Abia State Gov, Ikpeazu, Sacks 5,666 Secondary School Teachers

August 6, 2020

The Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has sacked a total of 5,666 public secondary school teachers who were employed between 2018 and 2020 across the state.

A statement today, August 6 by the Chief of Staff to the governor, Dr Anthony Agbazuere, said that Governor Ikpeazu sacked the teachers after receiving the report of the committee set up to investigate “employments carried out at the Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB) without waiver.”

The Executive Secretary of SEMB, Lawrence Ogbonnaya, who presided over “the supposed employment” and who had been on suspension since February 2020 when the bubble burst on the said unauthorized employment bazaar he initiated, was also sacked as the governor ordered his compulsory retirement.

A total of 5,853 teachers were given jobs during the employment exercise spanning a period of three years. But after going through the list of the newly recruited teachers, the panel discovered that only 187 were employed through a waiver from Governor Ikpeazu.

He directed that the illegally recruited 5,666 should be thrown out of the classrooms, while the 187 said to have been lawfully employed, should be retained in the school system.

Governor Ikpeazu, however, directed that schools that have need for teachers “in special areas” should apply to the state Commissioner for Education and copy the Chief of Staff to the governor, adding that whenever there is such need to employ teachers, government would revisit the list of the sacked teachers and pick from it to fill vacancies arising in the classrooms as a result of genuine cases of need.

Source: THISDAY.

Beware Of Danger In Edo, Atiku Warns

Editorial staff

August 6, 2020

Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 elections, Atiku Abubakar has warned of danger inherent in the present crisis festering in Edo State House of Assembly.

In his media handle today, August 6, Atiku, who was former Vice President of the country, said that what is happening in Edo State is a threat to constitutional order nationwide, even as he asked “belligerent forces to reign in their proxies, and abide by the rule of law. As I have previously said, without the rule of law, there will be no rule at all.”
He emphasized that the current goings-on portend grave danger, not only to law and order in that state, but to the coming Edo elections.
“The people of Edo state should be allowed to choose who they wish to govern them, and that choice is to be made on September 19, 2020. Pending then, everything legally possible must be done to preserve the status quo.”

Atiku claimed that Nigeria has been on the edge due to the brinkmanship of those charged with the constitutional leadership, warning: “we must, as a nation, not escalate the already tense atmosphere in our polity.”

Beirut Explosions, Tragedy Of Monumental Proportions – Buhari

Editorial staff

August 6, 2020

President Muhammadu Buhari has described the August 4 explosions that rocked Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon as tragedy of monumental proportions.

In a condolence message today, August 6, to his Lebanese counterpart, President Michel Aoun and the people of Lebanon, President Buhari prayed that God will rest the souls of the dead, comfort the grieving, and grant succour to the wounded and displaced.

Buhari, who extended the sympathy of government to the large community of Lebanese in Nigeria, pledged the solidarity and brotherhood of Nigeria to Lebanon at this period of travails.

The massive explosions, which left 137 dead, over 5,000 wounded, and more than 300, 000 displaced, were suspected to have been caused by tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse.

Chinese Loans: PDP Turned Facts On Its Head, By Joseph Ejemhen

Editorial staff

August 6, 2020

The current negative narratives generated over the Chinese loans obtained by Nigeria since 2010 is worrisome. It is a complete distraction for the real business of governance, especially in the area of the provision of the badly needed infrastructure in the country.

It is however sad to note that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that actually started the Chinese loan process, in 2010, has turned around to shamelessly taken the lead in mobilizing labour and civil societies albeit vested interests, to continue to attack the present government.

It is however, on record that between December 2010 and September 2013, under the PDP, the Federal Government obtained a total of $2.983.82 billion loans from China while the current All Progressives Congress (APC) administration between April 2016 to May 2018 obtained a total loan of $2.591.9 billion from China to revamp critical infrastructure across the country.

