December 2020 – Page 27

Post Date : December 24, 2020

CP: Criminals plotting to attack churches, mosques in Lagos

Hakeem Odumosu, commissioner of police in Lagos, says the command has received intelligence on plot to attack churches and mosques during yuletide. Odumosu spoke while responding to questions at a briefing in Lagos on Wednesday. The police commissioner was asked to comment on the security alert released by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday. The DSS had raised the alarm over a plot to carry out violent attacks on public places and vulnerable points during the yuletide. The agency had asked Nigerians to be on the alert, saying it is collaborating with other agencies for the protection of lives and property. Speaking on the development, Odumosu said the intelligence came from Abuja and that the police force is already taking steps to ensure that the sinister plot is “nipped in the bud”. He also said the force has identified vulnerable areas in the state and made adequate deployment to forestall any attack. “The intelligence report came out and specifically said that churches and mosques are targets of the attacks,” Odumosu said. “We are working on that, everyone should rest assured that there is adequate security and they go about their lawful businesses without fear.

Post Date : December 24, 2020

Rivers college expels three students over rape, cultism

The Rivers State College of Health Science and Management Technology , Port Harcourt , has expelled three male students over their alleged involvement in the rape of their female colleague on the campus and involvement in cultism. The students ’ expulsion was contained in an internal memo dated, Friday, December 18, 2020, signed by the Registrar , Kuapie Ndee- ue , and sighted by our correspondent on Wednesday. The affected 300- level students , according to the memo, are Ferdinand Gospel of the Department of Emergency Medical Technician ; Chim Steve , Department of Health Information Management ; and Nedum Sampson from the Dental Surgery Technician Department. The memo titled : ‘ Expulsion from the college of students involved in rape and cultism ’ , read in part: “ The academic board , at its 57th regular meeting held on Thursday, December 17, 2020, approved the expulsion of the following students from the college for their involvement in rape and cultism with immediate effect : “ Ferdinand Bruse Gospel ( EMT /17/096) , Department of Emergency Medical Technician , 300-level; Chim Gozirim Sunday Steve ( HIM /17/038) , Department of Health Information Management , 300-level; and Nedum Sampson ( DEN /16/024) , Department of Dental Surgery Technician . “ Furthermore, the academic board directs that the expelled students should not be found within or around the college campus for any reason or occasion and the expulsion tag should be written expressly on each of the column in the result sheet to prevent any attempt to release their results or subsequent release of certificates to the culprits . ” However, an advocacy group , the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, has criticised the way the institution handled the matter . The Secretary , Board of Trustee of the group , Prince Wiro, said in a statement that the institution erred when it failed to hand over the accused students to the police for thorough investigation before taking the decision to expel them . Wiro noted that the allegations of rape and cultism were too weighty to be investigated and concluded by the institution alone without recourse to the police. One of the expelled students , Chim, who absolved himself and the others , added that they were not given fair hearing before being expelled . He said , “ The accusation against us by the school is false , because we didn ’ t rape anybody; we have good records in the school and we are not rapists; they accused us wrongly and they never investigated the matter ; they just jumped into action and started beating us . “ They held us for three hours at the Man O ’ War office and didn ’ t give us any chance to explain what really happened ; they jumped into conclusion and forced us to say that we raped the girl; we were reported to the management and the Dean of Student Affairs told the Man O ’ War to beat us up; we were held up by the Man O ’ War for three hours and they almost killed us . ” The Provost of the institution , Prof. Franklin Nlerum , said the college followed the due process before it took a decision against the accused students and also gave them the opportunity to defend themselves, adding that the matter was reported to the police at the Sani Abacha Road Divisional Police Headquarters in Port Harcourt .

