The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha has been appointed to head a Presidential Task Force for the Control of the Coronavirus-19 Disease (COVID-19).
A statement by the senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, gave the names of other members of the Task Force as Dr. Sani Aliyu, who will be the National Coordinator.
Other members are ministers of Health, Interior, Aviation, Education, Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Services, information and culture, Environment. Others are Director General State Services Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and representative of World Health Organisation (WHO) in Nigeria.
The statement said that the Task Force has been seet up in view of the current global outbreak of the novel Coronavirus and its potential of causing significant disruption to health services in the country as well as impacting negatively on the economy.
“This action is in preparation for the unlikely but probable major outbreak of the disease in the country which will require a multi-sectoral inter-governmental approach as advised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) similar to that adopted for the HIV epidemic in the last two decades.”
The Task Force has been given six weeks within which to deliver results.
Signs of trouble have started to emerge in the Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the party prepares for its Zonal, State, LGA, and Ward Congresses.
Investigations show that the State caucus of the PDP had in a meeting held on February 18,2020, resolved to set up a Congress Committee that will make recommendations on the path the party will toe in carrying out congresses in the state.
The committee’s recommendations that zoning formula would be adopted for all the positions in the party from the state level down to the ward level, and consequently zoned the chairmanship of the party to Abia South, while stating that positions in the 17 LGAs of the state should be rotated in line with the zoning formula already on ground, were wholeheartedly adopted on Sunday, March 1, 2020, during a follow up caucus meeting of the party.
Strictly in compliance with the resolution of the party caucus, almost all the LGAs in Abia State have begun to implement the zoning formula, with the chairmanship moving from Alayi to Umunnato in Bende LGA, Olokoro to Ubakala in Umuahia South LGA, while in Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s LGA, Obingwa, where it alternates between East and West zones it has moved to the next zone which is Uhie, in accordance with the resolution of the party caucus.
In a bizarre twist however, the National Organizing Secretary of the party, Colonel Austin Akobundu rtd, has decided that the existing zoning policy in his own LGA, Ikwuano Local Government Area, will not be honoured as he bears down with the intent of handpicking the party’s chairman in his LGA. Those close to him say that Col. Akobundu’s intention is to use the foisting of LGA party executives on the people as a platform for deciding who occupies any elective position from the LGA, starting with Executive Chairmanship position of the LGA later this year— a position he has said will be taken by his in-law who is from the same clan as him, Oloko.
Meanwhile, in an emergency meeting held on Sunday, the 1st of March, 2020, the PDP youths of Ibere clan had stated clearly that the clan is only interested in the LGA chairmanship of the party, and had threatened that if this right of theirs is not honoured by the party, they would decamp to another party that will take into account the interest of the clan.
As the plot thickens, the Ariam/Usaka wards of the party in a unanimous resolution passed during their meeting on Saturday 7th March, 2020, suspended the outgoing LGA chairman of the party, Elder Obioma Igwe, for anti-party activities, and affirmed the clan’s decision that they are only interested in taking their position as the clan that will produce the next Executive Chairman of the LGA and not the party’s next LGA chairman.
Recall that in his position as the National Organising Secretary of the PDP, Col. Akobundu had forced his nephew, a young man who was not actively involved in PDP activities in the LGA, on the people of Ikwuano as the member representing them at the Abia State House of Assembly thus shortchanging loyal and effective party members; allotted the LGA’s lone slot for the position of the Special Adviser to the Governor to his younger brother; and made his cousin the Deputy Transition Committee Chairman of the LGA. All of these people are from his clan Oloko, thus leaving the other clans feeling marginalized and disgruntled following the Colonel’s annexation of positions due to them to his family members.
Embittered by the National Organizing Secretary’s new plans to play God and continue to force down his personal wishes on the people, sections of PDP members from Ikwuano have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Colonel’s actions and have vowed to carry out a mass dissertation of the party if the Colonel is allowed to continue to run the party as his family’s property.
Some of the PDP faithfuls from Ikwuano LGA and Umuahia who spoke to our correspondent likened the situation to what happened in Rivers State where Chibuike Amaechi’s efforts to play God with the party led to far-reaching detrimental consequences for the All Progressives Congress. They stated that if Col. Akobundu is not called to order, the consequences will be devastating for not only PDP Ikwuano, but PDP Abia.
While some PDP youths from Ikwuano have begun to stage protests against the conversion of PDP Ikwuano to the Akobundu-family property, they have also called on the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, and the entire PDP leadership at the state and national level to call Colonel Akobundu to order, so as to forestall the destruction of the party in Ikwuano and Abia State.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has vowed to soon mobilize his men and officers for aggressive pursuit and collection of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to truly fund Abuja projects.
According to the minister, there are so many ways the ministry can adequately generate internal revenue, adding: “we are working on that, particularly land administration.
Muhammad Musa Bello, who fielded questions from newsmen at the inauguration and official commencement of OneWay Movement in the newly completed Southern Parkway road around the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in Abuja, said that funding for Abuja and FCT in general is basically from three main sources, including Federation account, funding from federal budget and funding from what the FCT itself generates based on its internally generated funds.