From the figures presented above, the loans obtained by the PDP led government is more than what the present government has obtained with almost $400 million. The question is, why is the opposition party crying foul if not to serve political interests? We know that elections are coming again and that politicians turn the facts on their head to gain cheap political popularity but in matters that center on national development and the welfare of the ordinary people, reasons should be allowed to prevail over sentiments or individual political gains.

The PDP government that actually started the borrowing from China under the same terms have no moral basis to complain and raise a storm when a successive government does the same. If there is anything at all, the PDP should be the one to bear all the criticisms because they tied the hands of NIGERIA in the loan agreements. And if labour and civil society have any grouse, they should direct it at the opposition party.

Those who are buying in on the PDP’s cheap blackmail and calling for a showdown with the government over loans that have been effectively applied should think twice before allowing themselves to be used to serve personal political interests.

It should be noted that government is a continuum and what is good for the goose is good for the gander. The PDP and it’s allies should search their consciences to know if their criticisms and what they are planning against the present government is fair and justified. Nigerians have no reason to be angry with the APC government rather with the past PDP government because they actually drafted the terms and obtained the Chinese loans!

Going by records, the Federal Government has not erred on the side of the law by taking the Chinese loans or any other loan for that matter. The government is covered by Section 41 (1a) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007. Besides, the Federal Government did not just wake up one morning and went to China to obtain the loans. The loans were part of the budget processes approved by the National Assembly and the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The PDP should realize that the masses have gone beyond sentiments because they are seeing value for the loans. The $3.121 billion Chinese loans have and are being spent on verifiable infrastructure in the country. They are projects that PDP and its political sympathizers can go on to verify themselves. For the benefit of doubters, some of the projects where the loans have and are judiciously being used include; the Nigerian Railway Modernization Project Idu-Kaduna section ($500 million). This project has already come on steam and the masses of Nigeria are already enjoying the benefits by way of job creation and revenue generation.

The Abuja Light Rail Project ($500 million) if completed will help boost the revenue of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and thousands of jobs will equally be created. So also will the Nigerian Four Airport Terminals Expansion Project 2 (Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt ($500) million infrastructure.

The Nigerian Railway Modernization Project (Lagos-Ibadan section) $1,267,32 billion and Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Abuja – Keffi- Makurdi Road Project $460.82 million all have potentials to substantially grow the revenue of the country.

It is therefore ironic to note that politicians civil societies and labour unions who are advocating for job creation, increased government revenue and infrastructure development in the country have turned around to attack what is helping to fix the Nigerian economy.

The PDP and it’s allies know that without economic growth Nigerians will continue to be poor and the ordinary man in the street will be the greatest beneficiary of that poverty.

Dr. Joseph Ejemhen Wrote in From Abuja, Nigeria

Edo House Of Commotion: APC, PDP Fight, Assembly Roof Removed, Police Take Over

Editorial staff

August 6, 2020

Members of the Edo State House of Assembly have turned it into a house of commotion with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Assembly neck-deep in crisis, ahead of September 19 governorship election in the State.

The crisis has led to the roof of the Assembly forcefully removed even as the police take over the structure, amidst the impeachment of deputy speaker at a session held in the government House and quick election of a new speaker.

Reports reaching us at the Greenbarge Reporters said that the APC had over-ran the PDP with two more members of the Assembly declaring for the party’s governorship candidate in the September 19 governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Clip of the video which went viral earlier in the day showed how the roof of the Assembly was removed as several people watched.

The Deputy Speaker, Yekini Idiaye had earlier in the day, August 6, been impeached following his declaration of loyalty to Pastor Ize-Iyamu. He had led four other lawmakers to Ize-Iyamu, bringing the number of those loyal to the candidate and his godfather, Adams Oshiomhole, to 17.

After the impeachment of the deputy speaker, members loyal to Ize Iyamu also gathered to elect Victor Edoror as the Speaker of the Assembly.

This came a few hours after policemen took over the premises of the Assembly.

But, Governor Godwin Obaseki, who defected from the APC because he was denied its ticket for a second term to the APC as its candidate, has cried foul over the alleged move by the APC to impeach him through the crisis that is now festering.

