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Fashola Warns Against Electric Meter By-Pass

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Fashola Warns Against Electric Meter By-Pass

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]abatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, on Wednesday, warned electricity consumers against by-passing pre-paid meters, lamenting that the unwholesome act was common even among the elites in the society. The minister gave the warning during the flag-off of the second phase of the 222,728 mass metering program of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday.

This is even as Shehu Malami, the chairman of AEDC Board of Directors, disclosed that the fresh metering programme would cost a whopping N10 billion.

Historically, the government has taken bold steps to resolve this issue through the Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) and of recent, the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) policies. “The commitment of N10 billion for the provision of 222,728 pieces of meters alone by AEDC is therefore a bold move by the company that clearly debunks the claim that DisCos are benefiting from estimated billing.

“This project will last for five months after which all metering programs will come under the Meter Asset Provider Policy that has been put in place by the NERC. He explained that the intervention schemes stemmed from the fact that shortage of meter or the lack of it was both at the root of the huge ATC&C losses the DisCos currently suffer as well as the source of the frequent disagreement between them and their customers.

He also added that a successfully executed metering program would enhance both transparencies in the bill of customers as well as energy accountability. While warning customers to desist from bypassing of meters, the minister said that such unscrupulous activities would be affecting the revenue recovery capacity of the DisCos.

Earlier, Fashola, who was represented by Diretor of Distribution Systems Department in the ministry, Brisalla Sapke, urged the customers to apply discretion in the use of the meters.

He further stated that the minister always emphasised the need for the distribution companies to effectively meter the customers as it would make easier for revenue generation and reduce losses.

 

ASABA 2018 FALLOUT: LOC Chairman, Ogba, Threatens Abati With Legal Action

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ASABA 2018 FALLOUT: LOC Chairman, Ogba, Threatens Abati With Legal Action

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the just concluded African Senior Athletics Championships, tagged “Asaba 2018”,Solomon Ogba, has threatened to drag a former presidential spokesman and veteran Journalist, Mr. Reuben Abati to court over a critical article on the championship.

Mr. Abati had in a viral article criticised the poor organisation of the whole exercise describing it as a national disgrace. But in his reaction, LOC chairman, Mr. Solomon Ogba, in a statement signed by Mr. Olukayode Thomas, head of media, LOC, said it is regrettable that Abati wrote authoritatively about a subject he has no first hand information on, saying its unfortunate and disgraceful.

“Dr. Abati, a respected journalist, has a right to his opinions but to describe the organization of CAA Asaba 2018 as a disgrace shows he is acting in a manner that suggests that he is being used. He was not in Asaba, so why write authoritatively about an event you did not witness?.

“I am sure if he had contacted his junior colleague, Olukayode Thomas, who is our head of Media, he would have gotten some firsthand information and clearer insight. He could have called to check his facts and would have saved himself all the embarrassment the falsehood he penned is causing.

“He wasn’t even ready to give the organizer the benefit of the doubt. It is lamentable that a writer of Abati’s stature in the media is relying on unverifiable information available on online media to write a sensitive article’’.

Mr. Ogba said the championship had hitches which were dealt with swiftly and the few countries involved were grateful for the manner in which the issues were resolved.

“Compared to previous African Championships, we witnessed the least complaints, especially in the areas of feeding, accommodation and transportation”.

According to Mr. Ogba, contrary to Abati’s story, no country slept at the airport for three days, “Regular travellers like Abati know that our airports shut down by 11pm, so how can people sleep in an airport that is completely closed down by night? We had four hotels in Lagos. They include the two Ibis near the airport and Novotel where the athletes and officials that could not connect a flight to Asaba stayed and Abati is free to contact the management of the hotels.”

