Civil servants in Ebony state will henceforth sit for examinations to qualify for promotion to the position of Permanent Secretaries.
Already, the state governor, Engineer David Nweze Umahi has directed the state Head of Service, Dr. Chamberlain Nwele, to commence the process of conducting the examination.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said that the exams would help the government to select the best hands to drive its developmental policies.
The governor spoke after the ministries and some departments in the state made live television and radio presentations of the activities in the past two years at the Abakaliki Township Stadium.
Governor Umahi said that each of the 13 local government areas in the state would produce a permanent secretary to ensure equity in the appointment of civil servants.
“I want to ask Head of Service to go ahead with a committee to set written examination for all those that want to be permanent secretaries. They have to write the exam and you will mark it and the best in each LGA will emerge as Permanent Secretary. There will be no lobbying for it. It has to be the best person who has the vision of his ministry. The aspirants will go through about three different kinds of tests. They will not be tested by only one body.”
He observed that there was poor attendance of civil servants at the event and directed that they should queue behind their commissioners in subsequent presentations.
“It is very unfortunate that many civil servants are not here. Next time we do it, all the civil servants will come and stand behind their commissioners to do your presentations.”
The governor, who applauded the Commissioners for their efforts to deliver on their mandate, pointed out that the public deserved to know the extent of their achievements.
In her presentation, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Mrs. Euphemia Nwali, assured the people of the state that the ministry would commence pumping of water from Oferekpe water scheme to Abakaliki capital city next month.
On his part, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Fidelis Nweze, said that construction work on Nkalagu-Umuhuali-Ehamufu road would be completed and inaugurated before the end of this year.
Other members of the state executive council, including the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Benard Odoh, reiterated their commitment to make life more meaningful to Ebonyi people through their service. [myad]
Personal photographer of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Bayo Omoboriowo, today, Saturday, released a picture of the President having a good time with a child on the Children Day, as the world observes another Children’s Day celebration today, Saturday, May 27. His loyal Second-In-Command, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and his dutiful wife, Aisha also participate in sharing the fun. [myad]
“I caught my husband in a hotel having sex with Evelyn Etim, a member of our church. As I speak to you, Evelyn has given birth to a baby boy and she is living in Eket with my husband.”
These were the revelations by Mrs. Idongesit Ese, wife of the founder and pastor of Kairos Rhema Embassy in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, Pastor Nsikanabasi Ese.
Mrs. Ese openly informed worshippers that her husband was not just living an adulterous life but had impregnated a female member of the church.
Though she was prevented from entering the auditorium of Kairos Rhema Embassy when she arrived at the church to make the matter public, but she stood at the church premises to tell her story, saying: “I want every man and woman who has conscience in this church to ask my husband why he is doing this to me; why would he be sleeping with a young girl who came to seek counseling and prayers from him?”
Mrs. Ese, at a point, brought out photos from her handbag and showed the church members to buttress her points, saying: “that’s when my husband; so called man of God, beat me and hit me with his car and ran away with Evelyn Etim when I caught them in the hotel.”
She also displayed a photo of a young woman whom she said was that of the alleged intruder, Evelyn Etim, saying: “I want members of the church to know why I haven’t been attending programmes in the church.
“Many people have been calling my telephone line to inform me that my husband lied to the congregation that I traveled out of the country.
“This is the moment of truth. Let the people know what has been going on in my marriage and in the church…. I believed and trusted this man with my whole life. I am still asking myself one question, is this the same man who once woke me up late in the night, stood stark naked before me, poured anointing all on his head and swore that God should destroy him and his ministry the day he sleeps with any woman other than his wife!”
Mrs. Ese said that she was pregnant for the pastor but that the baby died mysteriously in her womb two days to delivery some three years ago. [myad]
A global technology failure at British Airways led to delays, airport congestion and flight cancellations for thousands of customers at London area airports today, Saturday.
The problems began at about 7 a.m. local time and by late afternoon, the airline had canceled all Saturday flights departing from Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
In a statement, the airline cited “a major I.T. system failure that is causing severe disruption to our flight operations worldwide.”
The glitch affected the airline’s check-in and operational systems, including call centers, the airline’s chief executive, Alex Cruz, said in a video on Saturday.
“Our I.T. teams are working tirelessly to fix the problems,” Mr. Cruz added. “We believe the root cause was a power supply issue, and we have no evidence of any cyberattack.”
British Airways urged passengers with tickets for Saturday flights not to go to Heathrow or Gatwick, in an effort to ease congestion. Customers already at the airports posted photos and videos of long lines and crowded terminals.
