Kogi state police command has mounted a searching team to track down a gang of four suspected robbers who attacked a commercial bank in Okene, Kogi State, during which two policemen were killed as the robbers attempted to break into the banking hall. According to the Police Public Relation Officer of the Kogi State Command, Mr. Sola Adebayo, no effort would be speared to apprehend the suspects. An eyewitness said that the armed robbers arrived at the bank premises at about 8.55am today, and began to shoot in all directions. It was gathered that though security operatives at the bank foiled the attempt of the robbers to enter the bank, but that the robbers succeeded in gunning down the two policemen in gun duel.
The Director of the Nigerian Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade has finally retired from the force more than a year after he was supposed to have retired but was denied by the military authorities. He has also resigned as Chairman of the Forum of Spokespersons for the Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA).
The General handed over the leadership of FOSSRA to the Director of Information, Nigeria Navy, Commodore Kabiru Aliyu today.
He told members of the FOSSRA at their monthly meeting today that he ought to have left the service since November 2014 when he applied for voluntary retirement but was not obliged by the Army Council, who extended his stay in the service on the grounds that it was not proper for him to go at that time. General Olukolade thanked members of the forum and their agencies for the support and understanding they accorded him while he chaired the forum since its formation in 2013. He also solicited the same measure of support for his successor, even as he reminded them of the core essence of the forum which is to deepen the collaboration and understanding among the security and response agencies in information management and communication. In his acceptance remark, the new Chairman of the forum, Commodore Kabiru Aliyu extolled the sterling leadership qualities of the retiring General, which according to him was the pillar behind the successes recorded by the forum. He assured the former Chairman of his determination to carry on from where he stopped and to even strive to move the forum to another level. [myad]
Ahead of the 2016 governorship election in Edo State, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has inaugurated a 17-man reconciliation and mobilisation committee, headed by the Chief Executive of Ray Power and AIT, Chief Raymond Dokpesi. The committee is aimed at strengthening the structure and unity of the party. Chief Dokpesi told journalists at a news briefing at the party’s secretariat that among the objectives of the committee was the need to address perceived grievances among members of the party, following the outcome of the 2015 general elections. Other members of the reconciliation and mobilization committee as announced by the State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, were Mr. Abass Braimah, Senator Odion Ugbesia, Senator Ehigie Uzamere, Chief Solomon Edebiri, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Mr. Matthew Uduoyekewmen and Mr. John Yakubu. Dokpesi said that it was regrettable that members of PDP allowed the lack of internal democracy and personal interests to override the general good of the party, adding: “as a family, let us tell ourselves the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The PDP’s setback and current position status in the state is solely caused by PDP members. “Our penchant for undermining well known democratic practices, lack of internal democracy, the crave for personal interests to override the general good of the party and the determined posturing of self before others, are, to mention a few, the root causes of our political dilemma in the state.” He said that it was high time the members acted as democrats and in line with the rule of the PDP, adding that, “democrats are not socialists nor self-styled progressives, who to give the APC example, as more capitalist than capitalism.” “This committee shall muster all of the energy, wisdom and sagacity to effect reconciliation amongst our warring and feuding members. We shall mobilise our people and members like never before giving assurances that ours is firmly a restoration of ‘the voice of the people being the voice of God.’ We must all have a shared common objective and focus.” [myad]
The Northern sociopolitical organization, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has revealed how the immediate past President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan rubbished the North in the constitution of membership of the National Conference which he set up to redesign the national ethos. ACF, which responded to a leader of Yoruba sociocultural group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, who had earlier saidd that the Northern interest will not allow President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the recommendations of the National Conference, said that Jonathan set up the Conference to favour the South over the North. The National Conference was set up by Jonathan in 2014. About 500 distinguished Nigerians recommended a new constitution. In a statement in Kaduna today, the ACF, through its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Muhamma Ibrahim, said that though the North participated in the conference, but that while the Northern region had the highest population in terms of human beings and land mass, the South had the higher number of delegates, describing this ‘lopsided’ arrangement as a gross injustice meted out to the region. “The selection process of delegates by President Jonathan’s government to the confab made the North, that has a population of 75,268,686 people (NPC 2006) with a land mass of 730,885 square km (80%) as a minority with 189 delegates while the South with a population of 65,151,458 people (NPC 2006) with a land mass of 193,438 square km (20%) had the majority with 303 delegates. “Despite this glaring injustice