Post Date : December 24, 2020

Plateau govt uncovers plots to attack communities

Plateau State government has uncovered plots by some criminal elements to attack some communities in the state during the yuletide season, even as it pointed out that the state will ensure strict compliance to all COVID-19 protocols. The Secretary to the State Government, Professor Danladi Atu, who disclosed this at the stakeholders meeting which includes traditional rulers and religious leaders on Wednesday in Jos said the Governor mandated the meeting to foster a more community-driven response to intelligence and surveillance so as to assist security agencies with useful information to enable them to respond to any threat of attack by criminals. Atu said the State Government is working with the security agencies to be more proactive rather than reactive adding that the State has strengthened Operation Rainbow to ensure that it complements the security effort. At the end of the meeting, the stakeholders resolved to reinforce surveillance and intelligence gathering in all communities and directed that all security threats should be reported immediately using the appropriate channels while vigilante groups and community watch groups should be motivated. It further resolved that motorcycles and tricycles are banned from operating on Friday 25th, Saturday, December 26, 2020, and Friday, January 1, 2021 across the 17 Local Governments while all boundary routes into the state and within the Local Government Areas should be monitored and check-points mounted to monitor movements. On the second wave of COVID-19, Professor Atu who represented the state governor at the meeting said the State government does not intend to impose a lockdown in response to the second wave of COVID-19 but will ensure strict compliance to all protocols. He said the Governor has directed that strong measures must be taken to ensure that people are sensitised to observe all the COVID-19 protocols in order to curb the spread of the disease. The meeting further resolved that COVID-19 testing should be enhanced in all Local Government Areas while all sample collection centres are publicised to encourage voluntary testing and directed that all recreational centres are to be closed until further notice.

Post Date : December 24, 2020

60 percent of Borno teachers not qualified, 1,036 have fake certificates, Says govt

Sixty per cent of primary school teachers in Borno state lacked requisite teaching qualifications, a committee on Biometric Data Capture of Local Education Authority Staff in Borno has found. The Chairman of the committee, Dr Shettima Kulima, made this known on Wednesday in Maiduguri while submitting the committee’s report to Gov. Babagana Zulum at the Government House. According to Kulima, out of the 26,250 screened only 10,103 possessed the requisite teaching qualifications. Kulima explained that during the screening, the committee discovered anomalies such as staff with fake certificates, those due for retirement but had refused to go, questionable appointment letters, underaged teachers, and those working in multiple places. Some are working in two or three places; Biu Local Government Area is leading in the number of such workers. “Maiduguri Metropolitan Council is leading in workers with fake certificates with about 700 of them, followed by Jere Local Government with 336. “Konduga Local Government Area has the highest number of those with questionable appointment letters, while Ngala leads with under-aged employees, ” Kulima said. He noted that the committee proffered 30 recommendations, including staff motivation in order to sanitise primary education in the state. Kulima said the committee was able to cut the monthly wage bill of primary school teachers after the screening from N693.1 million to N427.8 million. Receiving the report, the governor lauded the committee for a thorough job and assured it of his administration’s commitment to sanitising the system. While noting that education is the bedrock of development, Zulum said his administration placed high premium on education and would not compromise on quality, particularly at the primary school level. “Let me assure you that government will engage in the recruitment of quality staff, and we will ensure that teachers are motivated. “One of your recommendations is staff motivation, we will give you the responsibility to fish out the hard working teachers for reward,” Zulum said.

Post Date : December 24, 2020

Obiano’s aide resigns

The Special Assistant to the Governor of Anambra State on protocol matters in Abuja, Barr. Nonso Henry Nwaebili has resigned from his appointment. Nwaebili, in his resignation letter addressed to Governor Willie Obiano, said he resigned to enable him to embrace more impactful opportunities for self-development and to be of greater service to his people. He said: “I have made the decision to relocate back to Anambra State where I shall through my pet project, Nonso Nwaebili Foundation (NNF), continue to engage my people effectively on our socio-economic concerns as a community and with one voice. “I wish to thank Governor Willie Obiano for all the support he gave me in the time that I had the honour of serving in his government. I pray that the good Lord will bless you and grant you favour for the rest of your tenure and all your future endeavours, Amen.”