The LOC chairman said Abati was in a hurry to do a hatchet job and therefore did not tarry to carry out his research properly before going to the press, “A simple Google search would have told Abati that Ibrahim Gusau is the President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and not Solomon Ogba. The search machine would also have informed Abati that it was not the AFN that organized the championships. Google would have supplied Abati facts to show that Team Nigeria under AFN was just one of the participating countries and that Tanzania is one the few countries did not even participate”.

The chairman said Abati is a neophyte in athletics and that explains why he swallowed the stories he read online of a bad track hook, line and sinker.

“Asaba 2018 has the highest number of world class athletes in Africa in recent times. If the track was bad, they will not run. Why would they riskvtheir careers if the track was unfit for running? Caster Semenya ran a sub-50 to win the women 400m, Tobi Amusan ran a sub-13 to win the 100m hurdles, athletes who are running with caution don’t return such fantastic times, times good enough to win either the Olympic Games or IAAF World Championships.

“Asaba Championship is the first ever championships were athletes got prize money for performances and were countries get transport allowances. Abati ought to have been better informed by sources in the know of sports related affairs.” the statement said.

Mr. Ogba therefore demanded a retraction from Abati within 48 hours or face a lawsuit.

Akpabio: Uncommon Change Has Come To Akwa Ibom

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Akpabio: Uncommon Change Has Come To Akwa Ibom
Godswill-Akpabio-at-the-defection-ceremony-at-Ikot-Ekpene-Township-Stadium

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ormer Senate Minority Leader, Obong Godswill Akpabio says his decision to decamp from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) was in national interest.

 Akpabio, the immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom, stated this at a rally in Ikot Ekpene on Wednesday where he formerly declared for the APC. He said that the nationalist instinct in him also informed his decision at a time the nation needed peace to grapple with pressing challenges. “I decided to join the APC at this time because I am nationalist. In times like this, everybody should support to bring peace to our dear nation; to stop the killings and ensure employment for our teeming youths.
“With my declaration, uncommon change has come to Akwa Ibom. We believe that South-South cannot stand alone on its own. “We need to collaborate with others. I consulted. What I have done today is to take the people of the South-South to the centre.
“Whatever I do is in the interest of of Akwa Ibom. I want to leave a legacy in the national interest.
He also urged his former party to have what he called a reward system.
“With my exit, this is the end of PDP in Niger Delta Delta’’.
He also urged Nigerians to believe in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Do not be afraid of President Muhammadu buhari. If your hands are clean. Nigerians have not seen the best of Buhari; so give him the chance.’’
He Stressed the need for the National Assembly to reconvene at this time of national emergency.
The news Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that APC stalwarts at the event included the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Party Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and former Lagos state Governor.
Those who decamped with Akpabio from PDP were former Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Udom Ekpoudom and former Secretary to the State Government Eteakamba Umoren among others.
According to Prince Augustine Ikono, APC chapter Chairman in Ikot ekpene, 50 others also decamped from PDP to APC in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area.

Nicholas Bett dead: Beijing 400m hurdles gold medallist dies in road accident

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Nicholas Bett dead: Beijing 400m hurdles gold medallist dies in road accident
Kenya’s Nicholas Bett celebrates winning the 400m hurdles final

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]orld Championship 400m hurdles gold medallist Nicholas Bett has died in a car crash. The 28-year-old was killed in his home country of Kenya near Nandi a day after returning from the Continental Championships in Nigeria.

Bett made history in China after becoming the first Kenyan to win a gold medal in a short distance race on the world stage. He took gold in the 2015 World Championships at the famous Bird’s Nest stadium – home of the Olympics in 2008. He is a also two-time African Championship medallist, whose twin brother Haron Koech is also a 400 metres hurdler.

His family and county police commander Patrick Wambani confirmed the tragic news. Bett died on the spot after the car he was driving veered off the road and landed in a ditch ,The commander added that the athlete hit a bump before losing control of his car.  Bett’s finest moment was magnificent run in the Bird’s Nest stadium back in 2015 where the he ran a personal best 47.79seconds to claim the gold.

