FACTION EMERGES AFTER APC CONGRESS
Thursday, 05 July 2018 08:28The All Progressives Congress has split in two in aftermath of the recent state congresses and National Convention of the party.
The new faction named reformed APC has BUBA GALADIMA as the national Chairman.
The breakaway APC faction is dominated by supporters of the Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, among others.
The members have held meetings in Abuja to determine their future in the party.
RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT UNVEILS ECONOMIC PLAN
Tuesday, 03 July 2018 17:16
The Rivers State Government has unveiled a report of its Socio-Economic Survey for 2017, with a view to guide ministries and local government councils to make informed decisions.
The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Isaac Kamalu, during the presentation of the report in Port Harcourt, said the survey highlights areas of importance for development decisions at the state and local government levels.
Responding to the report, some participants at the event, including the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Information, Paulinus Nsirim, said the survey report would help in setting priorities of programmes for the people.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 2019 ELECTIONS OSHIOMHOLE TELLS SOUTH-EAST
Tuesday, 03 July 2018 16:50
People of the South-East Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria have been advised to use the 2019 general elections to position themselves to bid for the presidency in subsequent elections.
So says the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, while addressing a rally in Owerri, Imo State, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari.
On his part; the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, criticized Igbos who held strategic positions in the past PDP Administration of sixteen years for failing to bring development to the South-East.
That was the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC; ADAMS OSHIOMHOLE.
PDP CAMPAIGN LOOT: Metuh and others have day in court
Tuesday, 03 July 2018 15:20The prosecution of people who are thought to have benefited from the allegedly looted public fund that was used for the 2015 election campaign of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has shifted to Borno State.
In the eye of the storm in the latest phase of the EFCC’s marathon prosecution is a former Minister of State for Power Muhammad Wakil and four others.
Wakil and his co-accused persons a seven-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of over three hundred and forty-one million naira.
The others are Garba Abacha, Ibrahim Shehu Birma, Abubakar Ali Kullima and Muhammad Baba Kachalla.
The five accused persons were arraigned before Justice M.T Salihu of the Federal High Court sitting in Maiduguri
The EFCC alleged that the defendants received part of one hundred and fifteen million dollars that was allegedly disbursed by a former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke, with a view to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.
EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said all five defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, and Justice SALIHU is expected to hear the bail applications today.
in another development; Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja is due to determine an application by former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh, seeking to set aside an order foreclosing defence on his four hundred million naira fraud trial.
The matter had been slated for the opening of the defense of second defendant, Destra Investment Limited, but was stalled following an application by the defence counsel, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Justice Abang stated that the outcome of court’s decision would determine whether the second defendant would be called upon to open its defence.
EFCC: Agency secures over a hundred convictions
Tuesday, 03 July 2018 15:19
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, says it has secured one hundred and thirty-nine convictions in the prosecution of cases of corruption over the last six months, between January and June this year.
The EFCC said fifty of those convictions were recorded in the month of June alone, including former governors of Taraba and Plateau states, Jolly Nyame, and Senator Joshua Dariye, who were jailed for fourteen years each, as well as the conviction of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, JOSEPH NWOBIKE.
The anti-graft agency said the record of convictions was significant in many respects, particularly as a mark of consistency in its efforts to change the negative narrative of pervasive corruption in the system and altering the perception that some persons were above the Law.
A statement released by EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, also noted that several high profile corruption cases are still being prosecuted by the across the country, stressing that it was determined to drive them to logical conclusion.
Uwujaren said the EFCC was poised to surpass the one hundred and eighty-nine convictions secured in the prosecution of corruption cases in 2017.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TACKLE UNEMPLOYMENT
Tuesday, 03 July 2018 12:34
The Federal Government has admitted that the rate of unemployment among Nigerian youth is serious and is being addressed.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige also said efforts by government to reverse trend has received a further boost.
Senator Ngige gave this indication during the sealing of a partnership with the African Development Bank on a programme designed for youth employment and skills development in Nigeria.
