driving.

He urged drivers to obey speed limits, particularly near road bumps and within residential communities.

Oke-Osanyintolu said compliance with traffic regulations would help protect lives and property.

He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to disaster preparedness, rapid emergency response and public safety across the state.

He also urged residents to report emergencies through the state’s toll-free lines, 112 and 767, for prompt response.

Questions over N30bn for palaces, places of worship

Questions have trailed the allocation of N30.15 billion in the 2026 budget for the construction, renovation and furnishing of palaces and execution of some religious-related projects across the country.

A document released by a public accountability organisation, Tracka – an initiative of the BudgIT Foundation – revealed that a total of N22.15 billion was earmarked for renovation and furnishing of 106 palaces nationwide while N8 billion was budgeted for projects related to construction, renovation and other related support to churches and mosques across the country in the 2026 budget.

The huge allocations for maintenance and construction of palaces and religious institutions at a time when critical sectors such as health and education are begging for attention have raised concerns over government spending amid a N31.45 trillion budget deficit and rising debt obligations.

Tracka said its review showed that N1.91 billion was allocated to seven church-related projects, while N6.14 billion was set aside for 52 mosque projects in different parts of the country.

The organisation explained that the allocations covered projects such as the construction and rehabilitation of worship centres, solar power installations, boreholes, musical equipment for churches, carpets, imam residences and facilities for Islamiyya schools.

Among the identified projects were a N1 billion allocation for musical and cultural equipment for churches in Abia State and another N1 billion for solar power installations at mosques in Zamfara State.

Findings by Daily Trust in previous related reports have shown that in most cases, lawmakers insert these projects into the budget lines of MDAs that lack the statutory mandate to execute them.

No locations for 11 palace projects worth N5.85bn

An extensive review of the budget document released by Tracka on Wednesday exposed widespread accountability loopholes, showing that 11 palace projects worth N5.85 billion have no identified physical locations, making public tracking and oversight impossible.

Also, none of the 45 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) saddled with executing these multi-billion-naira palace projects possesses the legal or statutory mandate to construct royal structures.

Instead, the federal government routed billions of naira meant for palaces through completely unrelated research institutes, agricultural colleges, and specialised health facilities, bypassing standard procurement scrutiny.

Among the allocations, the Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan in Oyo State was tasked with executing a N2.661 billion project for the ‘renovation of community halls and palaces in selected central communities in FNRP Lagos’ under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, alongside a N350 million project across six local government areas in Ekiti South, and a N210 million allocation in Ondo South.

The Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), Abuja, was earmarked N1.54 billion under the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation for the ‘modernisation and furnishing of some selected national heritage palaces in communities across Nigeria.’

The Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), Lagos, was allocated projects totalling N3.92 billion, including N1 billion for pavilions and solar power at Oluyin Palace in Iyin Ekiti; N525 million for a palace hall at Ojo, Lagos; N337.13 million at Itire Ikate; N315 million for the Agbana of Isanlu palace in Kogi State; N315 million for the Ologidi Central Palace in Ogidi; N175 million for Ootunja Palace in Ikole LGA, Ekiti State; and N140 million for Otosho of Agbashi Palace in Nasarawa State.

The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria was designated to handle N750 million for the completion and furnishing of the Olu-Adde Palace of Ekinrin Adde, Akinrin Palace in Ekinrin Adde, Obaro Kabba Palace, and Olujumu Palace in Iyara, Kogi State. The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOURS) was allocated N700 million for palaces and offices in Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, Plateau State.

The National Horticultural Research Institute, Ibadan, was slotted for N560 million for Emirs’ palaces in Zone B, Niger State; N350 million for the Etsu Nupe Palace in Bida; and N175 million in Obokun/Oriade, Osun State.

The Nigeria Stored Products Research Institute, Ilorin, captured N595 million for palace houses in the Niger Delta, and N210 million for the Olu Gbede Central Palace in Ijumu LGA, Kogi State.