He did not qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio, but finished eighth in recent Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Task Force Arrests 210 Persons, Seizes 125 Motorcycles In Lagos

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Task Force Arrests 210 Persons, Seizes 125 Motorcycles In Lagos
SP Olayinka Egbeyemi
SP Olayinka Egbeyemi
Lagos State Task Force

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Lagos State Task Force at the weekend arrested 210 people and impounded 125 motorcycles around Iludun Town, New Oko-Oba area of Agege. The operation which was carried out based on complaints by different communities around the area also led to the demolition of 98 illegal shanties built on drainage alignment and road set-backs. 

Chairman of the Agency CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi who led the enforcement team disclosed that 210 arrested miscreants and street urchins were those recently dislodged by the Agency along railway behind abattoir at Agege.CSP Egbeyemi disclosed further that these miscreants and street urchins terrorised these communities both day and night by robbing them of their valuables such as phones, wallets and jewelleries.

“It was an eye-sore as these dislodged miscreants and street urchins were freely smoking and selling Indian hemp around residential premises where you have under age school girls and boys” he said.

The Chairman stressed that 98 demolished illegal shanties and containarised shops within abattoir and adjourning streets aside of being on the landscape and harbouring criminals they are contributing to the under growth of health, environment and safety issues in and around Agege area. 

Egbeyemi commended the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode for the upgrade of abattoirs across the State with needed infrastructural facilities particularly Agege Abattoir.

Further the Chairman confirmed that over 125 motorcycles plying restricted routes around these communities were impounded by the Agency during the enforcement operations. 

The Chairman confirmed further that 210 arrested miscreants and street urchins were immediately charged to court on the directive of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police Mr. Edgal Imohimi. According to the statement sent to the media by the Lagos State Task Force Head Public Affairs Unit, Adebayo Taofiq, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police has directed CSP Egbeyemi to continue to monitor these communities against any likely re-union of other notorious miscreants and street urchins who escaped during the enforcement operations.

CSP Egbeyemi who implored community leaders (CDAs) to be watchful of their immediate environment hinted that areas where these dislodged miscreants and street urchins carried out their nefarious activities and erected illegal shanties includes Pipeline-way, Agric Road, Olaofe Road and Mofoladayo Drives.

In the same vein, Mr. Edgal Imohimi, the Lagos State Police Boss would not relent in seeing a safe environment for every citizens within the State and the country at large. 

Senator Akpabio Meets Buhari In London

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Senator Akpabio Meets Buhari In London

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Minority Leader in the Senate, on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Godswill Akpabio met with President Muhammadu Buhari in London today, Sunday, where the President is enjoying his vacation that will last for 10 working days.
Senator Akpabio, who is also the former Governor of Akwa Ibom under the same PDP, had earlier in the week, held a similar meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Nigeria, even before the President flew to London for a rest.
The content of the meetings have not been made public, but there are indications that Senator Akpabio is making moves to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), just as the bigwigs in the APC have been crossing over to the PDP in recent time.

2019: A victory for Buhari is a victory for Ndi Igbo – Okorocha

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2019: A victory for Buhari is a victory for Ndi Igbo – Okorocha
President Buhari conferred with the title of Ochioha NdiIgbo 1 by South East traditional council of rulers led by Eze Eberechi Dick during his visit to Ebonyi State on 14th Nov 2017

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he governor said, President Buhari believes in the masses and also believes strongly that the wealth of the nation must be managed so that the masses could benefit from it, stating that for these reasons, there is at the moment a calculated elitist conspiracy against the President, and they are doing that for their selfish reasons.