The Minister said young people constitute a larger proportion of Nigeria’s population; stressing the need to determine how many of them are fully employed, underemployed or unemployed
PRESIDENT BUHARI SIGNS MEDICAL RESIDENCY TRAINING ACT
Friday, 29 June 2018 07:55
President Muhamadu Buhari has signed the Medical Residency Training Act, 2018 thereby activating the regulation of medical residency training programme for medical practitioners and dental surgeons under the National Medical Post-Graduate College of Nigeria.
The programme is for scholars who possess the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery or its equivalent, and have gone through the National Youth Service Scheme, NYSC programme or with exemption certificate.
Also signed into law by President Buhari is the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission Amendment Bill, which now provides for the payment of ten per cent of revenue, generated from the operation of hydroelectric dams in any member state to be paid to the Commission, instead of thirty as was previously obtained.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, said the amendment further fortifies the power of the Minister to issue policy directives as well as reinforce statutory powers of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to regulate the electricity industry under the principal Act.
SECOND NIGER BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION EXCITES LAI MOHAMED
Thursday, 28 June 2018 16:04
The Federal Government has expressed satisfaction with the pace of work on the Second Niger Bridge project, linking Delta and Anambra States.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, gave this indication during an inspection tour of construction sites in both Asaba and Onitsha.
Lai Mohamed said he was very excited about the project because of the alignment, adding that people travelling on the old bridge will say nothing is going on because they cannot see it.
Mohammed told journalists who accompanied him on the tour that the bridge when completed, would ease traffic congestion on the road, as well as change the socio-economic landscape of the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones in particular.
The Minister commended the construction company handling the project and assured that henceforth, funding will no longer be a challenge for the construction of such projects.
He said the APC Administration now has many sources of funding, including the Presidential Infrastructural Development Fund, which is aimed at ensuring that no project like this suffers for lack of funding.
The Information and Culture Minister said having achieved tremendous success with the sub-structural work, the project will now witness rapid progress.
Also quoted in a statement released by the Special Assistant to the Minister is the Federal Controller of Works in Anambra State, Innocent Alomona, who said phases one, two and three of the project, which have to do with the foundation, have been completed.
Alomona said the contractor was currently working on phase four of the Second Niger Bridge, which he said would be completed by next month.
He said some three hundred and ten of a total of six hundred and fifteen piles designed for the bridge had been sunk, while sand-filling of the access road has been carried out to the height of five metres.
The government statement also disclosed that at least four hundred Nigerians are currently employed by the contractor handling the Second Niger Bridge project, which is expected to be completed within the next two years.
PDP MOURNS PLATEAU MASSACRE VICTIMS
Thursday, 28 June 2018 16:01The main opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, says flags at its offices nationwide will be flown at half-mast for seven days in honour of those who lost their life in the herdsmen massacre in Plateau State.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, gave this indication in a statement confirming the party’s declaration of seven days of mourning for victims of the Plateau massacre.
Ologbondiyan said beyond declaring a mourning period, the PDP also wants residents of Plateau State to demand justice, defend their rights and sue the Federal Government to enforce their rights as global citizens.
The PDP wants the people of the Plateau to drag President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC-led Federal Government to the International Criminal Court at The Hague for acting helpless in the face of continuous mass killings.
The PDP’s call comes as the Plateau State Government made a ten billion naira demand on the Federal Government which it intends to use to provide support for victims of the massacre over the weekend.
On the other hand; the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement said the party demands the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the carnage in Plateau State.
Abdullahi said the APC wants the security agencies to spare no efforts in stemming the occurrence of such violence in all parts of the country
The APC also appealed to religious and community leaders to demonstrate true leadership even in the face of the terrible challenge by appealing to those affected not to take the laws into their hands and avoid utterances and actions that can provoke reprisal.
RIVERS GOVERNMENT TAKES OVER NYEMONI GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Thursday, 28 June 2018 08:09Rivers State Governor, Nyesome Wike has announced the immediate takeover of Nyemoni Grammar School, Abonnema in Akuku Toru Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Wike who made the announcement during the commissioning of the newly reconstructed secondary school, which is being managed by the missionary, said the decision to take over the school was to remove the burden from the mission.
He also directed the Chairman of the Post Primary Schools Board to immediately post a principal and other staff to the school.
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