From Fred Itua, Abuja

PResident Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, sent a list of 47 career diplomats nominated as ambassadors to the Senate.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki read Buhari’s request at plenary, asking the chamber to approve the list at the shortest possible time.
“I have the honour to forward the attached list of 47 career foreign service officers as ambassador designates for consideration and confirmation by the Senate.
It is my hope that this would receive the usual prompt attention of the Senate,” the president said in his correspondence.
Nominees include: Obinna Chukwuemeka; Salisu Umaru; Inyan Udo-Iyang; Okeke Vivian Nwanaku; Liman Munir; Ndem Jane Ada; Mohammed Hassan Hassan; Martin Young Cobham; Janet Omoleegho Olisah and Itegboje Sunday.
Others are: Babatunde Adesesan; Lilian Ijeukwu Onoh; Manaja Tulah Isa; Ngozi Ukaeje; Bello Kazaure Husseini; Enoch Pear Duchi; Garba Baba; Usman Bakori Aliyu; Umar Zainab Salisu; Momoh Sheidu Omeiza and Kadiri Audu.
Others who also made the list are: Balogun Hakeem; Inusa Ahmed; Ibrahim Isah; Bankole Adegboyega Adeoye; Ibidapo-Obe Oluwasegun; Ogundero Sikirat; Eric A. Bell-Gam; Attahiru Halliru; Rahmatu Danama; Musa Mamman and Kabiru Bala.
Others on the list include Adamu Shuaibu, D.A Agev, T.K Gongulong, Ibrahim Hamza, K.C Nwachukwu, Q.I Worlu, E.K Oguntuase, I.A Paragalda, L.A Gashaga, Olufemi Abikoye, Abubakar Ibrahim, Rabiu Kawu, Okeke Vivian Nwunaku, Odeka Janet Bisong and Adekunbi Abibat.
The president informed the lawmakers that the list is made up of only career civil servants in the foreign service.
In a departure from tradition, where it was a mix of career and political diplomats, no politician was on the list this time around.

FG targets 24m children in school feeding programme

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The Federal Government has said it is aiming to bring real change to the lives of 24 million children and create multiplier effect as it rolls out the National Home Grown School Feeding programme.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said this  at the official launch of the Strategy Framework/Source Book and Inauguration of National Coordinating Team.
Osinbajo said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is committed to ensuring all the benefits of the programme are real in the lives of the people.
The school feeding programme is part of government’s intervention programme for which half a trillion naira has been budgeted for in the 2016 spending plan.
The federal government is targeting 1.14 million jobs, 290,000 jobs from community caterers (women), 580,000, Jobs from support caterers (women) and 274,000 jobs for small holder farmers.
Government is also eyeing to attract N980 billion investment.
In the first year, the programme will be implemented in 18 pilot states including Kaduna and Osun states where the school feeding programme is already being implemented.
These pilot states will be selected based on multi-dimensional poverty index (MPI) and will include three states from each of the six geopolitical zones in the country.
The main objective of the programme include to ensure school enrolment and completion, child nutrition and health, local agricultural production and creating jobs and improving family and state economy.
Meanwhile, Kaduna  Governor,  Nasir El-Rufai has said the state’s school feeding programme, which started in January and currently catering for close to 1.6 million pupils, will add 300,000 more from nursery schools when it receives the federal government’s matching grant.
He said as at June 9,  the state spends N318 million weekly to feed children and also disclosed that from September, any child found hawking during school hours will have his parents arrested and prosecuted. “In Kaduna State, there is no excuse not to be in school,” he said.
Also speaking, Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola expressed delight that, out of the 13 states that were part of the pilot scheme in 2006, only his state is currently implementing the programme known as Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O-Meals).
He said the state currently engages 3,007 food vendors (women) and the funding is split between the state (40 per cent N1.21 billion) and local government (60 per cent – N1.812 billion).
He said the number of pupils feed daily rose from 129,318 in 2009, to 252,793 in 2014, increasing school enrolment in elementary school to about 40 per cent