Category: PM News

President Bola Tinubu has expressed profound sadness over the crash on Monday morning of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 jet near a naval base in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State.

The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.

The President extends his deepest condolences to the family of the 25 passengers and seven crew members involved, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and all officers, airmen and airwomen of the Nigerian Air Force.

‘This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.’

‘The Chief of Air Staff has briefed me, and I have directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash to prevent future occurrences.

‘I commend the Nigerian Air Force for activating an immediate Search and Rescue operation following the accident..

‘ I pray for the repose of the souls of the gallant officers and for Almighty God to grant their families and the Nigerian Air Force the fortitude to bear the unfortunate loss.

‘ I assure the Nigerian Air Force of the continued support of our administration as they continue their vital role in securing our nation.

‘I also commend the swift response of first responders and the Ondo State Government at the crash site’, President Tinubu says.

Three scientist, Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel have been jointly awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine for groundbreaking work that has transformed ability to control and study brain cells.

The three scientists were honoured for discoveries that paved the way for optogenetics, a revolutionary technique that allows researchers to use light to switch specific nerve cells on and off, the Nobel Committee said on Monday.

The Committee added that the work trio has given scientists an unprecedented tool for investigating how the brain works, including the complex neural processes behind movement, emotions, memory and behaviour.

The Nobel Committee said at the heart of the breakthrough are light-sensitive proteins known as light-gated ion channels.

Hegemann and Nagel were instrumental in discovering and characterising these proteins, while Deisseroth later helped transform the findings into a powerful method for controlling the activity of selected neurons using pulses of light.

The breakthrough has opened a new frontier in neuroscience.

Instead of relying mainly on drugs or electrical stimulation, researchers can target particular groups of neurons with remarkable precision. This has enabled scientists to investigate the role individual cells and neural circuits play in both normal brain function and disease.

The implications extend beyond basic research.

Optogenetics has become an important research tool in the study of neurological and psychiatric conditions, including disorders in which abnormal brain-cell activity plays a role.

The Nobel recognition therefore marks not just an achievement in laboratory science, but a major step in humanity’s continuing effort to understand one of the most complex organs in the human body – the brain.

The award places Deisseroth, Hegemann and Nagel among the scientists whose discoveries have fundamentally changed the direction of modern medical research.

Their work demonstrates how a seemingly basic discovery about how cells respond to light can ultimately produce a powerful technology capable of probing the brain with extraordinary precision.

Redeemer’s University, Ede, will graduate a total of 2,471 students at its 18th convocation ceremonies holding from Thursday, 8 October, to Friday, 9 October 2026, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shadrach Olufemi Akindele, announced at a pre-convocation press conference on Monday.

Addressing journalists at the university, Professor Akindele said 2,030 students will receive bachelor’s degrees, while 441 will be awarded postgraduate degrees. Of the undergraduate figure, 200 students, representing 10.5 per cent made First Class honours, while 937, or 49.2 per cent, earned Second Class Upper Division. A total of 629 graduated with Second Class Lower Division, 126 with Third Class, and 11 with a Pass degree.

The graduating class has been named the Christ Ambassadors Set. ‘It is a name that carries responsibility,’ the Vice-Chancellor said. ‘We expect these young people to take their knowledge into the world with honesty, competence, and compassion.’

Professor Akindele disclosed that the National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved ten new full-time undergraduate programmes for commencement in the 2026/2027 academic session. They are Broadcasting, Public Relations, Advertising, Information and Media Studies, Journalism and Media Studies, Film Production, Criminology and Security Studies, Biotechnology, Software Engineering, and Information Systems.

He said the approval followed the NUC’s resource verification exercise, adding that the expansion carries an obligation. ‘Students who enrol must find capable teachers, appropriate facilities, and a curriculum that prepares them for the realities of their chosen fields,’ he stated.

The university, he added, has also received NUC approval to commence Pharmacy, Medicine and Surgery, and Dentistry, and is awaiting the approval of the relevant professional bodies before take-off. The Redeemer’s Health Village at Redemption City will serve as the teaching hospital.