Post Date : December 24, 2020

CBN To Investigate Cash Shortage In ATMs

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said it will investigate the current shortage of cash in Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) being experienced by bank customers in Lagos State. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the CBN‘s Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Mr. Osita Nwanisobi, disclosed this yesterday, while reacting to some bank customers’ complaints that the recent boom in Agent Banking is responsible for ATMs not having money to dispense any more. Nwanisobi said that ATMs were introduced so as to ease the sufferings of the people. The Director also described as “preposterous” insinuations that the apex bank conspired with commercial banks to ensure there was no money in the machines. “It is highly preposterous for anyone to say that CBN connived with banks to deprive people of their money this season. The primary purpose for which ATMs were introduced, is to ease the sufferings of Nigerians and to make banking easier and convenient. I assure the public that CBN will investigate the matter,” he said. New Telegraph had, in a recent report, stated that the reluctance of Police personnel to fully resume escort service to banks in the wake of the #EndSARS crisis, coupled with the uptick in economic activity occasioned by the Christmas rush, had worsened the shortage of cash in the banking system. The newspaper’s findings showed that in recent weeks, there has been an increase in complaints by bank customers in Lagos, Abuja and other major cities, about difficulty in accessing cash either across the counter or through ATMs. Indeed, New Telegraph gathered that in a bid to conserve cash, some banks have resorted to not loading all their ATMs as frequently as they used to do, thus leading to long ATM queues. An authoritative industry source said that while the Christmas rush usually leads to an increase in cash withdrawals at this time of the year, the current shortage of cash in the system has been worsened by the challenges banks have been facing in trying to get Police personnel to perform cash movement duties since the end of the #EndSARS crisis. The source said: “Following the vicious attacks that were launched on them by hoodlums during the #EndSARS crisis, most of the Police personnel attached to banks for cash movement duties have not resumed for duty. Without Police escort, banks cannot move cash to branches that need it; no bank will take that risk. Indeed, some banks have had to resort to engaging soldiers for that task.” According to the bank official, the CBN, which is aware of the problem, has drastically reduced the amount of cash lenders can get from it on a daily basis and has also directed banks to encourage customers to embrace electronic payment channels for their transactions. The official predicted that the cash shortage problem is not likely to end any time soon, as many of the Police personnel are still too shaken by the catastrophic losses they suffered during the #EndSARS crisis to return to escort duties at the banks. The #EndSARS crisis broke out on October 20, when security forces in Lagos opened fire on unarmed protesters at the Lekki Toll gate, who had been staging a sit-in for about two weeks, calling for the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious Police unit that had long been accused of extortion, torture and extra-judicial killings, sparking widespread social unrest that saw hoodlums torching many police stations and also wounding and killing several police officers across the country.

Post Date : December 23, 2020

Border Reopening: Joint Border Patrol Teams still in operation at Seme

The Joint Border Patrol Teams (JBPT) put in place to enforce movement restrictions during the 16-month border closure are still in operation in Seme, seven days after the reopening of the border. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government had set up the JBPT, comprising police, military, immigration, customs and civil defence, to enforce movement restrictions and curb activities of smugglers when the land borders were partially closed in August 2019. A NAN correspondent who monitored activities in the area reports that the JBPT were still in full operation at Owode and Seme land borders on Wednesday. NAN reports that operatives of the JBPT were also seen at Gbaji junction, while their teams maintained several other checkpoints along Badagry-Seme expressway. A member of the JBPT, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that there was no directive from Abuja to disband the joint task force, seven days after the reopening of the land borders. NAN reports that the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, on Dec. 16, announced the immediate reopening of four land borders after the Federal Executive Council meeting held virtually in Abuja. The Federal Government had on August 21, 2019, ordered the closure of Nigerian borders to curb smuggling of goods and weapons.