The airline warned that delays could continue into Sunday. “We are working hard to get our customers who were due to fly today onto the next available flights over the course of the rest of the weekend,” British Airways said in a statement. “Those unable to fly will be offered a full refund.”
The shutdown affected systems around the world, but British Airways flights could still depart from other airports where staff members were able to “find a workaround,” for example, by checking in passengers manually, a spokeswoman said.
The airline faced a similar situation in September, when a glitch affected check-in systems and caused delays at multiple international airports.
The malfunction on Saturday came at the beginning of a bank holiday weekend, when the number of travel bookings was higher than usual.
“We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience this is causing our customers during this busy holiday period,” the airline said in its statement. [myad]
The Deputy President of Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, asked those who are agitating for the creation of Biafran Republic from Nigeria under the auspices of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to shield their swords even though they are on good course.
According to Senator Ekweremadu, circumstances that gave birth to agitations for Biafra 50 years ago have returned in full force, but appealed to Ndigbo not to be provoked into “armed struggle no matter the intimidation, harassment and marginalization.”
The deputy senate President, who spoke today, Saturday at the World Igbo Congress (WIC) Summit, stressed the need for fair and equitable treatment of Ndigbo as bonafide and important component of the Nigerian federation, saying that Ndigbo have become endangered species in a country where they ought to be equal partners.
At the occasion, which held without any of the governors and leadership of the Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in attendance, the leaders insisted that redressing appointments and projects skewed against Ndigbo by the present administration would check rising agitations.
Ekweremadu said that the National Assembly would always uphold the rights of every part of the nation to equity and fairness, adding that it is worrisome that no Igbo man exists in the commanding heights of the security sector of the country. [myad]
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has said that the greatest reason of optimism for the bright future for Africa is in the incredible energy, talent and creativity of our young people, male and female who are completely undeterred by the failures of the past and are daily taking advantage of innovation and technology bringing about the Africa of our dreams,
Speaking today, Saturday at the G7 Summit special outreach forum on Africa with selected African nations and leaders including Nigeria, Guinea, Tunisia, Niger, Ethiopia and Kenya, made it clear that Africa is not deterred by the failures of the past.
According to him, the continent is motivated by the incredible energy and talent of its bustling youthful population, saying: “Africa is confident of the future because we have learnt…we are investing more in education, insisting on good governance and holding ourselves to account.”
Professor Osinbajo, who assured the G7 countries of Africa’s increasing collaboration as never before in trade, counter terrorism and strengthening democracy, commended the seven most industrialized nations of world for their support in the fight against Boko Haram terrorism, especially the US, France and the United Kingdom as effective partners in the Lake Chad basin, citing the successes of “our joint intelligent unit which has provided useful and timely intelligence in the war against terrorism.”
The acting President said that in Nigeria today, there is massive increase in rice yield over the past two years, and that distribution of fertilizer subsidies is ongoing to farmers who had also benefited from an e-wallet system that guaranteed that the subsidies actually gets to the farmers.
He said that the N-Power programme which has started engaging some of the up to five hundred thousand young previously unemployed graduates instalmentally as teachers, agricultural extension workers and public health professionals “is a breakthrough in mass post-tertiary education.”
He said the participants were recruited online in all states in the nation mostly using mobile phones, adding that participants were soon to receive their electronic tablet devices and can access an N-Power portal that contain required training materials for acquisition of more skills to carry out their duties.
Other world leaders attending the Summit are Chairman of the African Union, United Nations, OECD, IMF, AfDB and World Bank as well as leaders of the G7 countries.
On the entourage of the Acting President are minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, Special Adviser on Economic Matters, Dr. Yemi Dipeolu; the Nigeria Charge d’ Affairs in Italy, Mrs. Bisi Meshioye.
The Acting President has since returned to Nigeria. [myad]
Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Alhaji Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu has asked children to embrace the message of peace in their interaction with the larger part of Nigeria.
The security agency boss, who spoke today in Abuja, to mark the Children’s Day, an annual event which comes up every 27th of May and observed across the globe, encouraged children to shun violence.
“Thuggery, vandalism, malpractices, violence are inimical to the growth of the nation and they are against the law of the land. Therefore, children should shun all these vices and embrace peace for peace. The law is no respecter of anybody.”
Abdullahi Gana called on parents, guardians, political actors and gladiators to embrace peace for the purpose of nation-building, saying that they are models to children.
The Commandant General advised parents to caution their children against anything that could lead to the breakdown of law and order in the society.