The Federal Cooperative College, Oji River in Enugu State, was assigned N500 million for palaces in Ondo South; N200 million for the Obi Palace pavilion in Aniocha/Oshimili, Delta State; and N175 million for the Emir Palace in Shonga. The National Cereals Research Institute, Badeggi in Niger State, was allocated N400 million to construct traditional rulers’ palaces in Oruk Anam LGA, Akwa Ibom State.

The Industrial Arbitration Panel was assigned N369.46 million for an internal access road and palace road in Oyun LGA, Kwara State. The Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) was earmarked N350 million for the palace of the District Head of Paiko. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Headquarters captured N350 million and N140 million for palaces in Kwara South.

The Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Kuru, Jos, was allocated N350 million for the palace of the Okumagbe of Iuleha in Edo State. The Cocoa Research Institute, Ibadan, was assigned N280 million for a mosque and palace in Oyo State; N210 million for Okeluse Oba Palace in Ondo State; and N210 million in Obokun/Oriade, Osun State.

The Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa, Gombe, was allocated N280 million for VIP guest palaces in Gombe State; N200 million for district heads’ palaces in Yalmaltu-Deba; and N140 million in Balanga/Billiri. The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) was tasked with constructing palaces for Eze Odani, Eze Odu, and Odolukwu of Elelenwo in Rivers State for N280 million.

The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Headquarters was allocated N280 million for palaces in Kuje Amuwo, Lagos State, and Ilawe Ekiti. The Energy Commission of Nigeria was assigned N250 million for a palace hall at Awo, Osun State.

The National Productivity Centre captured N224 million and N140 million for Obas’ palaces in Ogun State; N210 million for Mopa Central Palace, Kogi State; N210 million for palaces in Epinmi Akoko and Ibaka, Ondo State; N200 million in Akungba Akoko, Ondo; and N140 million for Malabu District Head Palace in Adamawa State.

The Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, was tasked with N217 million for Obas’ palaces in Ogun State. The National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Jos, was earmarked N210 million for the Okumagbe of Iuleha Palace in Edo State. The Chad Basin River Basin Development Authority was assigned N200 million for solar street lights at Mai Gudi Palace, Yobe State.

The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) was allocated N200 million under the Ministry of Health to renovate district heads’ palaces in Gudu/Tangaza, Sokoto State. The Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research received N175 million for solar modules for palaces in Ijumu and Kabba Bunu, Kogi State.

The Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority was earmarked N175 million to complete the Ogoga Palace Hall in Ikere Ekiti. The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) was assigned N150 million for a palace in Oba Akoko, Ondo State. The National Centre for Technology Management, Ile-Ife, Osun State, was tasked with N150 million for the Ataoja of Osogbo Palace. The Niger Delta River Basin Development Authority was earmarked N150 million to complete Eze Elelenwo Palace.

The Federal College of Veterinary and Medical Laboratory Technology, Vom, was allocated N140 million for Emir palaces and a mosque in Birnin Gwari/Giwa, Kaduna State. The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) was tasked with N140 million for an Obi Palace pavilion in Delta State. The Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Dawanau, was listed among implementing agencies executed to construct and renovate palaces to the tune of N42 million.

Kalu explains N1bn church allocation

Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu explained that the N1 billion allocation for churches in his Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State was not meant solely for the purchase of musical instruments, as widely reported, but was part of a broader youth reorientation and social support programme.

In a statement on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, the Deputy Speaker said the project was designed to support faith-based organisations in promoting moral values, youth mentoring and campaigns against social vices.

He said the programme would focus on tackling issues such as drug abuse, sexual offences and violent crimes through community engagement and outreach activities.

According to the statement, the actual amount available for the programme after deductions, including Value Added Tax (VAT), is about N780 million.

‘The intervention is not about instruments alone. It is about leveraging trusted community structures to reorient our youths, promote unity and sustain moral instruction,’ the statement said.