During the crisis in the State House of Assembly, which resulted in the seizure of the mace, the symbol of the Assembly’s authority, truckloads of police descended on the complex to seal it off.

Meanwhile, the APC candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has made it clear that Governor Obaseki is the best person to account for the crisis in the Assembly, especially the siege by the police.

“Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, or the APC, does not control the Police. The Edo State Government should explain to the world and Edo people what is going on.

“And they can start by explaining why a branch of government meant to carry out oversight functions and check the excesses of the Executive arm has been holding plenary inside the Government House for months over a supposed ‘fumigation and renovation exercise’ at the Assembly Complex’.”

Ex PDP Chairman, Nwodo, Reveals Plan B Of Igbos If They Can’t Get Presidency In 2023

Editorial staff

August 6, 2020

A former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okwesilieze Nwodo, has said that the elite in the Southeast will join Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to demand for Biafra Republic if the region does not get the presidency in 2023.

In an interview, Nwodo said: “I agree with Nnamdi Kanu in everything he says about the marginalisation of the Igbo. He, more than any other person has put it on the international map. If Nigeria tells the elites from the south-east that they would be treated as second class citizens in Nigeria, and that they can never be president, almost all of them will go with Kanu to fight for Biafra.

“Anybody who wants to be a second-class citizen can support whoever he wants. Any Igbo man who wants to bequeath a secured future for himself and generation yet unborn should support this call for Igbo presidency.”

Nwodo said that Igbo People have been persecuted for over 50 years, advising those who want a secure future for their children to elect an Igbo man as president.

“For 50 years now, we have been persecuted for having fought for freedom. When will this marginalisation stop? Anybody who loves Nigeria and who wishes Nigeria well should go for Igbo Presidency in 2023 for unity, fairness, equity and for Nigeria to move forward.

“It is only an Igbo man who will not marginalise any part of Nigeria because we constitute the semen that holds the country together. We are the only tribe that you find in every nook and cranny of Nigeria; doing business and developing wherever they are as if it was their own place.

“I don’t believe that the Igbo are not united, there has never been a time when any region produced a consensus candidate, everybody emerged through primary elections.

“There is no zone that has produced a candidate by consensus. It doesn’t matter how many people are interested, they will be subjected to party primaries and the person with the highest vote will win.

“In the spirit of fairness and equity, Nigeria should give the presidency to the south-east in 2023, otherwise, we will join him and fight for Biafra.”

Source: Vanguard.

Presidency To Religious Leaders: Don’t Join Fake News Merchants On Repentant Boko Haram

Editorial staff

August 5, 2020

The presidency has cautioned some religious leaders and a few in the legislature not to join the supply chain of fake news in the country, especially as it relates to the repentant Boko Haram insurgents.

The presidency considered important to clear the false reports that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is absorbing repentant Boko Haram terrorists into the military.

In a statement today, August 5, by the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, the presidency made the public to know that nobody has ever been absorbed into the military from the de-radicalized Boko Haram and that there is no such plan for their absorption.

The statement emphasized that none of the 601 former Boko Haram members who voluntarily laid down their arms, and have recently graduated from the Federal Government’s de-radicalization and rehabilitation programme, is going into the military.

According to the statement, this is the fourth such graduation of repentant Boko Haram fighters and not one of such graduates has been absorbed into the military.

“The public needs to be reassured that the de-radicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration of violent extremists of the Buhari administration code named “Operation Safe Corridor,” follows an established example from countries with similar experiences, and is supported academically and materially by the European Union and the United Nations.

“The lead agency for the implementation of the programme in Gombe is the International Organization for Migration, a leading inter-government organization which is represented in Nigeria.

“It is also important to note that this programme does not have a place for hard boiled, ideologically hardened terrorists. It only admits, after careful scrutiny, repentant fighters that were captured and forced to bear arms in the first instance, and there are many who have been drafted by force.

“At the point of their graduation, a determination is made that the former combatants have repented and are better citizens, imbued with genuine nationalism. They must no longer represent a danger to society or to themselves.