He said that the security personnel will continue to ensure peaceful conduct of citizens and protect critical infrastructure and national assets. [myad]
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described the Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai as a man who has “an incurable knack for lying.”
Jonathan was reacting to El-Rufai’s allegation that he (Jonathan), gave N2 Billion ecological fund to state under the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and turned back on states not controlled by the party.The fund, which is for solving emergency problems like natural disasters, is statutory.
Jonathan said that he was not surprised at governor El-Rufai’s recent claim, saying: “it is false that non-PDP states did not get monies from the fund.”
In a statement by his media adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan said: “it is so easy to expose Malam Nasir El-rufai as a liar being that Akwa-Ibom, a PDP state governed by the then Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and a close confidante and major supporter of the then President, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, did not get the monies alluded to by Malam El-rufai from the Ecological Fund as did multiple other PDP states including Ekiti state, a state governed by a thoroughbred patriot and Jonathan supporter, Ayo Fayose.
“Nemesis catches up faster with liars than any other agent of evil. El-rufai was probably led by the gods against his own sinister plot to confess in another breathe that States under non-PDP parties like APGA and Labour party also benefitted.
“The fact remains that the Ecological Fund is a specialized fund with certain constitutional requirements which must be met before a state can access the funds.
“Every state benefitted from the fund under President Jonathan who bent over backwards to accommodate states that had difficulty meeting the criteria for accessing the fund.”
Jonathan said that El-Rufai was intentionally silent on the over N10 billion specially deployed to fund the Great Green Wall (GGW) project in some northern states, in view of the need to work with the rest of Africa on the African initiative to check desert encroachment in the Sahelian states.
“These states included Zamfara, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina and Adamawa. Others are Yobe, Borno and Kano which belong to Mallam El-rufai’s class of ‘non-friendly’ states that he alleged never benefitted from any discretionary fund.
“Similar principle applies to the conditions for accessing the Universal basic Education fund where some states have not had access to what is due them, because they are yet to fulfill the mandatory criteria for allocation.
“Would it then be right in the name of El-rufai’s position on equity to blame the failure of those states to access their UBEC funds on Jonathan?
“Nigerians may recall that this is not the first time that El-rufai has vented his known passion for lying against the former President,” he continued.
“The public will recall that in October 2015 he falsely alleged that former President Jonathan spent a whopping N64 billion on Independence Day celebrations, during his tenure when in fact only N333 million was spent.
“Nigerians may also recall that this same El-rufai falsely accused former President Jonathan and former CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor of founding and funding Boko Haram to the tune of N50 billion.
“We can only wonder what new false accusation El-rufai may come up with tomorrow, as with him it is a case of one day, one lie.
“We therefore urge Nigerians to ‘be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath’ whenever this notorious liar opens his mouth.” [myad]
The Nigeria Police Force has put its men and officers on red alert in the South East over the planned protest on May 30, by some groups, in commemoration of the Nigerian-Biafran war that ended in 1970.
The police authority said that the Inspector General had directed the Commissioners of Police in the affected States and their supervising Assistant Inspectors General of Police, to be strict, polite, civil and firm in dealing with the situation and put all the Police Personnel and Police Anti-Riot equipments on red alert to deal decisively in accordance with the law with any eventuality from these groups, that can disrupt commercial activities, vehicular movements and safety of lives and properties in some States of the Federation considered to be flash/vulnerable points which have witnessed the unfortunate disturbance of public peace by these groups in the recent past.
The position of the police authorities was contained in a statement issued today, Friday, by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh O. Moshood, naming the groups that are calling for protests as the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), the Biafran Independence Movement (BIM), the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and other affiliated groups.
“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to publications in the media on the planned protests and order of market closure in the South Eastern states on the 30th May, 2017 by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Biafra Independence Movement (BIM) and other like groups.”
The statement said that the Police Force is deeply concerned with the security implications with regards to the renewed hostilities and subversive propagandas aimed at undermining law and order in some States of the Federation by these groups, their associates, sponsors, apologists and sympathizers.
“Consequently, the Commissioners of Police in the affected States and their supervising Assistant Inspectors General of Police, have been directed by the Inspector General of Police to be strict, polite, civil and firm in dealing with the situation and put all the Police Personnel and Police Anti-Riot equipments on red alert to deal decisively in accordance with the law with any eventuality from these groups, that can disrupt commercial activities, vehicular movements and safety of lives and properties in some States of the Federation considered to be flash/vulnerable points which have witnessed the unfortunate disturbance of public peace by these groups in the recent past.