Kalu’s office explained that the reference to ‘musical instruments’ in the budget description did not fully capture the scope of the intervention, which would include evangelical tools, public address systems and other equipment needed for community outreach.

The statement added that Bende Federal Constituency has 13 federal political wards and more than 200 churches, with the first phase of the programme expected to cover 130 churches. Each beneficiary church would receive intervention packages estimated between N5 million and N6 million.

Defending the initiative, Kalu said nation-building required investment beyond physical infrastructure.

‘Nation-building must go beyond roads and physical infrastructure. Government must also invest in building the character and value system of the people who use the infrastructure using various value-delivery platforms,’ he said.

The Deputy Speaker also dismissed claims that churches had already received the funds or equipment, stating that no disbursement had been made because the 2026 budget was yet to be implemented.

He explained that the federal government was still implementing the 2024 and 2025 budgets, making it impossible for any project under the 2026 Appropriation Act to have commenced.

Kalu’s office further disclosed that a letter of corrigendum had been initiated to correct what it described as a technical error in the budget description, allowing the Budget Office and the National Assembly’s Appropriations Committee to amend the wording before implementation.

What N8bn allocations can do for healthcare

A review of current market prices of medical equipment obtained from the websites of Nigerian biomedical equipment suppliers, including Gijuwie Biomedical Electronics Company Limited and Standard Medics Global Limited, shows that the N8.05 billion earmarked for religious projects could have supported the equipping of hundreds of primary healthcare facilities across the country.

The two companies, which supply, install and service medical and laboratory equipment for hospitals and clinics, list prices for critical healthcare tools ranging from diagnostic machines and laboratory equipment to maternity and emergency care devices.

Based on the prevailing prices of equipment sourced from the suppliers, a basic but functional primary healthcare centre would require between N35 million and N50 million for essential medical equipment, depending on the quality, brand and scope of services. Using this estimate, the N8.05 billion allocation could have provided equipment packages for between 160 and 230 primary healthcare centres nationwide.

For instance, a basic portable ultrasound machine currently sells between N2.5 million and N3.5 million, while patient monitoring machines cost between N1 million and N1.5 million.

A standard laboratory unit requires equipment such as haematology analysers for blood tests, which cost between N3.8 million and N4.2 million, and chemistry analysers estimated at between N1.2 million and N3.5 million, according to prices listed by medical equipment suppliers.

The funds could also provide essential maternity and emergency equipment needed in rural health facilities.

A delivery bed costs between N500,000 and N2 million, while fetal Doppler machines used for monitoring unborn babies are estimated at between N150,000 and N300,000.

Other essential items include oxygen concentrators, which cost between N300,000 and N1 million, suction machines estimated between N290,000 and N1 million, and sterilisation equipment such as autoclaves that range from about N1.5 million to N8 million, depending on capacity.

‘Nigeria needs reset over religious spending’

Political analyst Jide Ojo criticised the N8bn allocations for the construction, renovation and equipping of churches and mosques, describing it as an inappropriate use of public funds.

Ojo, who spoke on the controversy surrounding the allocations, said religious activities and projects should largely remain private affairs of citizens, arguing that government resources should be channelled towards sectors that benefit the wider population.

‘I am baffled at the enormous resources that the Nigerian government, both at the federal and state levels, has provided for religious rites, pilgrimage, renovation and building of religious worship centres,’ Ojo said.

He argued that government involvement in funding religious projects was misplaced, especially at a time when critical sectors such as education and infrastructure require urgent attention.

‘You are talking of money to do infrastructure, yet you have provided billions for mosque and church renovations. Does that make sense?’ he asked.

The analyst said politicians often support religious projects because of the influence religious leaders wield over their followers, describing such interventions as a form of political patronage.

‘They want to be seen as pious, to be seen as friends of the church or friends of the mosque. They know that people listen to their religious leaders, whether Christian or Muslim,’ he said.