“Where they are certified as such, communities have the duty of accepting them. Unless they want them to take up arms and resume terrorism from which they have repented, community leaders must work with the relevant agencies to end their rejection.

“The Buhari administration is a responsible one and is conscious of its duty to the state and society, and to the victims of terror as well as to those who inflicted these pains and losses on our people.”

Coronavirus Has Forced Us To Reconstruct Nigeria’s Health Infrastructure – SGF

Editorial staff

August 5, 2020

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and head of Covid 19 Presidential Task Force, Boss Gida Mustapha has said that coronavirus outbreak has forced Nigeria to reconstruct its health infrastructure.

“By and large, we are also satisfied from where we have started from. We started with two laboratory tests. Today, we have 60 in 31 States plus the Federal Capital Territories (FCT), Abuja. Are we returning to two laboratories after this? No.

“It means that the reconstruction of our health infrastructure has begun. We are working hard to ensure that this month, the entire nation is covered with testing facilities.

“We are working with CACOVID and NNPC to ensure that before the end of this pandemic, we have at least a structure that can be defined as a proper molecular laboratory, a testing facility, an isolation facility, and an ICU facility integrated into one.”

Boss Mustapha, who spoke to newsmen today, August 5, after submitting the mid term report of the Task Force to the President at the presidential villa, Abuja, said that with the help of the media and other stakeholders, most Nigerians now believed that coronavirus is real.

He said that what is lacking mainly is enforcement “and my appeal is that the sub-nationals should ensure enforcement.

“As a matter of fact, when we listed some of our challenges, top on the list is lack of enforcement of even the regulations that have been put in place. “As a result of signing the Quarantine Regulation, it’s a regulation, it’s a law, but you see, the issue of enforcement has been lacking and it’s not only in this area and like keep saying, most times that COVID-19 has exposed the weaknesses of our systems, all systems, not only the Nigerian system, even the American system, its inadequacies, despite its 300 years of democracy, have been exposed by COVID-19.

“if not, how can a President

be arguing with the mayor of a city as to who has authority over what happens? It means there’s a big gap in that system.

“I believe that if we can just work on the enforcement aspect of it, which is the responsibility of the sub-nationals, we will go a long way.”

Boss Mustapha cautioned that the fact that about 10,000 coronavirus patients were discharged the previous day did not mean Uhuru, saying that as those patients were being discharged, there was a decrease in the testings.

“In the last couple of days, we tested just barely 2,000 across the nation, but we have a testing capacity of much more than 2,000.

“Another reason is that everybody is still in the Sallah mood, even the essential workers. Remember when I talked of fatigue, this is part of it. We’ve been doing this thing for the last three to four months. It get to a point when you want to lay back and say we are already overcoming this, but I know that in the next couple of days, the testing will be rampart because people would have come out of the Sallah celebrations and come back to work.

“The sub-nationals and local governments will begin to go into the communities to search because this is the point at which you have to go into the local communities and begin to search. If you don’t do that, so much is happening as a result of the community transmission that has been cascaded into the local communities that if you wait for it to present itself, it will present itself in a very explosive manner and we can get into a panic mode.

“We don’t want to have that, that is why we are encouraging the state governments to go into the local communities to ensure that they search for those infected with this virus, test them, if they are positive, isolate them and provide care for them.”

We’re Going To Have Bumper Harvest In Katsina Despite Insecurity, Gov Masari

Editorial staff

August 5, 2020

Governor Bello Masari of Katsina State has predicted a bumper harvest in the state despite the spate of banditry attacks on communities and killing of innocent people.

Governor Masari, who answered reporters’ questions today, August 5, shortly after a private audience with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja admitted that banditry would obviously affect food production in some areas.

“Certainly, there is going to be some issues, because in the entire state, it is only nine local governments out of 34 that are affected, and even in the nine local governments affected, it is only villages and areas that are bordering the forests that face the challenge.

“So, I admit that in some of the areas, there may be some drawbacks, but on a general note, the season looks good.

“We are hoping that we will have a bumper harvest.”

