[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, on Monday ordered an immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to some political office holders and very important personalities, VIPs, in the country, citing the security challenges facing Nigeria as reason.
Recall that the IGP had stated that the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, has perfected plans to withdraw its mobile personnel attached to important personalities in the country back to the barracks. During an interactive session with a group of civil society organisations under the auspices of, “The Situation Room’’ in Abuja last June, Idris had stated that the measure was intended to bring the police closer to Nigerians.
The police boss, who announced the latest development during a conference with senior officers in Abuja, stated that the directive also affected private businessmen, multi-national companies and other corporate organizations who are enjoying special police protection.
He explained that a task force has consequently been constituted at the Force headquarters under the command of ACP Mohammed Dankwara to ensure compliance to the directive while state commissioners of police are to replicate same at their commands.
Announcing his plans to withdraw the policemen on private guard duty, the IGP said, “In view of the current security challenges in the country, it has become expedient for the Nigeria Police Force to streamline the deployment of its personnel attached to political and public office holders, aimed at enhancing effective and efficient policing of the country.
“To this effect, a memo will be forwarded to the President for approval which will serve as a guideline or template for deployment to VIPs, political and public office holders in the country. Accordingly, a directive for withdrawal of all police officers deployed to VIPs, political and public office holders with immediate effect, is hereby given.”
The police boss however explained that businessmen, corporate organisations and individuals who required special police protection and “are found worthy,” would be considered by the Special Protection Unit of the force on application for re-validation through the state Commissioners of Police where they are resident.
“By so doing, I am charging the Commissioners of Police with the responsibility of supervising such official deployment and thereby holding them accountable,” the police chief informed his audience consisting of senior police officers.
Idris bemoaned the abuse of police Supernumerary number plates and the illegal use of siren and covering of vehicle number plates by motorists and warned the culprits to desist.
He directed the holders of the police SPY number plates to return them to the Force Transport Officer and apply for re-validation.
The IGP also asked the Commissioners of Police in the states to enforce the directive and arrest violators, adding that the list of task force teams that would ensure compliance to the order should be sent to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Operations, by March 31, 2018

Source : Grassroots Publishers

[dropcap]N[/dropcap]igeria’s most capitalised financial institution and leading tier one commercial bank- Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc recorded a pre-tax profit of N200 billion in 2017, inciting the leading group of the bank to prescribe appropriation of N79.5 billion as cash dividend to shareholders. Key extracts of the audited report and accounts of GTB for the year ended December 31, 2017 released yesterday at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) showed that profit before tax rose by 21 per cent from N165.1 billion in 2016 to N200.2 billion in 2017. Profit after tax also increased from N132.28 billion in 2016 to N170.47 billion in 2017. Earnings per share improved to N6.03 in 2017 compared with N4.67 in 2016. Gross earnings had increased marginally from N414.6 billion in 2016 to N419.2 billion.

The balance sheet showed that the bank’s loan book dipped by 8.9 per cent from N1.59 trillion in 2016 to N1.449 trillion in 2017 while customer deposits increased by 3.8 per cent to N2.062 trillion in 2017 as against N1.986 trillion in 2016. Total assets and contingents grew by 3.9 per cent to N3.845 trillion in 2017 while shareholders’ funds increased to N625.2 billion.

The board of directors of the bank has recommended payment of a final dividend of N2.40 per share to shareholders, in addition to interim dividend of 30 kobo per share, bringing total dividend per share for 2017 N2.70 per share.

Managing Director, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said the immediate past year was a pivotal year for the bank as it was able to deliver a strong result in a challenging environment.

According to him, the bank achieved record growth in earnings, carefully managed cost margins and leveraged its digital-first customer-centric strategy to deliver world-class services that are simple, cheap and easily accessible.

“The result demonstrates the fundamental strength of our franchise as well as the progress we are making in transforming our organization into a platform on which our customers could build their businesses, connect with their consumers and access all the resources that they need to make their lives better,” Agbaje said.