Ojo said the billions being spent on religious activities could be better deployed to improve the condition of schools across the country.

‘Many of our schools, primary, secondary, even tertiary, are in dilapidated conditions. Why can’t we fix that?’ he queried.

He noted that several countries with strong religious populations do not involve the government in financing religious activities, citing the need for Nigeria to rethink its approach.

‘Have you ever heard of a state government or federal government in the United States sponsoring people on religious trips to either Saudi Arabia or Jerusalem? I think we need a brain reset for our leaders,’ he said.

Ojo also raised concerns about possible demands from adherents of traditional religions if the government continues to fund Christian and Islamic projects.

He cited the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as an example, arguing that traditional worshippers could also demand government support for their religious sites.

‘What about the traditional religious worshippers? They also have a right to demand that the government should come and build or maintain their shrines,’ he said.

The analyst said the government’s role should be limited to promoting religious harmony and ensuring that no group infringes on the rights of another.

Ojo, however, acknowledged that lawmakers often receive requests from constituents and religious groups seeking support, but insisted that such interventions should not become budgetary commitments funded with public resources.

Self-inflicted

We know trust is earned. But, being too late in the day to earn, could it also be bought?

Against the backdrop of very dismal opinion poll numbers, the administration is trying to shore up its political position by flooding the field with subsidies, distributing free rice and wildly raising wage rates. All these threaten to widen the deficit, bring us closer to a debt crisis and actually force poverty and unemployment rates to rise.

Regime survival is, of course, a valid concern. But a frantic regime is always forced into short-sighted policies. Such policies could bring down the entire political order like a house of cards.

The Marcos II administration has never been accused of excellence in governance. Under its watch, the worst corruption scandal exploded. It has not only failed to build the homes and classrooms it promised, it allowed an agricultural crisis to fester. It not only failed to sustain the infrastructure program necessary to improve the economy’s efficiency, its inability to properly control national spending means it will exit without a legacy project of any scale.

By the time this administration ends, it would have borrowed more than any preceding presidency – and without a pandemic to justify the reckless spending. The national debt will be the monument it leaves behind.

Everything else – the agricultural sector, the educational system, the housing program – will be worse off than when this administration found them. The country, once contending to be a global growth leader, is now at the bottom of the ASEAN Six. Investments are leaving the economy. We are again derided as the Sick Man of Asia.

There is a price for accessing power without a vision for what the country could become. We are paying that price now.

In its rush to win popularity points, the administration even politicized wage-setting. In the process, it set off an economic storm that could set us back many more years.

Last July 9, the DOLE-NCR issued Wage Order 27 that raises the mandated daily minimum wage by P85. The wage order was issued over strong dissenting opinions from private sector representatives in the tripartite wage council.

Even the normally discrete BSP Governor expressed surprise at the magnitude of the wage increase. He warned that inflation could push beyond our control.

The Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF), an influential policy-advocacy group composed of independent economists, was so alarmed it quickly issued a public statement calling for the suspension of the wage order pending review. For a while, policymakers seemed inclined to suspend the wage order.

This week, however, the Palace spokesperson announced that the wage order will push through as is. It seems the Marcos presidency is more alarmed of angry trade unionists showing up on the day of the State of the Nation Address than they are concerned with the profoundly adverse economic implications of this badly conceived wage order.

It its statement, the FEF warned the P85 daily wage increase will fuel an inflationary wage-price spiral. The wage order creates sharp distortions between wages and actual economic output. It adds further upward pressure on an already elevated inflation.

The FEF describes the wage order as a ‘cruel penalty’ on the poor and unemployed. At its prescribed wage levels, the order will swiftly erode the purchasing power of consumers, canceling out any nominal wage gains for the employed. As businesses cut back on hiring, the wage order will penalize unemployed and underemployed Filipinos the most. The wage order presents a higher barrier to entry that locks out more Filipinos from economic mobility.