“The Force sees the activities of these groups as not only unlawful but highly provocative and capable of causing breach of the peace currently being enjoyed in the South East States and other States of the Federation. The planned protests and orders of Market closure and illegal unilateral self imposed restrictions of vehicular movements by these groups in the affected States should be disregarded by all well meaning Nigerians. The Nigeria Police Force, hereby advised the members of the public to go about their lawful duties and other responsibilities without any fear or apprehension as adequate security arrangements have been put in place for the safety of every Nigerian throughout the Country by Nigeria Police Force and other Security agencies.”
The statement said that the Police Force is not unaware of the rights of every Nigerian to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association and freedom of movement, as essentials of democracy provided by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended particularly sections 38, 39, 40 and 41.
It said that however, such rights must be observed with decorum, in good faith and without violating the rights of other millions of Nigerians to free movements and access to public/private facilities and their means of livelihood on daily basis.
“The Nigeria Police while observing the rights of all Nigerians as stated above is equally conscious of the fact that these rights are not absolute as section 45 of the same Constitution provide for derogations to these rights. Consequently, the Police will resist the action(s) of any person or group of persons for whatever course that is against the interest of public defence, public safety, public order, public morality and a threat to the rights and freedom of other Nigerians.
“The Force will continue to Police the Country based on international core values and best practices and operate within the Principles of Democratic Policing but will not succumb and tolerate criminal activities of any group(s) under any guise to cause disturbance of public peace and unleash mayhem on innocent Nigerians anywhere in the country.
“As a result, the Police Force is hereby calling on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Biafran Independence Movement (BIM), the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) to consider the consequences of their actions and activities and without delay and call themselves to order in the interest of National Security, and safety of lives and properties of every Nigerian across the Nation as the full weight of the law will be made to bear on violators of the laws.
“The Nigeria Police Force will not hesitate to deal decisively with any group(s) and their sponsors that attempt to cause disturbance of the peace or carry out any unlawful demonstration, unlawful assembly/procession or gathering and public disobedience that can jeopardise law and order and harmonious co-existence within and amongst Nigerians throughout the country. The fact that freedom of expression as one of the dictates of democracy is being observed by the Police, should not be misconstrued as liberty by any group(s) for sectional or group interest to violate the laws and cause mayhem, confusion and apprehension in the minds of more than about one hundred and seventy Millions Nigerians.
“The Force will continue to carry out its Constitutional duties and other statutory responsibilities in accordance with the law of the land and for the utmost protection of lives and properties of all Nigerians across the Country.” [myad]
Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West in the Senate has described the alleged double voter registration by Governor Yahaya Bello of the state as reckless, even as he asked the governor to resign.
Melaye, who spoke at a news briefing in Abuja, on behalf of some stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, said that the people of Kogi State and the party were dissociating themselves from the act and called on the governor to resign immediately or risk impeachment.
“This executive recklessness and impunity is what we are reacting to. We are saying that as stakeholders in Kogi politics and the All Progressives Congress, we condemn in its entirety the fraudulent behaviour of Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State.”
“Kogi people are responsible people and we expect to have a responsible governor. As at the time he was contesting that election, it showed that he was not a registered voter in Kogi state.
“Since he knew he was not registered in the state, why did he in the first place accept the candidacy of the party?
“So, on this note, we are calling immediately for the resignation of the governor.
“If he has integrity, he should honourably resign and if the governor refuses to resign, we are going to mobilize our members in the House of Assembly to start an impeachment process against him.
“We will do this because we have a valid point as expressed by INEC..”
Melaye said that besides the move for impeachment, Kogi citizens would be mobilized to stage a peaceful protest in strategic locations across the country should he refuse to resign.
He stressed that the people would be mobilized to INEC’s head office, the National Secretariat of APC and strategic locations in Lokoja to protest, adding that power belonged to the people.
The Chairman of APC in Kogi, Alhaji Hadi Ametuo, agreed with Melaye, adding that it was the position of the party.
“We know the law and INEC says it is criminal. We will abide by what Melaye has just said. That is our position.’’
The call for the governor’s resignation came on the heels of a statement from the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying Bello registered twice to vote.
INEC, in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, Thursday, accused Yahaya Bello of double registration for Permanent Voter Card in contravention of the Electoral Act.
The statement was issued by Prince Solomon Soyebi, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee.
The statement noted that Bello had his first registration on Jan. 30, 2011 in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja and the second registration on Tuesday, May 23, at the Government House, Lokoja.
It further noted that the Government House was outside the designated centre for the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration.
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