“To a very large extent, we have no control over the very first two, the first one is constitutional, it depends on what monies the Federal Government gets based on its own income. The second one which is the federal budget- we have to share from a basket together with other Federal Ministries and obviously we have no control over that.
“But what we do have control is our internally generated revenue and it is very clear and I will also tell you now. At the highest level of the administration, we have decided that for us to truly fund Abuja, we have to work on our IGR and there are so many ways we can do that and we are working on that particularly land administration.”
On land administration, the Minister said the ministry is going to be firm in recovering debts owed the ministry. “We are going to be much more firmer with all those who have outstanding payments to make and have not done so. The laws are very clear, the power given to us by relevant laws are very clear and we are going to use them, the minister said.
“Secondly, we are going to encourage a much easier system of land titling so that everybody who has a property in Abuja will have them titled properly with the proper C.of O, particularly those that have properties in estates.
“Thirdly, we have a lot of leakages, many residents do not pay what they are supposed to pay, whether it is for waste collection or it’s for water consumed. This has to do with structural and systemic problems within the system and gradually we are working on them and we are going to leverage on ICT to make sure it is done.”
The Minister appealed to newsmen to enlighten the Abuja residents on the need to co-operate with the ministry and ensure that those who vandalize critical infrastructures are reported to appropriate authorities for appropriate sanctions.
“What I will appeal to you our partners in progress-members of the press is that this city is for us all. I want to appeal to you to partner with the FCT administration, do a lot of publicity on our behalf, try to make the citizens also appreciate that in building and developing a city, the relationship has to be very cooperative, let them support us, help us also to make sure that all those who are vandalizing critical infrastructure are identified, shamed and prosecuted because we can’t be everywhere and the security agencies can’t be everywhere.
So citizens also have to play their role. I think when we all partner along these lines, I have no doubt whatsoever, we will raise the necessary resources and they will be able to fund this city for all of us particularly those coming after us, that is our children and the young ones will be truly be very proud of us.
The Southern Parkway in Abuja Master Plan forms the major spine of the capital city and is one of the longest roads in Abuja and the first of its kind in Africa. From the Business Districts, it traverses all the four phases of the Federal Capital City with facilities like streetlights, recreational, cafes and underpass. It is designed to complement the Northern Parkway, the major arterial running across Mabushi.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced the deactivation of 2.2 million improperly registered Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards spanning all telecommunication networks nationwide.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta, in a statement in Abuja signed by the NCC Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Henry Nkemadu, said that the deactivation was in line with a President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive on strengthening security of lives and property for all Nigerians.
“We have since initiated the second phase of SIM deactivation based on the ministerial directive. As at today (March 8), we have completely deactivated the remaining 2.2 million lines on the networks.
“This is contrary to reports by a section of the media, suggesting that nothing has been done with respect to the issue of improperly registered SIM cards.
“Following the September 2019 ministerial directive, however, the NCC, within a week, intensified efforts by reducing the number of improperly registered SIM cards from 9.2 million to 2.2 million.”
The Executive Vice Chairman said that over the years, the NCC had worked with determination and through various policy initiatives to rid mobile networks of improperly or invalidly registered SIM cards.
According to him, the latest action would ensure that the over 184 million registered SIM cards currently on Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) networks had valid data that were traceable and not anonymous.
He explained further: “Our efforts received a boost, following the implementation of a September 12, 2019 ministerial directive that the NCC should compel service providers to block all improperly-registered SIM cards, pending when their owners regularise their registration.
“As at the time the ministerial order was issued, the commission, through its Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement team, had reduced the number of improperly-registered SIM cards on mobile networks in the country to 9.2 million, Danbatta.”
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has dethroned the Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi ll over what he called disrespect to the office of the governor and other government agencies.
The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, who announced the dethronement on behalf of the governor, said the removal was with immediate effect.
He said that the emir’s action violated the part 3 section A-E of Kano state law, hence the removal.
He said the removal was in line with consultation with relevant stakeholders. He said a new emir would be announced in due course.
He urged Kano people to remain calm and go about their normal businesses.
Nigeria’s Federal Government has exited over 5, 781 N-power beneficiaries for truancy and absconding.
Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to President Mohammadu Buhari on Job Creation and Youth Employment, Afolabi Imoukheude, who broke the news today, March 8 when he addressed the beneficiaries of the scheme in Abuja, said that complaints received from the primary places of assignment of the affected beneficiaries over truancy and lackadaisical attitude were getting overwhelming.
He said that when such people were issued queries to explain themselves, most of them did not comply so government had to excuse them.
“When we get report of people who play truancy we usually place you on payment hold. In N-power you learn, work and earn. If you do not do the right thing and you are paid, you are stealing the money. Note that the funds are not mine but that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We have been receiving enormous complaints that a lot of you no longer go to work. The head teacher in your Primary Place of Assignment (PPA) is your Buhari and have the responsibility to teach, monitor and educate you.
“I have some good news for most of you, 5,781 of you have been forcefully exited out of the programme because of disciplinary issues. Perhaps you will begin to believe that states have authority over you. We also receive report of those who absconded and you know the terms and conditions attached to be an N-power beneficiary.”