Already facing many difficulties, the wage order will worsen the situation for micro-, small- and medium enterprises. With significantly increased operating and logistics costs, the wage order could push many enterprises over the edge. Many of the country’s businesses are already operating on very thin margins.

Furthermore, the wage order is an investment deterrent. It adds to the unpredictability in our regulatory environment that is already a bane for investors.

Finally, the FEF argues that the wage order constitutes a threat to our macroeconomic stability. Employers will pass on the 12 percent wage hike to consumers in order to survive. In the expected inflationary shock, monetary authorities will have to impose higher interest rates. This will further worsen an already inhospitable business environment. Our economic expansion can only slow even more, resulting in higher poverty incidence.

Oil prices may fluctuate. But wage rates are sticky phenomena. No one in this country will accept wage-reduction as a tool for faster economic growth.

The FEF calls for an ‘immediate return to evidence-based, tripartite wage-setting that aligns wage growth with productivity gains and macroeconomic realities.’ The wage order breaks the balance between protecting workers and keeping a healthy environment for enterprises to grow.

In a word, the wage order shoots our economy in the foot. It will condemn our economy to stagnation. It will produce even worse disinvestments.

But who will review this wage order?

Certainly not the labor secretary who has little background for the job and a disposition to submit to political dictate. He has said nothing about this issue which riles the entire business community.

Certainly, not the President. This was the man who claimed to have read every line in the 2025 national budget. This is the man who dreads angry unionists marching against his forthcoming speech.

LandBank H1 profit falls despite strong loans

State-run Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) saw net income slip 4 percent to P24.2 billion in the first half of the year as higher operating expenses offset stronger earnings from its core lending and investment businesses.

In its latest financial statement, the lender said net income as of end-June fell from P25.2 billion a year earlier.

Despite the lower profit, LandBank’s net interest income rose 8.6 percent to P57.9 billion as interest income grew 4.7 percent to P79.1 billion. A nearly 20-percent increase in investment income to P34.6 billion offset a 1.5-percent decline in loan income to P43.5 billion, while interest expenses fell 4.5 percent to P21.2 billion.

Higher operating expenses, however, dragged on earnings, rising 8.3 percent to P33.6 billion from P31.1 billion a year earlier. Compensation and fringe benefits increased to P13.2 billion from P11.3 billion, while LandBank booked P2.69 billion in trading losses. Other operating income rose 38 percent to P9.87 billion on higher fee and commission income and foreign exchange revaluation gains.

As of end-June, LandBank’s assets grew 2.8 percent to P3.54 trillion, while liabilities rose 3.9 percent to P3.29 trillion. Total borrowings surged nearly 660 percent to P128.2 billion from P16.9 billion a year earlier, driven by a more than 2,000-percent jump in domestic borrowings after LandBank raised P49.66 billion through its Asenso Bonds and tapped P50 billion from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ discount window facility.

Earlier, LandBank said it had no plans to issue another bond this year and would return to the debt market in 2027, subject to market conditions.

Foreign borrowings rose 61 percent to P18.9 billion, driven by higher bills payable, including P8.03 billion in deposit substitute repurchase agreements and P30 million in interbank term loans.

Manila girls rule softball world series

Team Manila-Philippines reclaimed the 2026 PONY International World Series 18-Under Girls Softball championship with an emphatic 8-1 victory over Texas Pride Elite Team in the title game at McAllen Softball Complex in Texas.

Representing the Asia-Pacific region, the Filipino squad capped an impressive tournament run by defeating the host region’s champion to regain the prestigious international crown before a packed crowd.

The victory marked another milestone for the Big City Softbelles, who previously captured back-to-back PONY World Series titles in 2023 and 2024 in McAllen. The team was also recognized as a Major Awardee during the 2023 Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards (PSA).

