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During remarks at the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit today, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced that the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) signed an agreement to establish guidelines to provide for the effective and efficient administration of criminal investigations in Indian Country. This is the first update since the early 1990s to a memorandum of understanding between the agencies. The announcement is being discussed during a panel featuring Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta at the Summit. The Summit provides an opportunity for Administration and Tribal leaders from the 574 federally recognized Tribes to discuss ways the federal government can invest in and strengthen nation-to-nation relationships as well as ensure that progress in Indian Country endures for years to come. “This agreement is a crucial step to advancing public safety for American Indian and Alaska Native communities,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with the Department of the Interior to investigate Indian Country crimes, including reports of missing or murdered Indigenous people, quickly, effectively and respectfully. We are grateful to the Tribes that provided input into this new policy.”   “The FBI is committed to ongoing and continued collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Affairs,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI has a crucial role in successfully addressing matters in the nation’s Indian Country communities and this updated MOU affirms our dedication to the mission of protecting all Americans. The FBI will not waver in its support of our Tribal law enforcement agency partners and our coordination with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.” “Interagency coordination is absolutely critical given the complexities of jurisdiction in Tribal communities. This agreement supports an all-of-government approach to addressing federal responsibilities and Tribal needs in Indian Country,” said Assistant Secretary Bryan Newland for Indian Affairs. “All federal agencies share a treaty and trust responsibility to protect Tribal sovereignty and revitalize Tribal communities. This partnership will further support our efforts to keep Native people safe in their homes and communities.” Under the agreement, the BIA Office of Justice Services and the FBI will cooperate on investigations and share information and investigative reports. The agencies will also establish written guidelines outlining jurisdiction and investigative roles and responsibilities for investigators from the BIA, FBI and Tribal law enforcement agencies. The agreement also requires that all BIA, FBI and Tribal law enforcement officers receive training regarding trauma-informed, culturally responsive investigative approaches. This agreement will support the unified response to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis, and the Missing and Murdered Unit launched by Secretary Haaland. It defines responsibilities for FBI, BIA and Tribal investigators to ensure that missing person cases are entered into the National Crime Information Center, National Incident-Based Reporting System and other appropriate federal criminal databases, and that DNA is submitted to the National Missing Person DNA Database when appropriate and available. The agreement also specifies that the FBI will take an initial primary role in the investigation of any BIA or Tribal law enforcement officer-involved shootings and in-custody death incidents. The BIA will concurrently conduct separate internal administrative investigations of any BIA or Tribal law enforcement officer-involved shootings and in-custody death incidents. The mission of the BIA Office of Justice Services is to uphold Tribal sovereignty and provide for the safety of Indian communities by ensuring the protection of life and property, enforcing laws, maintaining justice and order, and by ensuring sentenced American Indian offenders are confined in safe, secure, and humane environments. Ensuring public safety and justice is arguably the most fundamental of government services provided in Tribal communities.

Source-FBI

The lingering fuel scarcity in Nigeria has brought about untold hardships on Nigerians.

This assertion was made by the chairman of the National Union of Allied Health Professionals(NUAHP), Oyo state council, who doubles as the chairman of the University College Hospital(UCH) branch of the union, Comrade Oladayo Olabampe.

''Our leaders have brought untold hardships on us. People are suffering. We Nigerians are known to be rugged people and whatever our leaders throw at us, we find a way of maneuvering and coping. So we are coping. The filling stations are selling the Petroleum Motor Spirit(PMS) at very high prices and there are also those selling kegs along the road, the black market, for those who can afford them. People spend as long as a whole day in petrol stations just to get fuel. We should not forget about those who don't have cars and rely on public transport. The transport fares have gone up beyond their reach.''

''Nigerians are paying because they have no choice, while others who cannot afford the very high transport fares have resorted to trekking long distances to their destinations. The last fuel scarcity was attributed to flooding, but now that the scarcity persists, no reason has been given for it.''

Comrade Olabampe lamented that the issue of subsidy removal ''seems to be like a mustache that you remove and later grows again.''

He noted that Nigerians no longer asked questions, saying,'' the more you look the less you see. Only God knows where we are heading to. If care is not taken, workers will revolt. Everything is on the high side and salaries are still where they were years back. What Nigerians want is the improvement of the economy. We want to see improvement in the economy, otherwise workers will revolt.'' 

Similarly, the chairman of the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Riders And Owners Association(ACOMORAN), Comrade Solomon Oulgbode described the increase in the price of PMS as wicked, saying, ''the increment in the fuel price for whatever reason is wicked, it is not a masses friendly policy, especially this time when the festival period is fast approaching, people are going through a lot of stress. The cost of fuel, which hovers around N185.00, N280.00 and N300.00, this has affected the rate at which passengers are conveyed to their destinations. People spend a reasonable part of their time searching for fuel. The high cost of motorcycles and instalmental payments have made life unbearable for both transporters and commuters. This should be a lesson for us. We cannot continue this way in 2023. We should carefully look at those we want to be voted into office.''

Seek the mercy, grace nd wisdom of God to achieve your spiritual potential and triumph in all spheres of human endeavor.

Matthew 7 : 7-11

''Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?''

The Oyo state government recently announced the derecognition of 50 secondary schools in the state for examination malpractices. 26 of the schools are government owned while 24 are privately owned. The Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke in this piece expresses his views on the development.