100% Pass Rate

The Vice-Chancellor reported that the university’s physiotherapy and nursing students have maintained a 100 per cent pass rate in all external council examinations for several years, as have its pharmacy students. Some accounting students have also qualified as chartered accountants while still undergraduates.

At the May 2023 diet of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) examinations, eight students qualified as chartered accountants. Five of them will receive their BSc Accounting degrees at this convocation, while the remaining three are still undergraduates – one of whom was only in 200 level when she qualified.

‘I congratulate the students and their teachers. Professional training asks a great deal of both,’ Professor Akindele said.

International Recognition

He announced that the university’s Institute of Genomics and Global Health, led by Professor Christian Happi, received a grant from the Mastercard Foundation to train scholars from across Africa for short courses, MSc, and PhD degrees in genomics. Redeemer’s University is the only Nigerian university to receive the mandate. Last year, the university was also selected as one of the few private universities to provide postgraduate training to TETFund scholars.

Entrepreneurship And Innovation

On entrepreneurship, the Vice-Chancellor said the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development Studies organised an exhibition and trade fair on 14 May 2026, attended by representatives of the Bank of Industry, SMEDAN, the Corporate Affairs Commission, and the Osun State Ministry of Commerce. Students displayed skills ranging from farming, baking, and fashion to web development and digital marketing.

He explained that the revised curriculum provides vocational training from 100 level through 400 level, with certification on completion, so that students graduate with both an academic qualification and an entrepreneurship certificate.

Research, Peace, And Host Community

Professor Akindele said the university’s research strength in genomics, global health, water, and environmental science was reflected in its 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings performance. On 21 September, the Adeboye Institute of Peace and Good Governance, with the Directorate of International Relations and Protocol, marked the International Day of Peace with a youth roundtable on dialogue and social cohesion.

He also announced full scholarships for six Ede indigenes, a practice the university has sustained for more than a decade, and thanked the Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, and the people of Ede for their goodwill.

Convocation Programme

The convocation activities began on Friday, 2 October, with a meeting between graduating students and the Visitor, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, after the Holy Ghost service at Redemption City, where the students were anointed. A thanksgiving service held on Sunday, 4 October.

On Tuesday, 6 October, the awards and recognition ceremony will hold at 10:00 a.m. in the university auditorium. The convocation lecture holds on Wednesday, 7 October at 11:00 a.m., followed by the convocation play at BOJA Hall at 7:30 p.m., with a second performance the following night.

The first day of the convocation proper, Thursday, 8 October, will cover the faculties of Basic Medical Sciences, Built Environment Studies, Computing and Digital Technologies, Engineering and Technology, Management Sciences, and Natural Sciences. Two new projects – the female hostel for the Directorate of Educational Services and Training (DEST) and the new entrepreneurship centre – will be commissioned at 8:30 a.m. that day.

The second day, Friday, 9 October, will cover the faculties of Humanities, Law, and Social Sciences, together with affiliate institutions and the College of Postgraduate Studies.

Message To Graduate

Addressing the graduands, Professor Akindele said: ‘You have worked towards this moment for years. Enjoy it. Thank the people who helped you reach it. Then face the next stage with an open mind. Ask questions, accept corrections, do your work carefully. If you give your word, keep it. When you make a mistake, take responsibility and put it right.’

He thanked the Visitor, Pastor E. A. Adeboye; the Board of Trustees; the Governing Council; parents; academic and non-academic staff; the ceremonial committee led by Professor Adewale Adewuyi; alumni; partners; and the media.

President Bola Tinubu said Nigerian Army has operationalised new formations in Zamfara, Kebbi, Oyo and Osun states to to bring troops closer to vulnerable communities and strengthen their ability ability to respond swiftly to security threats.

The ?????????President disclosed this on Sunday in a post on his official X handle, @OfficialABAT, while highlighting measures to strengthen the Armed Forces’ operational capacity and welfare.