This year’s tournament featured top youth softball teams from across the United States, including host Texas, as well as international entries from Mexico, Guatemala, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico.

‘We are very proud of the team’s accomplishments, which is why we continue to support the advancement of these world-class youth athletes who come from poor families in the provinces with the promise of free college education from reputable universities in Manila,’ Team Manila Softball president and Manila Councilor Rafael ‘Che’ Borromeo said.

Borromeo said the team’s latest success has also drawn the attention of US collegiate programs.

Up for US recruitment

According to Borromeo, Texas AandM University and Texas Lutheran University have expressed interest in recruiting star pitcher Edralyn Borrico of Smokey Mountain, Tondo, who led the Philippines in the championship game. Other players reportedly being considered include Mary Antoinette Sicapore, Angelica Jean Latriz, Claire Olarte and Rhea Manalo.

Team Manila-Philippines is backed by Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko’ Moreno Domagoso, International Container Terminal Services Inc., San Miguel Corporation and the Philippine Sports Commission.

The program has enjoyed sustained international success over the past decade. Team Manila was named the PSA Athletes of the Year in 2012 after winning the country’s first softball world championship at the Girls Big League Softball World Series in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It also earned PSA recognition in 2017 and 2018 after winning consecutive PONY World Series championships in Hemet, California.

Group asks SC to suspend SALEx tree-cutting after RTC rejects bid

A group of college students on Thursday filed a petition with the Supreme Court (SC) for a temporary environmental protection order (TEPO) against environment officials and SMC Southern Access Link Expressway Corp. over the mass cutting of trees along Quirino Avenue in Manila.

The tree-cutting is intended to make way for the Southern Access Link Expressway (SALEx).

Five students, led by journalism student Joaquin Bautista and sustainability and environment student Elisha Zantua, brought the case to the SC after a Manila regional trial court (RTC) rejected their initial bid for a TEPO due to a technicality.

They said the RTC dismissed the petition in June, citing Section 23 of RA 11966, or the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) Code, which states that only the SC-and not lower courts-can issue a TEPO.

This prompted the petitioners to also challenge the provision as unconstitutional.

‘The PPP Code itself gives a full judicial shield over a PPP project that will cause reckless ecological modifications that are irreparable,’ lawyer Army Padilla-Santos, who represents the students, said in an interview after the filing.

The same law also allows the suspension of lower court judges who violate the provision and issue a TEPO for a certain project.

‘It appends the balance of power. Why is it that they can suspend a judge, when only the Supreme Court can discipline the judges?’ Santos said.

On May 27, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna announced that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had temporarily suspended the cutting of hundreds of trees at the intended site of the new expressway.

But at the time, more than 200 of the roughly 600 targeted trees had already been processed, according to the DENR

Soldier declared wanted for selling military uniforms to terrorists, others

A Nigerian Army Private, Mohammed Yusuf Amutu has been declared wanted over his alleged involvement in the illegal sale and supply of military uniforms to terrorists and other criminal elements.

Amutu, who was with Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps (NAOC) was said to have absconded from his unit on 3 June 2026.

He was declared wanted in a statement issued by Major Oluwatope Dorcas Aluko, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps on Thursday.

According to the statement, Amutu soldier was serving at the Nigerian Army Ordnance Kits Factory before he absconded.

‘Consequently, he has been declared wanted by the appropriate military authorities, while intensive efforts are underway to locate and apprehend him to face a full investigation and appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with extant military laws.

‘The Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps wishes to state unequivocally that it has zero tolerance for misconduct, indiscipline, or any act capable of compromising the operational effectiveness, integrity and reputation of the Nigerian Army or threatening national security.

‘Any personnel found to have aided terrorists, criminals or other non-state actors through the unauthorized sale, diversion or distribution of military uniforms, accoutrements or other controlled items will be subjected to the full weight of military and civil laws, the Army spokesperson said in the statement.

