The State High Court sitting at Eket, Akwa Ibom has sentenced a medical doctor, Nwaopara Adolphus Uche to two years in prison for stealing hospital beds from Immanuel General Hospital, Eket and Immanuel Psychiatric Hospital, Eket and converting them to his private clinic. The 39 year-old medical doctor is said to have used his position as the Medical Superintendent of Immanuel Psychiatric Hospital to commit the crime. The Court presided over by Justice Nsemeke Daniel convicted Dr Uche he who hails from Mbiere in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, on a two-count charge of stealing and conspiracy. Also convicted to one year imprisonment for conspiracy was: Kubiat Anthony Isidore, a 28 year-old welder from Ikot Idim in Odoro Ikot, Essien Udim LGA. Similarly, one Felix Samuel Ekwere(35), a security man at Immanuel General Hospital, and a native of Ekpene Obo in Esit Eket who was caught moving out some of the stolen hospital beds from the hospital at night was sentenced to one in prison. Samuel Ekwere is said to have confessed to the Police that the convicted Medical Superintendent , Uche sent him to move out the stolen beds They were prosecuted by the State through the Ministry of Justice in a charge number HEK/13C/2023.

  The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has said Nigerians will have their passport delivered to their homes, offices, and other locations of their choice from February 2024. Speaking on Monday at the opening ceremony of the International Week of the University Of Lagos, titled, ‘Breaking the Borders of Partnership,’ Tunji-Ojo said that by January next year, Nigerians would be able to complete the application process online. He said, “We have commenced the automation of our end-to-end passport application process, and we have given a timeline from which Nigerians will begin to experience the “sweet experience.” “By implication, Nigerians will not need to wait longer than two weeks before they get their passport. By January next year, Nigerians will be able to complete this application process online, and by February next year, with collaboration and partnership with other relevant stakeholders, Nigerians will have their passports delivered to their homes, offices, and other locations of their choice. This, of course, would be extended to our visa application process. We are deploying technology throughout the entire process to make it as seamless as possible. To achieve this, we have set everything into motion to open 12 more visa application centres across the world. In this regard, we are also working on strengthening our visa-on-arrival policy. We are working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enforce the principle of reciprocity, and a committee has been set up in the ministry to achieve this.” He lamented that there was a duplication of registration of identity numbers country including the BVN in the bank, the international passport, the NIN, and SIM card registration by telecos. Tunji-Ojo revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had given the directive for the harmonisation of the various identity numbers in the country. He added that the integrity of travel documents would be restored through the harmonisation of data. “Identity is who we are, what we are, and what we live for. But today, what we have is a duplication of our registration. We have the BVN in the bank, the international passport, the NIN, SIM card registration by telecos, and so on, all of which request your data. The integrity of our travel documents must be restored through the harmonisation of our data. “We have the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, to harmonise the country’s database. When we harmonise our data, there will be an exchange amongst agencies such that when our people need data for passport and visa applications, or BVN, with their NIN, their data can be pulled out. This will not only save us stress, cost, and energy but also help us optimise our processes and the country’s security architecture.”

  Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, has said the Federal Government has set a target of five million jobs for youths in five years through the N-Power scheme. Edu, who last week announced the suspension of the programme, stated this during an interview with Channels TV.   VDO.AI PlayUnmute Fullscreen She said the plan is to create a million jobs each year as a way of revamping the suspended N-Power programme. According to her, the government is reviewing the programme to “restore confidence in it.” She added that the suspension was a result of some irregularities observed within the scheme, noting that an investigation has been launched into how funds were expended since the beginning of the programme. “This action (suspension) has become necessary to give room for a detailed investigation into the operations of the N-Power in the last 12 months.” The total number of persons enrolled on N-Power since inception to date is 960,000. Most of them have exited from N-Power 1.0 and NPower 2.0 batches A and B. “There is a need to audit the number of people in the programme, those who have exited the programme, those who are being owed, whether they reported to work or not and how funds have been utilized over this period of time. “Recently, we discovered instances of programme beneficiaries whose participation has lapsed since 2022 but have remained on and continue to expect payments from the government. “In addition, some beneficiaries must honour their obligation to the programme: They do not report to their places of primary assignments as required but still receive monthly payments. “Some have other jobs and have left this bracket but are still benefiting from the payments, while those who truly worked are not paid. These instances have made the need for a thorough audit imperative, as we also look into claims of those being owed for up to eight to nine months’ stipends to ascertain the veracity of their claims. The graduates and non-graduate volunteers Batch C1 & C2 are in this category. We want to establish the exact number of people owed and the total amounts, thereby eliminating ghost beneficiaries. “Preliminary findings of our audit have shown that some consultants are holding on to beneficiaries’ funds disbursed to them long ago even when their contract ended in March 2023 without any renewal.” Edu also said the restructuring of the N-Power will birth an expanded programme to reach 5 million beneficiaries aged 18 to 40, unlike the previous age limit that was 35. “This restructuring and transformation will also birth an expanded programme to reach beneficiaries aged 18-40 (the previous age limit was 35). “We are targeting 5 million beneficiaries in 5 years at a pace of 1 million per year under the graduate and non-graduate stream. “To earn the confidence of Nigerians in the expanded programme, transparency and accountability will be the benchmark. It shall no longer be business as usual as we make concerted efforts to put the nation on the right footing, ensuring that no one directly or indirectly unleashes suffering on Nigerians,” she said.