Tinubu said the new formations would bring troops closer to vulnerable communities and enhance their ability to respond swiftly when Nigerians are threatened.

‘This week, the Nigerian Army @HQNigerianArmy operationalised new formations in Zamfara, Kebbi, Oyo and Osun.

‘Our troops are now closer to vulnerable communities in these areas, strengthening our ability to respond swiftly and decisively when our people are threatened.’

He said the Federal Government was also fast-tracking construction of new barracks and depots in Abuja, Ekiti, Ebonyi and Kogi, with the Osun facility already completed.

‘We are also fast-tracking the construction of new barracks and depots in Abuja, Ekiti, Ebonyi and Kogi, with Osun already completed.

‘As we demand more from our men and women in uniform, we must do more to support them and their families.

‘Every deployment is a sacrifice made by a family too,’ the president stated.

Tinubu stressed that increased responsibilities for servicemen and women must be matched with greater support for them and their families.

He also acknowledged the impact of the recent pay increase for members of the Armed Forces, saying feedback from personnel showed that the adjustment was making a difference.

‘Over the past few days, servicemen and women of the Armed Forces have shared what the recent pay increase means for them and their families.

‘I am glad it is making a difference,’ Tinubu said.

The President reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the Armed Forces have the resources and support needed to protect the country.

‘As our Armed Forces stand watch over Nigeria, my duty as Commander-in-Chief is to ensure they have the resources and support to do their job and that Nigeria stands firmly behind the families waiting for them at home.’

He said the government would continue to support military personnel and their families as they serve the country.

A Professor of Political Economy and Management, Pat Utomi has sais Nigeria is trapped in a feeding bottle economy because its elites live off the state instead of creating wealth.

Utomi spoke on Monday in Benin City, Edo State, during an interview with journalists.

He said the country’s economic structure rewards rent-seeking and connections rather than productivity.

‘Nigeria should be creating wealth but because of the economic rent in the system, you have connection you get contracts, you do all these things and you get money without creating any real value,’ he said.

According to him, real wealth creation generates jobs and improves living standards, but what obtains in Nigeria is individuals enriching themselves from public funds with little impact on the wider population.

‘If you are creating wealth, the thing you are producing will result in jobs and jobs will make life better for many more people. But you see somebody who has so much money but just a few hangers-on are the jobs that he creates because he is not creating wealth, he is just taking public money and putting it in his pocket. That’s why it’s a feeding bottle economy,’ he said.

Utomi said it’s tragic that despite huge endowments, Nigeria remains among the poorest countries, unlike Qatar and Saudi Arabia which have transformed their resources. He referenced a recent lecture by former Minister of Agriculture and AfDB President, Akinwunmi Adesina.

‘Nigerian elites are not willing to work hard and build their people up because they are so selfish. They just see what they can take from the system, not something they create,’ he added.

He explained that capitalism thrives on competition and creative destruction where new, better ideas displace old ones, but in Nigeria, those in power block emerging players.

‘The nature of capitalism is not wickedness, it is competition. In Nigeria, those who have power try to block the way for those who are coming and that will keep everybody down. If the system has institutional arrangements that enable people who have great ideas but don’t have resources to break through, then they can torpedo the current dominant capitalist class. That’s creative destruction,’ he said.

Utomi said fixing Nigeria requires visionary leadership and institutions that support innovation and merit.

He charged journalists to be agents of transformation by enlightening the public and moving political discourse from tribal sentiments to ideas.

‘Enlightenment from journalists like you is a critical part of it. When people are more enlightened, they will see that the quarrel is about ideas, not us against them based on emotion,’ he said.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ibadan Branch has explained why its members will boycott of all activities for the 2026/2027 New Legal Year, organised by the Oyo State Judiciary.

The decision followed deliberations on recent administrative directives from the judiciary leadership, especially the decision to prevent the Bar’s chairman from addressing the event, the branch’s publicity secretary, Mr Raheed Khan, said in a statement on Sunday night in Ibadan.

