News on the Go: 5 things that should matter to you today

• Reps propose 14-year imprisonment for sexual offenders
• LND endorses northern govs‘ rejection of Tinubu’s tax bills
• SEC to include cybersecurity, AI in curriculum review

We have highlighted the five most important developments in the news today, Thursday, October 31, and present them below.

5 issues in the news that should matter to you today

1. Reps want airstrip licences withdrawn from Canaanland, others: The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to withdraw airstrip licenses already issued to private individuals and organisations for national security.

The resolutions were sequel to adopting a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the member representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara State, Mr Abubakar Gumi.

2. Reps propose 14-year imprisonment for sexual offenders: To address cases of sexual harassment in the nation’s tertiary institutions, the House of Representatives, on October 30, passed “A Bill for an Act to prevent, prohibit and redress sexual harassment of students in tertiary educational institutions and related matters connected therewith.”

The proposed law proposed 14 years imprisonment for convicted offenders and five years imprisonment or an N5m fine for heads of institutions that refused to act on complaints of sexual harassment by students.

3. NANS threatens showdown over ban on students’ unionism in schools: The National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS, have threatened to embark on mass protests to disrupt academic activities in tertiary institutions in the southwest without a proper student union.

Addressing reporters in Osogbo on October 30, the Coordinator, NANS Southwest (Zone D), Owolewa Taiwo, disclosed that banning student union activities on campus is inimical to the welfare of students on such campuses.

4. SEC to include cybersecurity, AI in curriculum review: The Securities and Exchange Commission has said that it is working to expand the capital market education curriculum for Nigerian universities to include topics on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, financial technology, and others.

The SEC’s Director General, Dr Emomotimi Agama, made this statement during the inauguration of a committee tasked with reviewing the curriculum on securities and investment management

5. LND endorses northern govs‘ rejection of Tinubu’s tax bills: The League of Northern Democrats, LND, has supported the decision by northern governors to reject provisions of President Bola Tinubu’s proposed tax bills currently before the National Assembly.

The new political movement convened by the former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, said the new proposal on VAT represented a deep-seated threat to the collective interests of the people of northern Nigeria and lacked rational or equitable justification.