He said that contrary to insinuations that ghost workers have taken over the scheme, registration processes are too strict to accommodate ghost workers.
“There have been so many insinuations around ghost workers in N-power. There is no ghost workers in N-power, there cannot even be because having conducted a physical verification and confirming those who come into the programme for them not to exist”.
«What happens to those who do not receive alert? It is because of validation and we try to contact you via phone number, email address to go regularise yourself with your bank and update your details.”
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and /Leventis Center for Integrated Agricultural Development and Training have entered into partnership to improve agro-allied businesses, especially training of Nigerians on agricultural practices.
Speaking when he visited the Leventis Foundation Centre today, March 8, at Yaba in Abaji Area Council, the minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello said: “we will work with you closely because what you are doing here is great and it is going to be the foundation of what we all stand for, especially our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, who always says we have to eat what we grow and we have to grow what we eat”.
The minister said that Nigeria is now self-sufficient in a number of grains and have potential also to be self-sufficient in so many things, adding: “you have enough facilities to be able to provide fruits and vegetables for the entire Abuja city.”
He commended the passion of the Chairman, Leventis Nigeria, Ahmed Mantey, for the improvement of the training center, even as he stressed that the need for the school to enroll more students.
“The school was established to teach and develop our youth, men and women from all the six Area Councils and indeed across Nigeria. So, I think we have to think of tripling the number of people we have here because there are so many people who need the support.”
The Chairman, Ahmed Manteh, said that the Leventis Foundation will continue to work to promote sustainability in agriculture and food production in Nigeria and beyond through training, offered by the Foundation, on sustainable agriculture.
“Our approach has been to attract youth into agriculture and equip them with the necessary skills for producing food and for earning sustainable livelihood.”
Mantey assured the Minister of the Foundation’s dedication to providing quality training in agricultural businesses for people in the FCT while also commending him for exemplary leadership as demonstrated by the rehabilitation of the bridge at Ashara Wako and the road improvement works as well as ensuring that the counterpart funds that are due to the training institute were duly paid.
President Muhammadu Buhari has acknowledged that the intellectual capacity of his second-in-command, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has helped in moving the country forward in many ways.
Buhari, in his congratulatory message to Professor Osinbajo as he celebrates his 63rd birthday anniversary, said that the intellectual capacity of the Vice-President has impacted positively on the overall accomplishments of Federal Government, most notably, in the economic and social intervention programmes.
The President, who spoke directly to Osinbajo on cell phone today, March 8, also praised the Vice President’s loyalty and dedication to the administration.
President Buhari joined family members, friends and associates of Professor Osinbajo in wishing him joyous birthday celebrations.
He also prayed God to endow the Vice-President with greater wisdom and long life to continue to serve the nation and humanity.
Gbagi women, representing a major tribe that lay claim to the ownership of Abuja before it was made Federal Capital of Nigeria, have turned breadwinners of their families by fetching water at N200 per day for some civil servants in Chibir, a suburb of Kuje Area Council.
Checks by Greenbarge Reporters showed that the women usually trek some distances to get water which they obtain and offload into drums of their customers for fees.
It is learnt that while their husbands relax at home for lack of anything to do as farming season has been suspended for lack of rains, the wives would be on their toes to fend for the families through any legitimate menial jobs.
It was gathered that some Gbagi men married to two or three wives each of who would go out to fetch water for sale to customers.
One of the Gbagi women who simply gave her name as Asabe, told our reporter that she enjoyed fetching water for sale to customers to be able to feed her family, including husband.
Chibiri, a suburb of Kuje in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) lacks government provided pipe borne water.
The small settlement lies along Kuje-gwagwalada road.
A Chief Magistrate in Oyo State, Mutiat Adio, has been sentenced to imprisonment having been found guilty of stealing the sum of N22,375,913 from a commercial bank contrary to section 390(11) of Criminal Code, Cap.38, Law of Oyo State.
The charge was brought before her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan zonal office.
The convict, who is former Deputy Chief Registrar of the State High Court, was found guilty of one count charge of stealing.
Mutiat Adio was said to have abused her office as the secretary of a Cooperative Society of the Oyo State Judicial Officers by inflating the amount approved for loan facilities granted her members by the bank.
She was accused of converting the difference to personal use. The convict was said to be the facilitator of the loan totalling about N90 million.
Adio pleaded not guilty to the offence during her first arraignment on April 25, 2017. The prosecution, led by Dr Ben Ubi, called five witnesses while she called two.
After listening to arguments from the parties, Justice Olagunju declared her guilty of the offence and sentenced her to five years in prison without an option of fine. She was also ordered to refund the sum of N20, 935, 000 to the bank.
Mutiat Adio, was also on May 18, 2018, sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment for obtaining under false pretences, a sum of N9.2 million from one Abiodun Olonade, a Nigerian resident in Ireland.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has vowed to soon mobilize his men and officers for aggressive pursuit and collection of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to truly fund Abuja projects.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced the deactivation of 2.2 million improperly registered Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards spanning all telecommunication networks nationwide.