The Ibadan NBA branch said it unanimously reached the boycott decision at its General Meeting convened on Saturday.

The branch said administration of justice is built upon a sacred symbiosis between the Bench and the Bar, as co-equal custodians of the rule of law.

It stated that the annual New Legal Year ceremony was an institution of accountability, reflection and constructive discourse, not a mere judicial pageant.

According to the branch, its chairman’s address serves as the canonical medium through which the Bar presents systemic observations and advocates for judicial efficiency.

It, therefore, said the judiciary leadership’s unilateral decision to excise and suppress the Bar chairman’s address was an existential affront to the Bar’s collective dignity.

‘To deny the Bar its historic voice during a state ceremony is to relegate legal practitioners from equal partners to mere passive spectators,’ it stated.

It added that silence in the face of such structural marginalisation would set a perilous precedent for the profession’s future.

The NBA branch, therefore, said it would hold an independent New Legal Year ceremony to celebrate the event on its own terms.

According to the branch, the alternative event is scheduled for Monday at 10.00 a.m. at the Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, Bar Centre, NTC Road, Ibadan.

It stated that participants would be fully robed in wig and gown.

The branch said that its collective absence from the judiciary’s ceremonies and resolute presence at the Bar Centre would send an unmistakable message.

The Ibadan NBA It added that history measures a Bar not by the ease of its compliance, but by the firmness of its convictions.

‘Let posterity record that when the voice of the Bar was threatened with erasure, the Ibadan Bar stood as one, unshaken, unbroken, dignified, and unapologetic,’ it said.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State judiciary had scheduled the 2026/ 2027 Legal Year Service to be held on Monday.

It was slated to be held simultaneously at the Cathedral of St. James, Oke-Bola, Ibadan, and the Oyo State Judiciary Mosque, High Court Premises, Ring Road, Ibadan.

The Speaker of the Zamfara House of Assembly, Hon Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki said the eight members of the Assembly who recently dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) had been suspended from the House long before their purported defection.

The eight lawmakers had cited alleged injustice, lack of unity, insecurity and poor leadership in the state as reasons for dumping the APC in their respective resignation letters.

The submitted the letters to chairmen of APC in their wards.

However, they have not announced their new political party.

The lawmakers represent Mafara South, Maradun I, Bakura, Bukkuyum North, Gummi I, Bungudu West, Maru North and Kaura Namoda North constituencies.

But in reaction to the defection, the Zamfara Assembly Speaker accused the suspended lawmakers of attempting to divert public attention from the substantive disciplinary issues surrounding their suspension.

He also said the lawmakers were trying to create what he described as erroneous impression of instability within the Assembly.

According to him, the eight lawmakers were suspended on 26 February 2024 over allegations of gross misconduct, conspiracy, mischief, contempt of the House, and convening an illegal sitting in violation of the Standing Orders of the Assembly.

He also listed other accusations against the lawmakers to include actions bordering on burglary, forcible entry, and destruction of public property.

Moriki said the lawmakers had forcefully broken into the offices of the Clerk and the Sergeant-at-Arms, forcibly gained access to the Legislative Chamber, damaged Assembly property, and thereafter convened an unauthorised sitting.

The Speaker said criminal complaint was filed against the suspended lawmakers before a court of competent jurisdiction following their actions.

‘The Zamfara State House of Assembly is stable, functional and fully engaged in its constitutional responsibilities. The purported defection of members who have remained under suspension cannot be presented as evidence of disarray in the House.

‘These members were suspended for alleged gross misconduct and serious violations of the Standing Orders of the House, including allegations bordering on forceful entry into offices of the Assembly, destruction of public property and the convening of an unauthorised legislative sitting,’ Moriki said.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening the state’s education sector through sustained investment in teacher training, capacity development and improved learning environments.

Sanwo-Olu made the commitment on Monday at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration held at the NUT Pavilion, Central Business District, Agidingbi, Ikeja, with the theme, ‘Standing With Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing its Status and Shaping Our Future.’