  The Lagos State Government has suspended airlifting of the second batch of intending pilgrims to Israel due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Some Christians from the state had gone for pilgrimage in Jerusalem and another set of pilgrims were scheduled to be airlifted to Israel on Tuesday, October 10. Over 1,000 people have been killed on both sides after Hamas’ Saturday attack and a reprisal by the Israeli forces. The Board Secretary of the Lagos State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board (LSCPWB), Mrs. Florence Gbafe, announced the suspension in a statement on Monday, saying that the decision was as a result of keen observation of security situations in Israel. According to her, the LSCPWB and the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) will announce a new date for the airlifting of the second batch of the intending pilgrims in due course. She said the board regreted any inconvenience the suspension might cause, adding that the intending pilgrims would be duly informed of developments about their journey to the Holy Land. She said, “To all on the second batch of pilgrimage to Israel, kindly note that the pilgrimage is now on hold due to the war situation in Israel. Further information will be communicated as and when due please.” The executive secretary maintained that the Lagos State Government and the federal government would continue to prioritize the safety of all pilgrims to the holy land and will not expose Nigerians to any situation that will put their security at risk. She thanked God for the safety of the first batch of pilgrims from Lagos State who had already concluded their pilgrimage activities on Sunday, revealing that the pilgrims were expected to arrive in Nigeria later today (Monday).

  The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, projects that Nigeria will become a net exporter of petroleum products by next year. Speaking at the PENGASSAN Energy and Labour Summit 2023 in Abuja on Monday, Kyari said as a resource-dependent country, Nigeria should not be exporting 100 percent of its crude as it does at present. “Today, we export 100 per cent of our productions, no resource-dependent country does this and that is why we must deliver on our mandate. I don’t want to speak about it; when it is done, you will see it,” Kyari said. “So, I don’t want to tell you we are going to revamp our refineries. That is too much of PowerPoint talks. So, it will be done and you will see it. I don’t want to speak about it, we are tired of speaking about it. “But what we must achieve is that this country must be a net exporter of petroleum products and this is within sight.” “I strongly believe now, without giving you a date so that people don’t get angry again, but in 2024, this country will become a net exporter of petroleum products.” According to him, this means Nigerians will have sufficient volumes in the country and those that can leave the country. The NNPC boss however made it clear that refining crude oil in the country would not necessarily bring down the local price of petrol, which he said was controlled by the international price. ADVERTISEMENT Government-owned refineries have been moribund for years but the Federal Government has assured Nigerians that some of the refineries will become functional again soon as part of efforts to end importation of petrol into the country. During an inspection tour of the rehabilitation work progress at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) Ltd. plant, in Port Harcourt, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said the Port Harcourt refinery would be back on stream by December. Also, the Dangote Refinery is expected to start production soon which will see more crude refined in the country. The President of Dangote Industries Limited had during the inauguration of the 650,000 bpd refinery in Lagos State in May stated that production would start between July and August this year but that has been delayed for an undisclosed date. “Government is putting money into this and NNPC is investing with partners and we believe in 2024 the revolution will become very manifest and people will become have access to cleaner and cheaper fuel in 2024. “It’s already happening, number of buses has converted, a number of state governments have bought buses that are running on CNG. We are carrying out significant projects that will bring CNG into the market with our partners and we believe that this will work for our country,” Kyari added.

  President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, approved the appointment of Fela Durotoye and four others as members of the presidential advisory team. Durotoye is appointed as Senior Special Assistant to the President — National Values & Social Justice. This was disclosed in a release by the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale. Others appointed members of the presidential advisory team include: Mr. Fredrick Nwabufo (Senior Special Assistant to the President — Public Engagement); Mrs. Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe (Senior Special Assistant to the President — Strategic Communications); Mr. Aliyu Audu (Special Assistant to the President — Public Affairs); and Mr. Francis Adah Abah (Personal Assistant to the President — Special Duties).