Post Date : December 23, 2020

FEC Approves N44.5bn For FCT, Roads, Power Projects

The Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday approved about N44.5 billion for various contracts under the ministries of Works and Housing, and Power and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. Briefing State House correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, Minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello, said Council approved contracts for water treatment projects and roads within the territory, to the tune N31,630,221,349. He said the approval given for road contracts was in favour of an upwards review of some roads within the territory. According to him, “Federal Executive Council meeting approved the award of contract for the procurement of Field Materials ((ALUM and Gaseous Chlorine) for Water Treatment by the Federal Capital Territory Water Board, to Messrs Gojac Nigeria Limited at the sum of N627,600 and Mudpha Nigeria Limited at N200,000. Completion period is 12 months. “It also approved a request for upward review of the contract sum for the completion of roads B6, B12 and Circular Road, Central Area District, Abuja – Revised Estimated Total Coat (RETC) No. 2, awarded to Messrs Julius Berger Nigeria Plc. “Reviewed from the old contract sum of N66,831,381,123.49 to additional upward review of N31,629,393,749.87. The newly revised contract sum is N98,460,774,862.36.” Also briefing, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fasola said his ministry presented a memorandum on behalf of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, for various general repairs in different parts of the country. The projects will gulp N8, 180,948,137.50. He said, “The Ministry of Works and Housing presented a memorandum on behalf of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, (FERMA). This was for general repairs, emergency repairs and maintenance of roads and critical intervention on 10 roads in different parts of Nigeria. “One is the maintenance of Ikot Ekpene-Itu road in Akwa Ibom state, repair and maintenance of Onitsha – Aguleri-Adani road in Anambra State, the general maintenance of Nasarawa-Toto-Abaji road, reinstatement of failed pavement sections on the Zuba-Abaji road in the FCT. “Major maintenance repairs along Atan-Agbara in the border of Lagos and Ogun states along Badagri area, general maintenance of Okene-Adogo-Ajaokuta-Itobe road in Kogi state, the construction of Aden bridge between Okada and Ogbogui-Abangbe spur to Benin-Shagamu dual carriageway in Edo state, general maintenance repairs of Potiskum-Fika-Ngalda-Gombe road in Yobe state. “General maintenance repairs of Benin-Asaba-Onitsha dual carriageway, that is the existing road to the Niger Bridge, general maintenance repairs of the Warri-Benin carriageway in Delta state. The total sum of these contracts was N8, 180,948,137.50 and council approved this memorandum on behalf of FERMA.” Also, briefing, the Minister of Power, Mamman Saleh, said the Council approved two memoranda for the ministry, adding that the aggregated cost of the projects on the memoranda stood at N4.7 billion. He said, “Today the Federal Executive Council approved two memos from the Ministry of Power. One is the revised estimated total cost in the contract of construction of infrastructure at the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria’s permanent site in Abuja. The total cost is 88.046 million. “The second approval by the council is the extension of the contract time for the consultancy service in the project management and supervision of the ongoing construction of Zungeru at the power project in the sum of $3.5 million and N3. 4 billion equivalent to N4.7 billion.”

Post Date : December 23, 2020

12 Killed, 25 Injured In Kaduna-Abuja Road Accident

Twelve people have been confirmed dead and 25 others injured in a road accident that occurred along the Kaduna- Abuja highway. The crash which involved a trailer on Wednesday was caused by a combination of speeding, road defects, driving against the direction of traffic, and loss of control. During a visit to the scene of the incident, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said the trailer veered off the road pavement and overturned due to over speeding. He disclosed that the 25 injured victims were receiving treatment in the hospital, noting that some livestock also perished in the accident. The commissioner also led extensive patrols along the Kaduna-Abuja highway to enforce compliance with the ban on driving against the direction of traffic. Aruwan warned motorists to be mindful of the inherent danger involved in driving against traffic and the need for them to maintain their lane. Meanwhile, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has expressed sadness over the report of the fatal accident, commiserating with the families of the deceased while wishing the injured a quick recovery. The governor appealed asked motorists to avoid overspeeding, overloading, reckless driving, and driving against the flow of traffic which was prohibited by the Kaduna State Government a week ago.

Post Date : December 23, 2020

I Will Not Give ASUU The Opportunity To Go On Strike – Ngige

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has said that he will do everything to ensure that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) does not go on another industrial action. He explained that three of his biological children have also been victims of the system, so he is personally committed to resolving the issues. “I will not give ASUU the opportunity to go on strike. Because I have three biological children that suffered from this imbroglio that we found ourselves in and about 15 people on my scholarship in Nigerian Universities,” the Minister said on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Wednesday. ourselves in and about 15 people on my scholarship in Nigerian Universities,” the Minister said on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Wednesday. Read Also: ASUU vs FG: We Will Review Developments In February – Ngige “My three biological children are here in Nigerian Universities. They even went to secondary school here. Two of them are American citizens and I had the option of leaving them to go study in America and enjoy the free education or whatever, but I didn’t. So, I am a committed parent. I am involved, even more than some ASUU members because some of them have their children in private schools.” Ngige said this hours after the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) “conditionally” suspended its strike, ending a protracted industrial action that started in March. National President of the association, Biodun Ogunyemi made the announcement during a briefing of the union in Abuja on Wednesday. Ogunyemi explained that the development followed the agreement reached with the Federal Government and a meeting with its National Executive Council (NEC). The suspension of the strike takes effect from Thursday, December 24. Meanwhile, the union has stressed that it will not hesitate to commence another strike if the government does not keep to its end of the bargain. But Ngige has vowed to do everything possible to ensure that does not happen. “I will make sure the government does its own bit,” he said. He gave an assurance that the agreement reached is so structured “in such a way that it is a win-win situation for everybody.” “For the revitalisation, we have given government up to the 31st of January to pay that. We have also opened the window so that by the end of February, we will sit down again and review all these situations. Nobody is going to keep anybody in suspense.”