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, said the changing demands of education required teachers to continuously acquire new skills, particularly in technology, artificial intelligence, innovation and entrepreneurship.

He said the government would continue to invest in professional development while promoting the integration of technology into teaching and learning and improving facilities across public schools.

‘The demands on teachers are changing. UNESCO and the ILO are now revising the 1966 Recommendation because teachers face pressures that did not exist then, from digital technology and climate change to inclusion, migration and displacement,’ Sanwo-Olu said.

‘The classroom of today is not the classroom of yesterday. Our teachers must be equipped for a future shaped by technology, artificial intelligence, innovation, entrepreneurship and a changing global economy.’

The governor also urged teachers to uphold professionalism and integrity, while calling on education managers and school administrators to create supportive environments where teachers could perform effectively.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that his administration recruited 4,353 qualified teachers between 2023 and 2025, deploying them across the state’s education districts and the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board.

He added that another recruitment exercise had been approved through the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board to further strengthen the teaching workforce.

On teachers’ welfare, the governor said the government had maintained its practice of paying salaries on the 23rd of every month and had approved N102.5 million in housing loans for teachers.

‘We will keep recruiting on merit, because our classrooms still need more teachers,’ he said, adding that requests concerning teachers’ retirement age and the Annual Teachers’ Merit Award were receiving the government’s attention.

In her goodwill message, the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, represented by a former Tutor-General, Education District IV, Mrs Anike Adekanye, commended teachers for their contribution to the development of the state.

She said the impact of teachers should not be measured solely by students’ examination results, but also by the professionals and responsible citizens who emerge from their classrooms.

Lagos Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, said various government interventions were changing the narrative in the education sector, citing improvements in teachers’ welfare, infrastructure, teaching and learning outcomes, research and performance in West African Examinations Council examinations.

Addressing teachers’ demand for the restoration of the Teachers’ Merit Awards, Alli-Balogun disclosed that the state government had approved the request and that teachers would soon be invited to participate in the selection process.

Delivering the keynote lecture, Dr Olatoye Makaila Ayinde called for increased investment in teachers’ professional development, particularly in artificial intelligence and digital content creation.

He also advocated modern laboratories, smart classrooms and improved internet access in public schools, while urging the government to strengthen teacher licensing through the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.

Ayinde further called for special bursaries and scholarships for students studying education and greater involvement of practising teachers in curriculum development and policy formulation.

In his welcome address, Lagos State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Akintoye Hassan, pledged the union’s continued cooperation with the state government in advancing education.

Hassan, however, highlighted key concerns requiring government attention, including improved security in schools, the appointment of Headmaster-Generals, better infrastructure, teachers’ welfare and restoration of the annual merit awards.

He said addressing the issues would help improve working conditions and recognise excellence, dedication and innovation among teachers across Lagos State.

The Anambra State Government has warned supporters of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) against backing Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election, framing such support as a betrayal of the party that produced him as governor.

The government fired the warning in a post titled ‘A Betrayal Alert for Ndi APGA’, accusing Obi, the presidential candidate of the NDC, of working against APGA since leaving the party in 2014.

‘A vote for Peter Obi and the NDC is a vote to kill APGA,’ the government said.

It accused the former Anambra governor of turning against the political platform that helped launch his rise to national prominence.

‘Since 2014, Obi has had one mission: to destroy the party that made him,’ the statement alleged.

The state government also referred to political developments in 2025, accusing Obi of backing forces opposed to APGA while President Bola Tinubu supported the party.

‘In 2025, while President Tinubu stood with APGA, Obi backed opposition to bury us,’ it said.

It consequently urged APGA members in Anambra not to abandon the party because of Obi’s 2027 presidential ambition.

‘Do not be deceived by a man who abandoned his own house. Anambra is APGA. Ndi APGA, defend your home. Resist the NDC.’

Obi governed Anambra State on the platform of APGA between 2006 and 2014, although his first spell in office was interrupted by his impeachment in November 2006.