The governor who spoke at a meeting of South-East APC Women and Youth leaders FOR BUHARI, weekend, at the Government House Owerri, added that Nigerians must rise and support President Buhari because he has done well and stands by the truth and does not also believe in the primitive accumulation of wealth. He words “Having realized that our voting powers lie on the youths and women, we want to make them vital instruments for the pursuit of this expected victory for President Buhari come 2019. And why the Igbos should and would support the person of Muhammadu Buhari and understand what the name Buhari actually means because there has been a lot of misrepresentations and misunderstanding of the person of Buhari”. He continued “The political jobbers have tended to give him all types of interpretations but the truth remains that President Buhari is a good man, a leader and a man who stands by the truth and is not a man who believes in the primitive accumulation of wealth”.

He stated “In the election of 2015, Igbo never gave him the support he deserved. We were the least in the Six geo-political zones in the support for Buhari in 2015 and that has left a political vacuum for ndi Igbo both locally and at the centre. So, we want to correct that story and change the narratives that Igbo do not hate Buhari but actually love him.

Igbo this time around will support President Buhari”. According to him “A victory for PMB is a victory for ndi Igbo and we shall not be found wanting in the political equation of Nigeria anytime, any day. Our bad politics in 2015 left a very big gap yet to be filled and we must fill it. To do so, the youths and women must take up their responsibilities if this journey must be completed”.
The governor noted that “Igbo play a major role in the unity of this nation. And as long as there is peace in Igbo land, Nigeria will remain an indivisible entity because there is no nook and cranny of the nation you will go without finding an Igbo man. So if you ask, who is a true Nigerian, it is the Igbo man”.

Sam Onwuemeodo-Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

Ebola to Rise in Coming Days – WHO’S DG

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Ebola to Rise in Coming Days – WHO’S DG
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised alarm that cases from the resurgent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are expected to rise in the coming days. WHO’s Deputy Director General of Emergency Preparedness and Response, Dr Peter Salama, said in Geneva that there had been around 20 deaths as a result of the Ebola virus.

Salama also said protecting vulnerable people in eastern DRC from the latest Ebola Virus outbreak was going to be “very, very complex”, given the huge logistical challenges and ongoing conflict there.

The WHO emergency preparedness and response chief said: “We know for example that there have been around 20 deaths. We can’t at this stage confirm whether they are all confirmed or probable Ebola cases.

“We expect however that the overall case count will rise in coming days to weeks, based on the trajectory of epidemics at this stage in their development.”

Salama said that WHO was unaware of the public health emergency in North Kivu province when the UN agency a week ago declared the last Ebola episode over.

The outbreak on the western side of the country in June, infected dozens, and led to 33 deaths, but in spite of several cases appearing in a major city on the Congo River, it was fully contained after a massive international and national response. The top WHO official said that there was “no evidence” to suggest a link between the two outbreaks, although it appeared “very likely” that they shared the same deadly Zaire strain.

[dropcap]“T[/dropcap]he death toll from the current Kivu episode is likely to rise,” the WHO official said, adding that the alert was raised on July 25 after a woman and many members of her immediate family died after exhibiting symptoms consistent with Ebola. “That event appears to have been a woman who was admitted to hospital around Beni, and on discharge had recovered from the original complaint.

“After leaving however, she came down with a fever and other symptoms that were clinically consistent with Ebola, and later on, seven of her direct relatives also contracted the disease,” he added.

Salama explained how longstanding conflict in Eastern DRC – involving more than 100 armed groups in the Kivu area and elsewhere – created an additional level of difficulty in trying to contain the deadly disease.

In the first week of February 2018 alone around Beni, attacks displaced more than 2,200, in addition to 1,500 displaced at the end of January.

In the Djugu Territory to the south of North Kivu, inter-ethnic violence led nearly 30,000 to flee their homes to the provincial capital Bunia, at the beginning of 2018.

“It’s going to be a very, very complex operation,” he said, noting that the vast country is home to the UN’s largest peacekeeping operation, the UN Stabilisation Mission in the DRC.

One million of the province’s eight million inhabitants are displaced and getting access to some of those in danger of coming into contact with Ebola, will require an armed escort in some cases, the WHO official explained.

