A controversial rent cap to control soaring rents in the German capital Berlin has been scrapped by the countrys Constitutional Court.

The legislation had been welcomed by tenants, but panned by developers and landlords since it came into force in February 2020.

Since then, the rents of around 1.5 million flats in Berlin had theoretically been frozen at June 2019 rates.

The court ruled on Thursday that the Berlin government had overstepped its powers in introducing the law, as the federal law governing rents were already in place.

Previous federal laws had attempted to ensure a fair balance between the interests of tenants and lessors, interests that are protected by fundamental rights.

This means that the German states are precluded from passing rent legislation in this regard, an English statement from the court said.

The Berlin rent cap was, therefore, void in its entirety.

The court decision means that rents that had been reduced in line with the law can now go back up.

Many thousands of tenants may also be required to back-pay their rent from the months since the Berlin legislation came into force.

The rent cap was unique to the German capital, where a left-wing coalition has been in power under Mayor Michael Mueller.

Mueller had, this year, described the law as a necessary breather for tenants struggling to deal with the soaring cost of renting a property in the city.

The challenge in the Constitutional Court was originally brought by centre-right CDU and CSU parties and the liberal FDPparty, who argued that the city government had exceeded its powers.

The FDP welcomed the ruling on Thursday as good news.

FDP lawmaker and housing expert Daniel Foest said the Berlin Senate had exploited renters in Berlin for an ideological experiment and it had failed.

Shares in major property firm Deutsche Wohnen rose sharply after the decision. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Salisu Sani-Idris

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has begun sensitisitition of farmers in the territory to the adaption and building of Resilient Agricultural and Food Security Systems.

Mr Ibe Chukwuemeka, the Acting Secretary, FCTA Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, stated this when he inaugurated an awareness campaign on Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) on Wednesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the campaign was inaugurated at the Palace of the Sapeyi of Garki, Alhaji Usman Ngakupi.

Chukwuemeka said resilient agricultural and food security systems would mitigate effects of climate change and reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural activities

He noted that the issue of climate change had become a global phenomenon which was exacerbated by poor agricultural practices burning of fossil fuels and cutting down forests among others.

Chukwuemeka added that those practices add enormous amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

He explained that the concept of the climate smart agriculture which the FCT administration was promoting was aimed at enhancing the integration of agricultural development and climate responsiveness toward increasing food production.

He said, It is on this regard that the FCT administration directed that this sensitisation and awareness campaign be taken to all the 17 Chiefdoms of the FCT.

This will enable the administration to educate the farmers and the general public on the adaptation and building of Resilient Agricultural and Food Security Systems, as well as the reduction of GHG emissions from Agricultural activities.

He said that the Department of Forestry had produced a multilingual handbook on Climate Change Adaption and Mitigation Measures in Agriculture.

Earlier, the Director, Forestry, Mrs Caroline Opara, said that it was imperative that farmers in the territory be equipped and updated with modern farming methods aimed at environmental sustainability in order to increase output.

Opara said that in 2020, five persons were arrested and prosecuted for forestry encroachment in some areas councils in the FCT, while two others were arrested in 2021.

Speaking, the Sapeyi of Garki advised the department of forestry to be proactive in addressing forestry encroachment.

Ngakupi also stressed the need for the FCT agriculture secretariat to establish Forestry Guard to curtail encroachment in the territory.

The traditional ruler cautioned his subject against practices that could impact negatively on the environment and farming.

Source: NAN News

By Maharazu Ahmed
Some residents of Kano and Katsina States have blamed cement manufacturers over the prevailing scarcity and high cost of cement nationwide.

Some of the residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the situation had affected building projects and left bricklayers redundant.

Alhaji Kabiru Idi, a building contractor, said he had delayed some of his projects due to high cost of building materials.

I want to continue but I had to stop because of the high cost of building materials, including cement, he explained.

According to him, a bag of cement which cost between N2,650 and N2,750 in 2020 is now sold for N3,650 and N3, 750.

Idi added that the situation had forced many people to change their construction plans or suspend the project.

Another contractor, Suraj Najeem, said that he had to review a contract he had with a company because of the high cost of materials, particularly cement.

Najeem explained that some block industries had since reduced the quality of their blocks in an attempt to make profit.

Ado Bala, who is building his personal house at Medile area of Kano, said he had taken a break due to high cost of cement and other building materials.

The government needs to find a way to help us, so that the poor can own their houses, he said.