He formally left APGA for the Peoples Democratic Party in October 2014.

Obi later quit the PDP in May 2022 and contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party, finishing behind Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar.

He subsequently left the Labour Party in December 2025 for the African Democratic Congress before later moving to the NDC alongside former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The fresh political attack comes amid an escalating dispute between Obi and the Anambra government over debts allegedly inherited from his administration.

Anambra Commissioner for Finance, Izuchukwu Okafor, had claimed that the state was still servicing loans contracted by previous administrations, including those of Obi and Willie Obiano.

Obi rejected the allegation, insisting that he left office without unpaid salaries, pensions or contractor debts.

He also said his administration left N2.1 billion in ecological funds for the state.

The Anambra government later disputed his account, with Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, claiming Obi left behind $123.77 million in external debt.

Mefor also challenged Obi’s claim concerning the N2.1 billion ecological fund.

The General Manager of Glocient Hospitality, Lanre Sharafa Balogun, has said Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort is not partisan and remains focused on investment, job creation and adding value to Ekiti State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Balogun made the clarification at the JAGZ Hospitality Conference 2.0, held at JAGZ Hotel in Ibadan, where stakeholders in the hospitality industry, security agencies and other participants discussed security, regulation and the role of hotels ahead of the 2027 elections.

The conference also featured contributions from security officials, including the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, who warned against allowing hotels to become political offices as political activities intensify ahead of the elections.

Speaking on the position of Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort, Balogun said its partnership with the Ekiti State Government was purely aimed at business development, investment and employment creation.

‘First of all, we are not partisan. We are a private business.’

He explained that Glocient Hospitality entered into a multi-year concession arrangement to transform the resort, which he said had previously been abandoned.

‘What we’ve done is to partner with the states, with the state governments to create employment by getting a multi-year concession of the resort.’

Balogun said the company had invested billions of naira in the transformation of Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort, describing the investment as an effort to revive the facility and preserve its heritage.

‘Don’t forget the resort was abandoned, it was a dead asset. We’ve invested billions to transform the resort, transform the heritage.’

According to him, the investment has also created employment opportunities for residents of Ekiti State.

He said more than 250 people had been employed at the resort, with about 70 per cent of the workers coming from the state.

‘We’ve employed over 250 people. 70% of that 250 are individuals of the state.’

The Glocient Hospitality executive said the employment figures reflected the company’s objective of using its investment to create opportunities and contribute to the development of the state.

‘That is adding value, transforming lives to the state. We are not partisan. We are there to impact and transform lives.’

Balogun added that, beyond creating employment and transforming the resort, the company was also seeking a return on its investment.

‘What we are there for is to create employment and also, at the end of the day, have a return on investments.’

He described Ikogosi as a model for Glocient Hospitality’s broader plan to transform moribund hospitality assets across Nigeria.

‘Our goal is to transform moribund assets in major states of Nigeria. Ikogosi is our model business that we’re transforming to show to the world.’

Balogun said the transformation of Ikogosi demonstrated the capacity of Nigerian expertise to revive abandoned assets and turn them into viable business and tourism destinations.

He maintained that the resort’s activities should therefore be viewed from the perspective of investment, employment and development rather than partisan politics.

On security and regulation, Balogun said hotel owners and managers could not avoid working within the law, stressing that regulation was necessary to protect hospitality businesses and their customers.

‘As practitioners, as hotel owners, and as managers of hotels, we can’t shy away from being regulated. We are governed by law, we are regulated by law.’

He said criminal incidents in hotels could have a damaging effect on their businesses, citing kidnapping and fraud as examples of incidents capable of affecting public confidence.

Balogun explained that when such incidents occur, prospective customers could begin to associate the hotel with criminal activities, thereby affecting its reputation and patronage.

He consequently called for stronger collaboration between hospitality operators and security agencies to ensure the safety of hotels and resorts.

‘The take home is that we must be regulated, and let’s partner with the regulatory authorities to ensure that our hospitality industry and our hotels and resorts are safe.’