The Army also appealed to members of the public to support efforts to apprehend the deserter by providing credible information that could lead to his arrest.

It directed that such information should be reported immediately to the nearest military formation or any security agency.

‘The Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps reassures Nigerians of its unwavering commitment to accountability, professionalism and the protection of military assets.

‘The Corps will continue to strengthen internal control measures and ensure that every allegation of misconduct is thoroughly investigated while those found culpable are held fully accountable,’ the statement concluded.

Delivery driver shot dead after highway dispute in Bukidnon

A request to share the road took a fatal turn Wednesday afternoon when a 31-year-old delivery driver was gunned down following a traffic altercation in Barangay Vintar, Valencia City in Bukidnon.

The incident happened after the victim, traveling in an Isuzu Elf truck along Kapalong Road toward San Fernando, encountered a motorcycle allegedly not in the proper lane.

According to the Valencia City Police Station (CPS), the victim asked the motorcycle driver – who was traveling with his wife and daughter – to yield. The request angered the motorcycle driver, who later glared at the victim as the truck was unloading deliveries at a One Stop Shop in Purok 5, before continuing toward San Fernando.

Minutes later, another unidentified man arrived at the shop to confront the victim over the traffic dispute. The argument quickly escalated, and the suspect drew a firearm, shooting the victim three times.

The victim, who sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the back, attempted to flee toward his truck but collapsed on the ground. The assailant immediately fled on a motorcycle toward Valencia City.

The Valencia City Rescue Team rushed the victim to the Valencia City Health Center, but he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Responding police officers, led by Valencia police chief Lt. Col. Bryan Panganiban, found the victim lying face up near the delivery truck.

Authorities immediately activated ‘Oplan Shield,’ placing all units on full alert, and launched pursuit operations to apprehend the suspect. A Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) team from the Bukidnon Provincial Forensic Unit was also requested to process the crime scene.

Col. Oliver Sotto Navales, Bukidnon Police Provincial Director, has ordered a thorough investigation for the swift resolution of the case

Speaker seeks protection for food-producing provinces

Speaker Faustino Dy III has urged the government to protect provinces considered as major food producers to ensure food security.

At a briefing on El Niño preparedness conducted by the House committee on agriculture and food, Dy said food-producing provinces like Isabela are essential in safeguarding the nation’s food security.

He said that his home province of Isabela, one of the country’s top rice-producing provinces, supplies around 45 percent of the National Capital Region’s rice requirement.

Dy said protecting food-producing provinces requires not just emergency assistance, but also long-term investments that will enable farmers and irrigation systems to withstand climate-related disruptions.

He cited Isabela’s experience wherein provincial and national government agencies strengthened coordination, monitored water levels in Magat Dam and planned water releases in anticipation of prolonged dry conditions.

These steps were undertaken while the provincial government assisted farmers and fisherfolk, and pursued long-term water infrastructure projects, Dy said.

He said the country needs to invest in stronger and reliable irrigation systems, water-efficient technologies, community-based water management and climate-resilient agriculture.

These measures, Dy said, are important for agricultural provinces that serve as the country’s food baskets.

He urged government agencies to shift from reactive disaster response to proactive planning before the dry spell worsens.

Tanzania, China deepen defence ties amid global tension

Tanzania has reaffirmed the importance of its long-standing defence partnership with China, saying the cooperation has strengthened the country’s security capabilities through military training, technology transfer and capacity building.

Speaking during celebrations marking the 99th anniversary of the founding of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at the Chinese Embassy on Tuesday, the Minister for Defence and National Service, Dr Rhimo Nyansaho, said the partnership had become a cornerstone of bilateral relations. He said defence cooperation between the two countries dates back to the era of Tanzania’s founding President, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, and China’s Chairman Mao Zedong, and has continued to grow under President Hassan and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Beyond defence, the relationship has expanded to education, health, infrastructure and other areas of development, he said.