Bala said a six-inch block, which was sold between N110 and N120 is now sold for N130 and N140 while a nine-inch block is sold at N180 and N190, as against N160.

Musa Saleh, a cement dealer, attributed the rise in the price of cement to scarcity of the product.

Some shops were without a single bag of cement due to the fluctuation in price and scarcity of the product, he said

Sale also accused some of the cement companies of creating artificial scarcity, alleging that the products are being diverted to neighboring countries.

In Katsina, retailers selling a bag of cement at N2,600 before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, now sell it at between N3,500 and N3,700.

The retailers blamed the situation to the scarcity of the product, alleging that major cement manufacturers had reduced their production.

According to them, major manufacturers involved are Dangote, BUA and Sokoto cement.

Alhaji Abubakar Aminu, a cement dealer in Katsina, claimed that the companies had cut down their production during the COVID-19 lockdown and since then, the supply and price have remained unstable.

Aminu said that some of the companies had adopted new policies that made access to the product difficult for most cement dealers.

According to him, Dangote, which is the major cement producer in Nigeria, now sell cement only to major dealers, unlike before when the company deal with both major and small dealers.

In the past, what you need to do is to open an account with the company and deposit money for few trucks of cement depending on your capacity.

Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the price was stable and the product was available almost everywhere in the country.

As a result of that policy, small dealers no longer have access to buying cement directly from the manufacturer.

If you want to remain in business, you have to buy from major dealers who determine the market price.

The major dealers sell it to small dealers above the original company price, while the small dealers sell it to consumers at a price higher than what was obtainable before, he said.

He said that the manufacturers have not increased the price of the products in reality, but their new policies led to the present increase in the price of cement nationwide.

Aminu said that unless the companies reverse the policy, Nigerians would continue to buy cement at a high price.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Abbas Bamalli
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state has waded into the dispute between Dangote and BUA companies owned by two business moguls from the state.

This is in order to resolve the lingering conflict among the two Kano State prominent indigenes Aliko Dangote and Abdussamad Isyaka-Rabiu over the establishment of a Sugar plant by BUA.

A statement by Abba Anwar, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor on Thursday in Kano, said the reconciliation meeting took place on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said that Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Kano Emirate and the Kano State Council of Imams joined the governor in the reconciliation meeting.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that recently there were reports that Dangote complaints about the establishment of a sugar plant by BUA International Limited in the Port Harcourt free trade zone, saying it was out of tune with export laws.

Anwar said that after the meeting, Chairmen of both Dangote and BUA agreed to work together to supply enough sugar to satisfy the demand of the country.

According to him, the meeting put a stop to all rumours that the duo was in dispute over sugar business control in the country.

They all dismissed allegations that Dangote was planning to see the increase of sugar price, thereby pressurising BUA to succumb to the increment. They described the allegation as baseless and lacking any iota of truth.

The meeting was seen as the zenith of other similar efforts to reconcile the two giants by the governor. Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata played the role of a father during the meeting, Anwar said.

Present at the meeting were the Minister for Commerce, Trade and Investment, Mr Niyi Adebayo and representative of the Kano Emirate, Alhaji Aminu Dan-Agundi.

Others are Chairman of the Council of Kano Imams, Sheikh Muhammad Nasir-Adam, the Chief Imam of Sheikh Ahmadu Tijjani Friday Mosque, Kofar Mata, Kano and the Chairman of NEPZA, Adamu Panda.

All the two business moguls agreed to work together in unity for the growth and development of the nation.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Monday Ijeh
The Inspector General of Police (I-G), Mr Usman Baba, has ordered the immediate disbandment of the I-G Monitoring Units in Lagos and Port Harcourt.

Baba gave the order on Thursday in Abuja at the opening of a conference of Police Strategic Commanders, consisting of officers of the rank of Commissioner of Police (CP) and above.

The I-G has also ordered the streamlining of the personnel profile of the I-G Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters to not more than 50 operatives.

The police boss announced the banning of the unit from undertaking criminal investigations, including taking over of cases from Police Commands in States.

According to him, under the current dispensation, the unit will only operate within their original mandate, to investigate complaints of professional infractions against serving officers.

Baba said the directives were in furtherance to the reorganisation plans of the force and its commitment to return to the basics in policing.

He said the repositioning initiatives were being worked out in relation to other ad hoc investigative units in the Force.

The Police boss said the idea was to restore professionalism, address citizens concerns on rights abuses resulting from the existence and operations of the ad hoc investigation units.