Excerpt:

Examination calls for a process of strict invigilation and supervision underlined by the highest level of discipline to protect the integrity of the alumni of every school. The desire of parents to have their children in a choice of professions and universities, the pressure on children to pursue courses in which they have no aptitude, pressure on teachers who want to gain favor, overcrowded sitting arrangements, parental upbringing, peer group effects, mushroom schools promising good results among others all contribute to examination malpractices. These fundamental causative factors need to be addressed properly by stakeholders-parents, teachers, counselors and the media. If sensitization on the need to instill discipline in the conduct of examinations had been thorough, the shameful act would not have been so embarrassingly great. However, the truth of the matter is that mushroom private schools are endangering the quality of education in Oyo state. They go into partnership with registered schools to register WAEC candidates for examinations without thoroughly taking care of the needs of the students, rather they promise them assistance while writing examinations. Such schools end up indicting the host school that accommodated their students through their inappropriate measures to make their students pass WAEC conducted examinations and other examinations. Another area of serious concern which WAEC itself needs to tidy up is that these students are able to observe examination malpractices through their unholy association with business centers and web operators who sell WAEC questions and answers online with payments via transfers and recharge cards to have access to such questions and answers online. Host schools taking care of candidates from unregistered schools for WAEC or NECO take the risk of indictment because these schools adorn the uniforms of the accredited schools that have accommodated their students to write their WAEC examinations in their schools, giving no room for excuses that perpetrators of the malpractices are not students of the accredited schools, were the examinations were written. School authorities of accredited schools should learn a lot of lessons from this sad experience by putting in place compliance with the rules and regulations guiding education,-WAEC and others. Unregistered schools and those that are registered ones need to cooperate with the Ministry of Education, the government and WAEC on the guiding rules for conducting worthwhile, fraud-free examinations by sensitizing the teachers,students and members of the public on the implications, consequences and penalties. Generally, there is the need to note that leakages of WAEC questions and answers online usually takes place when school authorities connive and through online links share among students in the examinations. The prohibitive amount charged as fines is enough deterrent for offending schools. This should be a lesson for others who are yet to be detected. In the course of building, our nation we must all recognize with passion that the effect of examination malpractices on national development has always been very negative. This is visible in the quality of the educational manpower the country has produced while the educational system strives to inculcate a high level of discipline, diligence, morale and love for others. A country that has become notorious for examination malpractices loses credibility, as evident in the value of the certificates outside Nigeria. Individuals through fraudulent means in educational pursuit are likely to face on-the-job challenges of dismissal, termination, lose of positions, lack of self-confidence and eventual suffering and embarrassment. Products of examination malpractices offer the nation, prevalent bank failures, budiling collapses, economic sabotage vandalizm, kidnapping for ritual and ransome, drug trafficking, fak drug manufacturing and sales! Are these not practical effects of moral decadence emanating from examination malpractices? The fight against corruption will only be realized if examination malpractices are curtailed. Future leaders equipped with a system characterized by academic fraud and dishonesty would certainly manifest questionable behavior in any organization they find themselves. Those who passed examinations by cheating would cheat to get employed, have spouses and even to win elections through electoral violence or their sharp practices. Finally, we must realize that education is a right according to the United Nations Children's Fund(UNICEF). The government must, therefore, realize that education is the bedrock of every society for appropriate development. Let us all do the needful.

He will change you, once you submit to Him today

 Titus3: 1-8 1Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, 2To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. 3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But after that, the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

Nigerians have been called upon to approach the 2023 general elections with the mindset of justice, equity and fairness.

This call was made by the Ezendigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state, Eze(Dr.) Alex Anozie.

''So, my own philosophy is that when I see any geo-political zone of the country being marginalized, I will say it is not good. Any marginalized geo-political zone, be it the South East, South South, North or South West, I will join to condemn it. I have said it all, so let us approach the 2023 general elections with justice, equity and fairness as we support and cast our votes for preferred candidates, '' Eze(DR.) Eze(Dr.) Anozie stated.

When enemies are very many on your path, God will assist you to demobilize them.

Psalm 27

''1 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. 7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. 9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. 11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.''

Workers in the University College Hospital(UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria, and other Federal Government institutions have expressed reservations over the attitude of Pensions Funds Administrators(PFAs). 

The workers, whose names are withheld, to avoid victimization stated,

'' The Pensions Funds Administrators have not lived up to expectations. In the first few months of their operations, all went well, but afterward, it has been one complaint or the other. The future is bleak with the PFAs.'' Interestingly, in his reaction, the chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union(NASU), University Colege Hospital(UCH), Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria, Comrade Kehinde Abiona disclosed that his union paid for data recapture for its members by the Pension Commission(PenCom). ''We wrote to the PenCom and they wanted details of our members, and for the purpose it licensed agents. We paid these agents for data recapture, it was for just two days. PFAs did not do this. They are not forthcoming.''

''As salaries are paid the PFAs go to offices appealing to our newly employed workers to open accounts with them, as soon as an account is opened by an employee, the PFAs generate Pension Enumeration Number. Sadly, on data recapture, the PFAs are yet to respond because they do not want workers to move forward. We have done what we can do from our end, but the financial implications that are very obvious, we cannot do more than what we have done.''

Comrade Abiona lamented that workers who are unable to do the data recapture would have difficulties accessing the contributory pension funds.
''We contriBute monthly to the National Housing Fund. It is mandatory. However, if one wants to deal with an estate developer, the requirement includes a 10 percent deposit. Workers cannot afford this. But the contributory pensions allow workers to access 25 percent of the funds, provided that they have done data recapture,'' Comrade Abiona disclosed.