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Pro-Palestinian Protesters Breach Security at Australia’s Parliament House Amid Gaza War Tensions

Inside the building, Afghanistan-born Senator Fatima Payman, the only Australian federal lawmaker ever to wear a hijab during sittings, announced her resignation from the ruling Labor Party due to her refusal to adhere to the party line on Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian protesters hang banners from the top of Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Thursday, July 4, 2024.

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MELBOURNE, Australia — Pro-Palestinian protesters breached security at Australia’s Parliament House on Thursday to unfurl banners from the roof, as tensions over Israel’s war against Hamas dominated Parliament’s final sitting day before a five-week break.

According to Associated Press (AP), four protesters were arrested after draping banners with the words “war crimes” and “genocide,” as well as the Palestinian rallying cry “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” over the building’s façade known as the Great Verandah. The banners remained in place for over an hour before the protesters were apprehended.

Inside the building, Afghanistan-born Senator Fatima Payman, the only Australian federal lawmaker ever to wear a hijab during sittings, announced her resignation from the ruling Labor Party due to her refusal to adhere to the party line on Gaza. “My family did not flee from a war-torn country to come here as refugees for me to remain silent when I see atrocities inflicted on innocent people,” Payman told reporters. “Witnessing our government’s indifference to the greatest injustice of our times makes me question the direction the party is taking,” she added.

Payman, who will continue to serve in the Senate as an independent lawmaker, is the first government lawmaker to leave since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s administration was elected in 2022. Last week, she defied her government colleagues by supporting a minor party’s motion that demanded the Senate “recognize the state of Palestine.” Australia does not currently recognize a Palestinian state, maintaining a policy committed to a two-state solution where Israel and a future Palestinian state can coexist in peace and security within internationally recognized borders.

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The four protesters who breached security are expected to be charged with trespassing and have been banned from Parliament House for two years, according to a police statement. Their actions triggered a security crackdown in Parliament House, preventing many members of the public from entering the building. As a precaution, the public galleries of both the House of Representatives and the Senate were kept empty.

House Speaker Milton Dick expressed deep concern over the protests and ordered an upgrade of security measures. Police are investigating how the protesters gained access to a secure area. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the protest in Parliament, stating, “Peaceful protest has an important place in our society, but this was not a peaceful protest. These actions have done absolutely nothing to advance any cause. Indeed, they have hurt the cause that those engaged in this reckless activity believe they are advancing.”

Opposition leader Peter Dutton demanded to know who allowed the protesters into the building and described their message as anti-Semitic. “We need to understand the gravity of this situation, because these images will be beamed around the world,” Dutton told Parliament.

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SEBIS Gains Ground as Igbo Business Icons and Alaba International Market Traders Pledge Support for Regional Growth

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2nd from left: Dr. Ifedi Okwenna, Taiwan ambassador to Nigeria Andy Yih-Ping Liu, and others during a curtesy call on the Ambassador in Abuja

Ferdy Agu

Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, Chairman of the Ohaneze Council of Igbo Business Leaders, has officially endorsed the South East Business and Investment Summit (SEBIS), set for December 11–13, 2024, in Enugu. In a recent meeting with SEBIS organizers led by Executive Secretary Dr. Ifedi Okwenna in Lagos, Dr. Ohuabunwa described SEBIS as a critical platform for regional economic development. “Let’s leave politics for politicians and do our own bit,” he urged, calling on all Igbos to embrace initiatives that boost economic growth in Ala Igbo.

Dr. Ohuabunwa, a respected voice in regional advancement and former President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), assured the organizers of his personal support and confirmed his attendance at SEBIS. “Once you have two or three believers in your vision, please move on,” he said, emphasizing the significance of collective commitment to the summit’s goals. His endorsement has strengthened SEBIS’s credibility, generating enthusiasm within the Igbo business community.

Lagos-based Igbo traders have also pledged their support for SEBIS, with over 50 associations from Alaba International Market, led by Nze Marcel C. Okezue, President of the Electrical Dealers Association of Nigeria (EDAN), confirming participation. “The time has come to show presence in our homeland, Ala Igbo,” Okezue said, highlighting a shared vision of investing in Igbo land.

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Ben Oranusi (right) and Dr. Ugochukwu Chime during presentation of invitation yesterday in Enugu

Nze Okezue’s sentiments were echoed by Hon. Oscar Paul Odogwu, President of the Balogun Business Association (BBA) at the International Trade Fair Complex, who praised SEBIS organizers for engaging traders early in the planning process. “History will be kind to the organizers of this summit. We need our children to come home to their ancestral homeland and embrace our culture,” Odogwu said, underscoring SEBIS’s role in fostering cultural pride and economic revitalization.

Dr. Okwenna welcomed the support from the Alaba traders, calling it a “milestone” in SEBIS’s mission to unite Igbo business leaders. He noted that these endorsements signal a strong commitment to sustainable growth in the South East and affirmed that the summit would “leave no stone unturned” in its preparation.

Further elevating the summit’s profile, the government of India has declared a willingness to partner with SEBIS, enhancing opportunities for cross-border investments and technology transfer. Additionally, the Taiwan ambassador to Nigeria, Andy Yih-Ping Liu, will address participants, while Dr. Olawale Fasanya, the Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), has confirmed his attendance, signaling the summit’s appeal across public and private sectors.

For SEBIS organizers, the summit represents a transformative platform for discussing regional development strategies. Key speakers will address themes of economic self-reliance and investment in Igbo communities, aligning with SEBIS’s vision of creating a self-sustaining economy in the South East.