Baba said it was also to discourage duplication of police functions that encourages indiscipline and abuse of police process.

He said the conference was convened to interact with the officers and define his Mission Statement and organisational vision.

The police boss said it was also to assess the current internal security situation across the country, review strategies and put in place sets of strategic actions to restore order and public confidence.

I must reemphasise that the major task ahead of us is to address the treats of secessionism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and sundry violent crimes in the shortest possible time.

I appreciate the sacrifices that most of you have been making and the successes you have recorded in the war against criminality and secessionist agenda.

I also acknowledge the challenges associated with your duties but the reality is that more grounds need to be covered if we are to restore public confidence, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Desmond Ejibas
The Police Command in Rivers has deployed no fewer than 17,500 personnel for Saturdays Local Government elections in the state.

The commands Spokesman, SP Nnamdi Omoni, made this known in a statement in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

Omoni said the deployment of the personnel and hardware was aimed to forestall possible violence and ensure free, fair and transparent exercise.

He said: The Rivers State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that adequate security has been emplaced to ensure a peaceful exercise.

To realise the full objective of the council elections and engender a seamless exercise, the command has deployed 17,500 personnel.

The deployment will be complemented by deployments from other sister security agencies to maintain law and order before, during and after the elections.

Omoni said the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Eboka Friday, had directed total restriction of movement of persons, vehicles and boats on land and waterways before and during the exercise.

He said the restriction would begin from midnight on Friday to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

According to him, the CP who is Chairman of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, also barred VIPs and politicians from going to voting centres with their security details.

Movement of VIPs and politicians is only allowed from their houses to the voting centres and back, as provided by the Electoral Act.

In addition, all entry and exit points to the state will be completely blocked until the elections are over. No commercial activities will be allowed close to the polling units, Omoni stated.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Emmanuel Antswen

President Muhammadu Buhari is displeased and saddened over the killings of 11 soldiers in Bonta Village, Konshisha Local Government Area Benue.

The Minister of Defence, rtd Gen. Bashir Magashi, made this known on Thursday when he led Service Chiefs and other top military officers on a visit to Gov. Samuel Ortom at the Benue Peoples House, in Makurdi.

The Nigerian Armed Forces is deeply saddened following the killing of 11 soldiers and a Captain in Konshisha LGA of Benue.

This will not discourage the Army from carrying out its duties of protecting lives and property in the country.

To boost the morale of the soldiers, perpetrators of the dastardly act must be apprehended and made to face the wrath of the law, he said.

In his remarks, Gov Samuel Ortom, expressed deep sympathies to the President and the armed forces over the barbaric act.

I have not slept since the killing of the soldiers, he said.

Ortom acknowledged the enormous support and contributions of security agencies, especially the military in ensuring peace in the state.

The governor said he had directed stakeholders in Konshisha Local Government Area to fish out the perpetrators.

He pledged his administrations support and cooperation with security agencies to ensure those responsible for the dastardly act were apprehended and brought to justice.

Ortom therefore prayed for the restoration of peace and security in all parts of the country. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Lizzy Okoji

Mrs Sangeteta Thapa, Deputy Country Representative, UN Women, in Liberia has urged the ECOWAS Parliament to come up policies to protect and recognise contributions of women in the informal sectors.

Thappa made the call, on Wednesday, at a Technical Session on Strategies to Empower Women Working in the Informal Sector at the ongoing ECOWAS Parliament delocalized meeting in Monrovia, Liberia.

According to Thappa, women in the informal sector contributed a lot to the economies of countries in the ECOWAS region but unfortunately, they are invisible and their contributions unrecognised.

Thappa urged the ECOWAS Parliament not to limit their focus on women in the formal sectors but also push for policies that would protect and recognise women in the informal sector.

She said that UN Women had been doing a lot to support Informal women Cross Border Traders in Liberia, recognising their huge economic contributions to trading activities in Liberia.

This, she said, related to the challenges Informal women Cross Border Traders faced, even in other countries of the Sub- region.

Women are economic actors and the importance of women in the informal sector cannot be overemphasised.

They are the backbone of the society and their contributions are not formally recognised, but they have proven themselves to be economic actors whose contributions are not visible.

So it is very important to formalise their role and to recognise them to have an identity so that their contributions are recorded in the National Account system.

That is something that is not recorded and something that we really need to push.

As a region, there should be a few things that can be done together; I think individually in each of these countries, we need to take into consideration, the constraints and the recommendations.