He said that he and President Buhari spent more than 30 minutes during the private audience discussing the current security situation in the state, adding that so far, the situation is under control.

“But it is not over until it is over and we have discussed extensively and offered our own suggestions and those of us who are on ground and that is actually what we discussed with the President.”

Governor Masari said that currently over 2,000 military personnel and officers are in Katsina for their annual super camp, adding that it is a signal to the bandits that the military is ready and willing and have the capability and capacity to deal with the situation.

He hoped that the military, including the police and other security agencies, have been given the marching orders.

“To control the situation by all means is a task that must be done because we cannot allow the situation in the North West to develop like it has in the North East. So, I think the people living in the rural communities will testify that actions are ongoing and those that are being displaced are being well taken care of and so this is the situation .

NNPC Rolls Out Drums To Celebrate Drop In Pipeline Vandalism

Editorial staff

August 5, 2020

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has cause to celebrate as it recorded an encouraging 43 per cent drop in cases of willful damage of its oil pipeline infrastructure by suspected oil thieves in May this year.

The corporation, in a statement today, August 5, by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, said that details of the report contained in the May 2020 version of the NNPC Monthly Financial and Operations Report (MFOR) indicated that 37 pipeline points were vandalized, representing about 43 per cent decrease from the 65 points recorded in April 2020.

He said that further breakdown showed that Mosimi-Ibadan pipeline axis accounted for 38 per cent of the vandalized points while Atlas Cove—Mosimi axis recorded 19 per cent of the breaks. This is even as Suleja-Kaduna logged 16 per cent of the breaks, while other locations make up for the remaining 27 per cent.

NNPC said that in collaboration with the local communities and other stakeholders, it would continuously strive to bring the malaise under control.

The spokesman said that the corporation had continued to diligently monitor the daily stock of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, to achieve smooth distribution of the products to ensure zero fuel queue across the nation.

He said that towards this end, 950.67million litres of white products were sold and distributed by the corporation’s Downstream subsidiary, the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) in May, 2020. “This comprised 950.67million litres of PMS only with no Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) or Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), adding that there was no sale of special product in the month.

“Total sale of white products for the period May 2019 to May 2020 stood at 19,865.80million litres and PMS accounted for 19,704.49 million litres or 99.19 per cent.”

The report said that ₦92.58billion was made on the sale of white products by PPMC in May 2020. Total revenue generated from the sales of white products for the period May 2019 to May 2020 stood at ₦2,393.88billion, where PMS contributed about 98.84 per cent of the total sales with a value of ₦2,366.15billion.

In the gas sector, natural gas production in May 2020 increased by 2.38 per cent at 226.51Billion Cubic Feet (BCF) compared to output in April 2020; translating to an average daily production of 7,480.36 million Standard Cubic Feet of gas per day (mmscfd). Likewise, the daily average natural gas supply to gas power plants increased by 5.87 per cent to 834mmscfd, equivalent to power generation of 3,128MW.

The NNPC May report said that the Group’s operating revenue, compared to April 2020’s, increased by 15.33 per cent or N31.68billion to stand at N238.33billion, while expenditure for the month decreased by 0.76 per cent or N1.81Billion, to stand at N235.66billion.

The report indicated a trading surplus of ₦2.68billion compared to the ₦30.81billion deficit posted in April 2020 when the effect of COVID-19 was at the peak, leading to reduced demand with fluctuating prices.

It said the 109 per cent upturn in revenue this month is the cumulative result of improved performances by some of the corporation’s Strategic Business Units.

While the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) posted a surplus due to substantial growth in the market fundamentals as demand began a slight recovery; the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) recorded 257 per cent increased profit attributed to improved debt collection.

Similarly, PPMC’s surplus rose 250 per cent from investment dividend received and significant drop in average product landing cost.

In addition, Corporate Headquarters deficit ebbed by 47 per cent in May, according to the report, compared to last month’s, while NNPC Retail, Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL), NNPC Shipping and Ventures also contributed positively to the month’s performance, leading to the significant NNPC Group surplus position during the period under review.

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