The summit’s commitment to regional growth has also sparked interest from Enugu’s Local Organizing Committee (LOC), led by Chief Ben Oranusi. Recently, the LOC extended a formal invitation to Dr. Ugochukwu Chime, CEO of COPEN Group, emphasizing the alignment of his expertise in real estate with SEBIS’s focus on sustainable development. Dr. Chime accepted the invitation, calling SEBIS a “vital platform for advancing regional growth.”

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Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa (middle), Dr. Ifedi Okwenna (2nd from right) and other committee members of SEBIS

In addition to its strategic planning, SEBIS has partnered with AfiaTV to increase visibility, with CEO Emeka Mbah affirming their commitment to amplify SEBIS’s objectives through media outreach. This collaboration marks a “crucial step toward expanding SEBIS’s impact,” according to Dr. Okwenna.

SEBIS continues to gain traction among prominent Igbo business leaders and international stakeholders, setting the stage for a landmark event focused on regional advancement, cultural connection, and business innovation in the South East. GMTNewsng

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Enugu Revenue Agency Vows to Plug All Loopholes in Tax Recovery, Recruits 200 Staff to Enhance IGR Generation

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Ferdy Agu

The Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS) has recruited over 200 staff in a bold move to eliminate loopholes in tax payment and enhance revenue collection in order to boost massive infrastructural developments across the state.

Addressing the new employees at a strategic training programme anchored by the profesional services firm, Price Waterhouse Cooper, at the Nike Lake Hotel, Enugu, Tuesday, the state governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof Chidiebere Onyia urged them to ensure the success of the revenue drive of the state government.

He stated that the government was committing over one billion naira in every Smart Green School project in each of the 260 electoral wards in the state, stressing that this had never happened in the state before.

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ESiRS

“The government is completing the International Conference Centre, restoring the Hotel Presidential which was the pride of Enugu, as well as the building Smart Green Schools, Type 2 Primary Health Care Centers, among others. The state has over 1000 projects going on simultaneously across the state and will require increased revenue to complete them”, he stated.

Impressed with the progress of revenue ESIRS so far, the SSG commended the chairman of the revenue agency for a job well done, saying: “The ESIRS Chairman here along with his team has done a great job collecting and enforcing tax laws. We have been accountable because this money is the people’s money and it is our responsibility to make sure it is tracked and used effectively. Currently we are on the right track having seen our IGR rise astronomically far more than we did previously.”

A cross-section of the trainees at Nike Lake Resort Hotel on Monday

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Nathaniel E. Urama clarified that the recruitment was aimed at leapfrogging revenue collection and block existing loopholes.

“We are here to support what the governor promised Ndi-Enugu and ensure that it comes to fulfillment. With this large recruitment, the ESIRS is positioned to revolutionize revenue collection in Enugu State, ensuring that funds are generated and utilized efficiently for the benefit of the people.

“The people of Enugu are already seeing things working to their expectations because things are really changing. The disruptive innovation is already ongoing; people are now even willing to pay their tax because they see that what they are paying is being used. From this number we have recruited and the revenue to be collected, I am sure that given the dedication and zeal of the governor who is willing to use the state’s money to help move residents out of poverty, Enugu will become destination of choice”, he said.

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R-L: Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, SSG Enugu State; Emmanuel Ekene Nnamani, Executive Chairman ESiRS; Mr Arinze Nnamani, T A to the chairman (extreme left) and others at the opening day of the training at Nike Lake Resort Hotel Enugu on Monday

Responding, the Chairman of ESIRS, Emmanuel Ekene Nnamani gave assurance that the agency would continue to meet up and surpass people’s expectations.

A cross-section of the trainees and their instructor

“We need to prove to the governor that the recruitment of 200 young staff is beneficial to the state. The new recruits would bring in fresh energy, enabling the state to double its revenue collection within a few months,” he said. GMTNewsng

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Power Outage Hits Southeast Nigeria as EEDC Confirms System Collapse

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Ferdy Agu

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) has announced a major system collapse, affecting power supply across multiple southeastern states in Nigeria. In a notice issued on November 5, 2024, EEDC reported that the collapse occurred at precisely 13:52 hours, leading to widespread outages across its network. The incident has halted electricity supply to customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo States, with affected residents and businesses facing sudden disruptions.

According to the statement from Emeka Ezeh, EEDC’s Head of Corporate Communications, all interface stations connected to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) are currently out of operation. The company assured customers that it is actively monitoring the situation, awaiting further updates from the National Control Centre (NCC) in Osogbo, which is responsible for coordinating restoration efforts. Ezeh noted that EEDC’s teams remain on standby for immediate response once the system restoration process begins.

This development has sparked concern among EEDC’s customers, who rely on a stable power supply for both residential and commercial needs. EEDC has expressed gratitude for the patience of its customers during this challenging time and pledged to communicate any progress regarding the restoration as it becomes available.

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Below is the full text of the Press Statement:

NOTICE OF GENERAL SYSTEM COLLAPSE

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) wishes to inform her esteemed customers of a general system collapse that occurred at 13:52 hours today, 5th November 2024. This has resulted in the loss of supply currently being experienced across the EEDC network.

Consequently, due to this development, all our interface TCN stations are out of supply, and we are unable to provide services to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo States.

We are on standby awaiting detailed information about the collapse and restoration of supply from the National Control Centre (NCC), Osogbo.

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Thank you.

Signed:

Emeka Ezeh
Head, Corporate Communications, EEDC

GMTNewsng

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