There is also the additional threat that those fleeing violence may also head into nearby Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi, taking the infection with them, Salama said, noting that additional surveillance measures are being implemented at crossing points.

“On the scale of difficulty, trying to extinguish a deadly outbreak pathogen in a war zone is at the top of the scale,” he added.

In the most recent Ebola outbreak, a key part of the emergency response involved tracing anyone who had come into contact with suspected carriers of the disease, he said.

WHO staff could travel hundreds of miles on a motorbike to do this vital work, but this is likely to be much more difficult in view of the high level of insecurity in the Kivus.

One immediate priority is to confirm whether the latest outbreak involves the Zaire strain, since this can be treated with the same vaccine that was employed in Equateur province.

“It’s good news and it’s very bad news. The bad news is that this strain of Ebola carries with it the highest case-fatality-rate of any of the strains of Ebola, anywhere above 50 per cent and higher, according to previous outbreaks.

“So, it’s the most-deadly variant of the Ebola virus strains that we have, that’s the bad news. The good news is that we do have – although it’s still an investigational product – a safe and effective vaccine, that we were able to deploy last time around,” Salama said.

Nigeria Customs Service redeploys 70 Comptrollers

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Nigeria Customs Service redeploys 70 Comptrollers
Hameed Ali, Customs Comptroller-General
Hameed Ali,
Customs Comptroller-General

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, has approved the redeployment of 70 Comptrollers to meet the challenges of fighting smuggling, revenue collection and trade facilitation. Mr Ali announced this in a statement by the service’s Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah, on Friday in Abuja.

Mr Attah said “among those affected were Comptrollers Abubakar Bashir,  who moves from Port-Harcourt II (Onne) to Apapa; Musa Jibrin from Apapa to Human Resources Development.

“Comptroller Sa’idu Galadima who moves from Information Communication Technology (ICT) to Port-Harcourt Area II (Onne), while Comptroller, Mohammed Aliyu of Seme Command swapped positions with Comptroller Mohammed Garba of Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ among others,” Mr Attah said.

Mr Attah said the CGC, while giving his approval for the redeployment, said the federal government policies on agriculture, economy and security could only be successful with a strong, determined and patriotic customs service.

According to him, the CGC urges all affected officers to bring their experiences to bear in the new postings by fighting smugglers to standstill and collecting every collectable revenue.

“In the face of challenging security situation and increasing inclination to non-oil revenue drive, the service must step up to be counted as a necessary safety valve for national growth, ” he added.

“The reshufflement  is with immediate effect,” he added.

APC Delta Crisis: SHEATHE YOUR SWORDS, OCHEI TELLS PARTY FAITHFUL

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APC Delta Crisis: SHEATHE YOUR SWORDS, OCHEI TELLS PARTY FAITHFUL
Rt Hon Victor Ochei

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]rising from the factional tendencies in the Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, a front line political figure and former speaker of the Delta state house of assembly, Rt Hon Victor Ochei has urged the party faithful to sheathe their swords, eschew inflammatory utterances and remain calm as concerted efforts are in top gear to resolve the contentious issues.

He made the call while reacting to a flurry of statements credited to some members of the APC in Delta state.

According to him, the situation does not call for derogatory or uncomplimentary statements capable of heating up the polity, as the
National Working Committee under the able and wise leadership of His Excellency, Comrade Adams Oshiomole possess the requisite capacity and expertise to effect an amicable resolution of the issue in ground.

He further maintained that his call for caution is premised on the fact that Comrade Oshiimole is a stickler for justice and peace, backgrounded on his pedigrees as a time-tested unionist and excellent administrator of human and material resources.

According to Ochei,”Comrade Oshiomole is a renowned leader whose belief in the rule of law as well as natural justice, equity and good conscience is legendary and as such will ensure that the matter will be resolved satisfactorily either through the judicial process or the internal machinery of the party.

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