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]elta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has revealed that the state government is owing pensioners back log of arrears of over N50bn to N60bn.
The Governor who made the revelation on Friday during the ongoing town hall meeting at Bomadi and Ughelli said, “the problem we are having with the pension scheme is called past services. It is a huge amount of money. It runs into over N50 to N60 billion.”
He stated that in order to find solution to the payment of pension is to make money available on monthly basis, adding that they every month his government spend about N1.1 billion on pensions.
“ I don’t know of any state that is paying as much apart from one state,” he said
The Governor who was commended by leaders and stakeholders for the even spread of infrastructural developmental projects in the state reeled out projects executed by his administration in the areas, emphasising that apart from the provision of infrastructure, the wealth creation programmes of his administration have received national and international recognition because of its success stories.
According to him, a lot of youths who were unemployed prior to his emergence as Governor have become entrepreneurs through the wealth creation programmes that are currently receiving partnership with the United Nations.
He also, urged Deltans to key into the compulsory health insurance scheme of his administration, disclosing that it will save those who are in need of funds when they are ill the trauma of sourcing for funds.
Reacting to agitations for new kings in Bomadi, Governor Okowa urged communities seeking to have kings to follow due process and avoid heating up the polity with their agitations. asserting that “It is a long process to have a King, you must follow due process, it is not achievable through violence,”
The governor affirmed that the town hall meetings has afforded him the opportunity to see first hand the level of development in the state and the challenges facing the various areas, promising to utilise the 2018 and 2019 budgets to tackling the developmental needs facing the people.
Chairmen of Bomadi and Ughelli North local government areas, Hon. William Angadi and Hon. Godwin Adode respectively, including traditional rulers and representatives of different groups thanked Governor Okowa’s administration for the spread of projects across the state.

[dropcap] F[/dropcap]ormer governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, hinted yesterday that governors earn more than Senators,Obi, who was guest speaker at a dialogue organised by Ripples Centre for Data and Investigative Journalism in Lagos dropped the hint in his speech.  He told the audience that if he revealed how much a Nigerian governor earns, the surprise would be far more than what trailed reports of the N13.5 million ‘running cost’ of senators.

“None of you knows what a governor or even a local government chairman earns. Quote me anywhere, if you know you won’t be here. It is something you can’t imagine. You just know the one of senators and you are shouting, but, what if you know that of the governors?

“America’s GDP is way above Nigeria’s but an American senator earns $174,000 (about N50 million) a year and you can imagine what his Nigerian counterpart earns in a month. “In America, governors earn according to their state. The governor of California is the highest paid in America and he earns $192, 000.

“The smallest state earns $70, 000. But, in Nigeria, I can tell you, because I’ve been there, the cost of just keeping convoys alone is in millions.

“And, when people ask me ‘why am I saying these things?’ I tell them that even if we made mistakes yesterday, can’t we correct it today?”

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Executive Government of Delta State, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has called on security agencies to curb activities of herdsmen in parts of the state before it snowballs into crisis.The Governor made the call Friday, March 16, 2018 when the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) in charge of Zone 5, Mr Rasheed Akintunde paid him a courtesy visit at Asaba.
“There is a particular community in Delta State, at a point in time, we discussed it at security council meeting and just yesterday (Thursday, 15/03/18) while I was in Ughelli North for my regular Town Hall meeting, the people raised a very serious issue about the Uwheru community, it is a very pathetic situation, because the President-General of the community spoke on the fact that out of their seven communities, three of them are actually occupied by the herdsmen and the farmers are told that they must pay the herdsmen before they can enter their farms and that is very disturbing because it is strange for indigenes to pay money before they can enter their farms and I believe something has to be done before it evolves into a crisis situation,” the Governor said.

He continued, “this has been going on for several years but it has gotten worse of recent, so, AIG, this situation has to be addressed immediately as security issue.” The Governor told his guest that his administration is concerned about the security of life and property of every Deltan and their communities, stressing the Police and other security agencies must strive to protect the different communities in

the state.

Governor Okowa lauded the synergy between security agencies in the state which has ensured a peaceful state that has become home for investors. “As a people, we know that the more peaceful we are, the more investors will come into the state and in the course of this year, we will witness a lot of ground breaking ceremony as investors are coming to the state in their large numbers,” the Governor disclosed, asserting, “we are doing a lot to provide infrastructure, we are doing a lot to engage our youths, the more youths we engage, the less idle minds we will have in the state.”

Governor Okowa assured the AIG that his administration will continue to support security agencies in state, saying, “Delta State is largely peaceful, we take matters of security serious, there is a lot of collaborations between different security agencies in Delta State and beyond the collaborations, we take the issue of information gathering serious as we nip security challenges in the bud, we also, have state advisory and peace building council which is made up of experienced men and women of impeccable character, they also, help to maintain peace in the state.”

The AIG had told the Governor that he was on a familiarisation tour of Police formations in the state, observing, “your administration has rendered uncountable support to the Police Command in different areas, your support has greatly, enhanced the performance of the  Command and we want to thank you and assure you that the Police will ensure an all time peace in the state.”

Source: Grassroots Publishers