  The Enugu State House of Assembly on Monday approved the N170b loan requested by Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State to execute some major projects in the state. The loan request was revealed in a letter read by the Speaker of the assembly, Chief Uche Ugwu, on Monday during an emergency plenary in Enugu. The Speaker said the loans, which would be sourced from the Fidelity and the Globus banks, would enable the state government to execute infrastructural projects in the state.   Ugwu gave a breakdown of the loan to include N100b Bank Guarantee Line (BGL), N10b Term Loan (TL), N10b Over Draft Facility from the Fidelity Bank and N50b Credit Facility from the Globus Bank. He hinted that the BGL would serve as a guarantee payment for contracts issued to the contractors, China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) and others for the execution of projects to be undertaken by the state government. On the Term loan, the Speaker revealed that the loan had an interest rate of 22 per cent per annum, which is subject to review in line with money market realities, adding that the repayment tenure is 48 months. Ugwu pointed out that the Over Draft Facility loan would ensure prompt payment of workers’ salaries as well as sorting out other recurrent expenditures and had a repayment tenure of 12 months. The speaker said the State Executive Council gave approval for the loans on October 6. Contributing, the Minority leader of the House, Mr Iloabuchi Aniagu, commended the state governor for forwarding the loan request, which he said, was timely. According to Aniagu, the loans will enable the state government to undertake developmental agenda for the good people of the state.

  The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has assured Nigerians that its digital currency. eNaira posed no threat to financial stability.The Director, Corporate Communications Department of CBN, Dr Isa AbdulMumin said this on Monday in Marrakech.AbdulMumin was reacting to a recent media report that raised concerns about Nigeria’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), eNaira, indicating potential risks to financial stability.The media report, quoting articles from a book recently released by the CBN indicated that in spite its success in narrowing the country’s financial inclusion gap, the eNaira was a potential threat to financial stability.It said that since its inception, bank deposit conversion to eNaira had exhibited an average monthly growth of 78.3 per cent and totaled about N1.66 billion.According to Abdulmumin, a review of the report indicates a lack of understanding of some portions of some articles in a book recently released by the CBN titled, “Economics of Digital Currencies’’.“A recurring theme in the book is the interest of regulators such as CBN in the role of crypto currencies as speculative investments and the potential threat they harbour for financial stability.“The articles in the book provide an in-depth understanding of CBDCs generally, and the workings of the Naira,’’ he said.The director assured that as the eNaira structure continued to evolve, it was undergoing modifications targeted at improving the user experience “across all interfaces’’.“We encourage Nigerians to embrace the technology for among other things, greater financial inclusion,’’ AbdulMumin said.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the eNaira was initiated by the former CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele and inaugurated in October 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari. Nigeria is the first African country to adopt the CBDC.

  Israel’s response to attacks from Gaza by the Islamist militant group Hamas will change the Middle East, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday. “What Hamas will face will be harsh and terrible,’’ Netanyahu told officials from towns in southern Israel. “We are only at the beginning,’’ according to a statement. Israeli airstrikes have pounded targets in the Gaza Strip in response to attacks launched by Hamas on Saturday that left more than 700 Israelis dead. Another 2,400 were injured, and Hamas militants took more than 100 captive Israelis back to the Gaza Strip. However, more than 558 people in Gaza have been killed and more than 2,800 injured in Israeli strikes, according to the Ministry of Health there. Hamas is classified as a terrorist organisation in Israel, the European Union and the U.S. (dpa/NAN)

  Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant Monday ordered a “complete siege” on the Gaza Strip as the military pounded the Palestinian territory with air strikes. “We are putting a complete siege on Gaza… No electricity, no food, no water, no gas — it’s all closed,” Gallant said in a video message, referring to the enclave that is overcrowded with 2.3 million people. At least 700 people were killed in southern Israel when Hamas militants stormed across the border on Saturday, shooting people in the communities and towns near Gaza before Israeli security forces began fighting back. An estimated 250 people were killed by Hamas gunmen at a music festival attended by young Israelis and foreigners near Kibbutz Reim, close to Gaza, according to an organisation that helped to recover the bodies. “We are fighting animals and are acting accordingly,” Gallant said in Hebrew. At least 493 people have also been killed in the Gaza Strip after Israeli military launched air strikes on the Palestinian enclave in response to the Hamas attack. AFP