and disadvantage, the North, as a region did not only participate in the overall national interest of Nigeria but also stabilised the conference on crucial issues of national unity. The 2014 Confab was therefore not a platform for constitution making and did not unanimously recommend a new constitution for Nigeria as claimed by Chief Adebanjo. “The learned Chief knows better the process of constitution making and certainly the delegates to the 2014 Confab did not qualify for such process, as they were not elected as representatives of the people but selected or nominated by government and interest groups. ” The delegates therefore did not have the legitimate mandate of the people to draft or recommend a new constitution for Nigeria and did not even do so.” It wondered whether it was the fault of the North that Jonathan, who had ample time and opportunity to implement the recommendation of the confab, failed to do so. “The 2014 Confab, in which ACF fully participated made about 600 far-reaching recommendations on policy issues, legal and constitutional amendments to the 1999 Constitution as amended and submitted the report to the former President on August 21, 2014 and not a new Constitution. “President Jonathan had ample opportunity to implement some of the policy issues or even forward some of the recommendations that require legal and constitutional amendments to the National Assembly, but did not do so. “Was it the northern interest that stopped him, being a southerner or a southern interest? The Confab report, being a public property, is subject to the usual due process of implementation through the three arms of government and not singularly by President Buhari as Chief Adebanjo is canvassing.” While caution against inflammatory statements from respected elders that could jeopardise the corporate co-existence of the nation, the ACF considered the elder statesman’s comment as embarrassing and absurd Adebanjo had said in a newspaper interview: “My own view and the view of Afenifere are that a northerner will not be so disposed to changing the constitution because they are the beneficiaries of what we are complaining about. Let them disprove that.” [myad]
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has shut down 22 filling stations in Abuja and its environs for what it called undue profiteering. Of the 22 filling stations, 19 of them, according to the DPR, were sealed for selling above N87 per liter, two were for diversion of petroleum products while the remaining one was grossly under-dispensing and selling products massively in jerry cans. The stations are to remain sealed for at least one month in addition to forfeiting their bridging claims as directed by the Federal Government. Head, Public Relations, Mohammed.B. Saidu, who issued a statement, said: “Petroleum product marketers and depot owners are hereby warned to operate within the guidelines governing petroleum sales and distribution or face the wrath of the law. The exercise shall continue until normalcy is restored.” [myad]
Nigerian soldiers have raided the enclaves of Boko Haram, killed a number of insurgents and rescued 59 civilians who were being held captive. Spokesman of the Nigeria Army, Colonel S.K. Usman, in a statement today, said that Boko Haram insurgents fled from underground hiding places before troops of the 21 Brigade and from the Army Engineers at a camp at Chugori and Shantumari on Wednesday. He said that today, Thursday, the 151 Task Force Battalion conducted raids on Boko Haram camps at Kashingeri, Wale, and Kushingari. Colonel Usman noted that a number of Boko Haram members were killed. A Land Rover and a tipper or dump truck were also recovered. According to Colonel Usman, the recent combat is part of the ongoing Operation Lafiya Dole, which is the Nigerian Army’s code for counterinsurgency efforts in the country’s northeast. The renewed efforts are taking place after President Muhammadu Buhari replaced the military heads earlier this month, including making Borno State-born Tukur Buratai the Army Chief of Staff. [myad]
Royal Dutch Shell has indicated that it will soon throw 6,500 out of jobs as a way of stepping up spending cuts, to deal with an extended period of lower oil prices. The Anglo-Dutch company also said that it is planning more asset disposals, bringing total asset sales between 2014 and 2018 to $50 billion.
“We have to be resilient in a world where oil prices remain low for some time, whilst keeping an eye on recovery,’’ Chief Executive Officer, Ben van Beurden said. Shell said it anticipated 6,500 staff and direct contractor reductions in 2015 from a total of nearly 100,000 employees. Lower oil prices have contributed to a 37 per cent drop in the oil and gas group’s second-quarter profits. And the group said it would reduce 2015 capital investment for the second time this year to $30 billion (by 20 per cent) from a year ago. Big oil companies have cut 2015 spending by 10 to 15 per cent from 2014, to cope with a halving of oil prices over the past year to below $55 a barrel. Rivals BP and Total also announced further cuts this week. Meanwhile President of the Association of Outsourcing Professionals of Nigeria (AOPN), Dr. Austin Nweke has said that more workers will lose their jobs in the Nigerian oil and gas sector as the full impact of continued drop in oil prices comes to bear on the industry. Nweke said the highly technical workers such as geologists, engineers and others have lost their jobs, adding that those in maintenance and security may lose their jobs if there is no improvement in the sector. He said that the recession in the global oil market has worsened the problems of oil companies operating in Nigeria, with resultant effects on their employees adding that outsourcing companies are owed by their clients due to the bad economy, and many of them are not ready to compound their woes. [myad]
The Presidency has said that the fiery Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka will be remembered for courageously speaking truth to power even at great risks to his security.