The ECOWAS Parliament should also recognise their roles in society and push for laws that will protect them and recognise their efforts.

But as a regional body I think there should be a way to enforce mechanisms and monitor how they are implemented and how they are followed. And probably come up with a solution on actions to be taken if they are not monitored, Thappa said.

In her presentation, Hon. Salimata Ouatara, Chairperson, Gender, Social Action and Health Committee, Burkina Faso, said jobs in the informal economy in West Africa accounted for 76 per cent of the working population.

She said it was the most feminised sector with 53 per cent of informal workers being women and it played a very important role in the empowerment of women in the ECOWAS region.

Ouatara said it was important for Member States to take seriously, capacity building of women in their informal sector so as to support and strengthen their businesses.

As long as women, who are the majority in the population, are not, or poorly integrated into economic growth, the impact of our States efforts on development will be less visible in terms of enrichment of the whole population.

There is therefore, a need to initiate and diversify inclusive, innovative strategies, following the evolution of technology, that can contribute to the empowerment of women, Ouatara said.

Dr Faye Ndoumbe, Programme Officer, Gender and Civil Society, ECOWAS Commission, said there was need to promote advocacy so that laws could be changed in favour of women.

We have to think of the best strategies and a law within the West African region to promote and protect womens rights, including those in the informal sector, Ndoumbe said.

Source: NAN News

By Uchenna Ugwu

The Amalgamated Ngboejeogu Youth (ANY) Umuogudu Akpu, Ngbo in Ebonyi has condemned the violent attack on the community by gunmen, suspected to be herders.

The groups position is contained in a communique made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki.

It was signed by Uche Ega (President), Samuel Okpor (Secretary), Michael Odo (Legal Adviser) and 15 others.

NAN recalls that gunmen had in the early hours of Monday attacked the community and destroyed property worth millions of naira.

ANY condemns in strong terms the barbaric act by unknown gunmen and urge the government to assume its statutory responsibility of protecting lives and property of its citizens.

We, the youths, have gone round in the affected areas with a view to ascertain the level of damage.

The attack was carried out on four villages, including Ebele Umugadu, Otuebu Umugadu, Ndiegu Ibe-Agba and Odebo, the communique stated.

It appealed to the state and federal governments, public spirited individuals and corporate bodies to come to the aid of the people, who lost all they had.

Source: NAN News

By Stanley Nwanosike

No fewer than 17,000 residents of Enugu have so far received their first jab of AstraZeneca in the ongoing vaccination in the state.

Dr George Ugwu, the Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Thursday.

NAN reports that the state government on March 8, received 65,400 doses of the vaccine from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Abuja, and vaccination began across the state on March 19.

Ugwu explained that the 17,000 given first jabs of the vaccination represented those vaccinated as at 6p.m. on April 14.

He said the state has not reached half of the total dose received from the NPHCDA, Abuja and the vaccination was ongoing in each of the designated centres.

The delay in administering the vaccines was because five councils started late as well as the long Easter holiday break.

We are yet to get to half of the 65,400 doses given to the state from the NPHCDA, Abuja.

The exercise is still very much on for those in the priority lists health workers and the elderly to receive their first jabs as well as other members of the public very eager to receive as well.

Once we exhaust half of the dose sent to us; we will stop giving the first jabs.

We will have a pause of vaccination for about eight weeks before giving the second jabs to all those that had received their first jabs to complete their dose.

This is what we have agreed with the NPHCDA, Abuja and our partners.

So, those who got their first jabs will receive the second jabs in less than three months for continued efficacy of the vaccines in their system, he said.

The executive secretary noted that prior to the Easter break and after it the number of those receiving their first jabs had grown in the council areas.

With the daily exponential rise in the number of people coming for their first jabs; within a few days we will get to half of the total dose we have and the exercise will be paused.

However, we are still expecting more doses from the NPHCDA, Abuja to ensure that the entire residents of the state are vaccinated and protected, he said.

He noted the vaccine is safe and efficacious, adding that there has not been any reported adverse side effects.

The executive secretary lauded Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for supporting the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Apart from financial and moral assistance to the agency, Gov. Ugwuanyi volunteered himself, to be publicly vaccinated as a critical leader providing direction to residents of the state on the need to receive theirs.

This has made the residents believe in the efficacy and safety of the vaccine; while responding appropriately to receive their first jabs, he added.

NAN reports that 102 well-trained vaccination teams were deployed to five Primary Health Care centres and two fixed health post centres in each of the 17 local government areas of the state.

Source: NAN News