The Presidency recognized the patriotism he exhibited in the build-up to the 2015 general elections even as it acknowledged that Mbaka chose the path of honesty, despite knowing that it could attract hostility from those it described as “leaders detached from reality.”
In a statement issued today by the senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the Presidency felicitated with the Reverend who is the leader of the Adoration Ministries Enugu, Nigeria, on the occasion of his 20th priestly ordination. The statement said that the priest’s courageous action while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was still in power, was a clear testimony that religious leaders are the custodian of truth and morals in society. it stressed that the decision by Mbaka to identify with the masses and uphold the struggle for improved governance was enviable, and expressed satisfaction with the priest’s sincere comments and patriotic disposition over the state of the nation at the heat of the electioneering period. The Presidency then prayed to God to grant the Catholic parson greater wisdom, good health and long life, as well as a continued resolve to serve humanity. [myad]
The Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, (JAMB), Professor Dibu Ojerinde has announced that soon, holders of the Higher National Diploma (HND) will be equaled to the holders of Bachelor of Technology from any University, as President Muhammadu Buhari has shown the will to implement the waver that will end the Bsc and HND dichotomy.
It would be recalled that President Buhari had received the updated report on the Bsc and HND controversy, which was presented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, MacJohn Nwaobiala last Tuesday.
Speaking to newsmen today, Professor Ojerinde recalled that the last administration set up a committee to look at how the two could be merged.
“The system has not given adequate vision for the other levels of education. We have not encouraged technical education. We have not encouraged Teachers education also; in fact, we have not encouraged agricultural education to the extent that everybody feels that the only way to survive is to go to the University.
“The only way to make it is to have a degree; so I am saying we should revisit our system. We should look at why candidates don’t want to go to polytechnics, and we should look at why they don’t want teachers’ education; we should also revisit why they don’t want agriculture.
“By our experience, most people will like to study law, engineering, medicine, accountancy. These are the top courses been sought for in the universities but nobody wants to study education. So, I see that we have problem in that area and I am sure the Federal Ministry of Education is trying to solve that problem.
“First of all, in Technical Education, there’s dichotomy between Bachelors degree and National Diploma or Higher National Diploma, (HND). It was one of the things presented to Mr. President to find a way of implementing the waiver of the dichotomy between HND and the Bsc degree. The so called HND should now be changed to Btech which means Bachelor of Technology.
“Former President Musa Yar’Adua, may his soul rest in peace, said he doesn’t have any problem with Btech. Unfortunately, government also has not sorted this entire problem. And there are such cases of people like me in this country, I wouldn’t have been able to read. I wouldn’t have been able to go to school. So what I am saying is, government should look at how we can improve technical education.
“Let me refer to what Oby Ezekwensili, the former Minister of Education said. She was determined to implement Btech in our Technical System, college of Education. All this places should be well equipped for Btech.
“Four colleges of Education have been upgraded to universities of Education. You will see the rush into those universities now because they can now get bachelor’s degree. And when they come to the public, they will not be a push away. So this is where we are. I think if I go by what we saw on Wednesday, President Buhari and the Vice President listened and they were interested in what we presented.” [myad]
Former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly called Tompolo, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Brigadier General Paul Boroh (rtd.) as the new chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme instead of political jobber.
He said that the action of the President only portrayed him as a listening leader with a desire to contribute to the development of the Niger Delta even as he hailed the President on his choice of a retired military officer rather than politicians, who had been scheming to get the job.
“It could be recalled that I called a meeting of ex-agitators, leaders and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta last week as a result of the pressure on me to intervene in the seemingly troubled Amnesty Programme, due to the non-payment of the stipends and allowances to beneficiaries for months now.
“And so, it gives me joy for the President to appoint a high-ranking retired military gentleman to coordinate the programme rather than any of the political jobbers, who had advertised themselves in very negative forms in order to be appointed.”
He advised the new Amnesty Coordinator to ensure that critical stakeholders were consulted on the running of the programme and to avoid yielding to the antics of political jobbers, who have an intent to politicize the programme. [myad]
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