[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Ogun state government says it has paid the December and the 13th month salary to its workers since Wednesday ahead of the festive period. Mr Wale Osinowo, the State Commissioner for Finance, disclosed this while defending the ministry’s 2018 budget estimate before the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, in Abeokuta.

The commissioner said that this was despite the fact that the state government has yet to receive the last tranche of the Paris Club Refund. He explained that the state government used the first tranche of the Paris Club Refund to pay the salary of its workers. “On the Paris Club Refund, guidelines were set by the Federal government and the state government has been following it to the letter.

“When we got the second tranche, we used 75 per cent for settlement of salaries and deductions of workers while the remaining 25 per cent was used to execute projects.“We are yet to receive the third tranche of the refund,” he said. He added that the state government had also cleared the severance package of former political office holders at the state level.

The commissioner said that by the first quarter of 2018, the state government would clear the severance allowance of former local government political office holders.

“The amount to be paid between 2007-2011 is N540 million while the amount between 2011-2015 stands at N560 million which makes it just over N1.1 billion to be paid as severance to the local government political office holders.

“Before the first quarter of 2018, we will ensure we settle the severance allowance,” he said. He explained that the ministry had earmarked the sum of N5.2 billion as its recurrent expenditure for 2018 while capital expenditure would gulp N200 million.

Osinowo added that the 2018 budget of the state tagged “Budget of Accelerated Development” was workable and realistic.

Responding, House Committee Chairman on Finance, Olusola Bankole, said that the Finance ministry was important to the development of the state.

Other members of the committee advised the ministry to ensure the prompt release of money to Ministries, Departments and Agencies for better performance.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded its highest revenue collection ever of over N1 trillion as against N770 billion target set for 2017. The Service Public Relations Officer, Mr Joseph Attah, announced this at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday. According to him, the revenue realised this year is a historic figure ever made in the NCS.

“NCS has recorded the highest revenue collection ever of N1,012,259,006,779.74 with five more working days to the end of 2017.“This spectacular performance in revenue collection shows N241,685,276,289.74 over the N770,573,730,490 target for the year and well above the N898,673,857,431.07 collected in 2016. “(This is) Despite the economic recession experienced earlier in the year, with low volume of imports and restriction placed on 41 items from accessing Forex.

“The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), retired Col. Hameed Ali, undertook some strategic measures in terms of restructuring and repositioning the service for efficient service delivery which resulted in this historic revenue figure from the service this year,” Attah said.

He said that for the CGC to achieve this feat, took some measures like strategic redeployment of officers, restraining of the operatives of Customs Intelligence Unit were done, among others.  Attah said that the NCS strived to deliver, adding that sometimes even at the risk of sustaining serious injuries or even death.“Sadly in the process of enforcing the laws, six officers fell in the line of duty this year,’’ the spokesman said. He said that the Customs boss had directed sustained onslaught against smugglers, especially at this festive period.

Attah, however, said that in the spirit of the season, all stakeholders were enjoined to reflect on the value of patriotism and resolved to avoid all forms of smuggling.

“It is clear that given the right leadership and better support from Nigerians, NCS will continue to play a more pivotal role in the security and economic well-being of the nation, ” he said

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, yesterday, promised to assist victims of last weekend’s fire disaster at Onitsha Drug Market, Bridge Head, Onitsha, Anambra State, whose goods and cash valued over N100 million were burnt to ashes.

This followed sympathy visit to the fire scene by the commissioners of Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike and his Commerce, Industry, Trade and Wealth Creation counterpart, Mrs. Amaka Ilobi, who were sent by the governor to assess the extent of damage.

The fire incident was suspected to have started from a faulty electrical installation in one of the shops and spread to six other shops before the timely intervention of fire fighters from Onitsha Main Market and Building Materials International Market at Ogidi which brought the situation under control.

One of the victims, Mr. Ebuka Chidubem Uzochukwu, was said to have lost about N7 million worth of goods as he reportedly took delivery of some goods a day before the inferno.

Another victim of the incident, Mr. Chidubem Uzochukwu, was also said to have lost about N2 million cash left in the safe of his shop, which he intended to use to pay for some goods on arrival in few days time before the incident, as well as goods worth N13 million.

Akabuike and Ilobi expressed their heart-felt sympathy over the losses, adding that they were sent by Governor Obiano to ascertain the extent of damage and how to prevent future occurrence.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Federal Government has declared Monday 25th, Tuesday 26th December 2017 and Monday 1st January 2018 as Public Holidays to mark Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year. Minister of Interior, Lt. General (Rtd) Abdulralman Dambazau who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, enjoined the Christian faithful and all Nigerians to use the period in praying earnestly for the betterment and development of Nigeria.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Abubakar Magaji, the minister also called upon Nigerians to strengthen their resolve to maintain peace and unity in Nigeria.

Dambazau further urged all Nigerians, both at home and abroad, to support the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in its determination in improving the quality of life of Nigerians.

                                                                                   PRESS RELEASE

                                                           NUPENG Decries Suffering of Nigerians     

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has decried the current suffering and pains of Nigerians as a result of the persistent and unjustified fuel scarcity.

The Union frowned at the incessant fuel scarcity which has resulted to long queues, loss of man-hours and endless search for products.

NUPENG stated that the scarcity has further worsened the sufferings of its citizens through increase in transport fares, rising pricing of goods and services as we approach the Christmas festivities.

It called on the government to quickly address the situation instead of trading blames when the depots are dry.

The Union stated that it was a national shame and embarrassment for the citizens to celebrate the Christmas under this kind of atmosphere when Nigeria is the seventh largest producer of crude oil.

NUPENG reiterated the need for the federal government; Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the NNPC to tell the nation what is actually happening, as the two labour unions in the sector are not on strike.

It therefore called on the Federal government to implore the appropriate bodies to flood the nation with petroleum products as we enter the year 2018 as stop gap measure.

In the long run, it stressed that; the nation’s four refineries must be revamped to reduce the pressure on foreign exchange for importation of petroleum products from abroad.

Comrade (Dr.) Igwe Achese

NUPENG President

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]WERRI—PROTESTERS against the policies of the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, have demanded that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Chris Ezike, be redeployed after clashing with police. The protesters, who accused Okorocha of turning Imo State Government into a one-man affairs, also alleged that the governor had turned the state into a place, where citizens now lack freedom of speech in the face of oppression by the Okorocha-led government. Police The protesters under the auspices of Imo Peoples Action for Democracy, IPAD, which started at about 8am, on Monday, at Wethedral roundabout, Owerri, almost turned bloody, when the group had an encounter with the police in which their placards were seized and the police were said to have used  teargas to dispatch some of them.

A former House of Representative member, Mr Uche Onyegucha, who was at the front line of the protest, said: “Imo State has turned into a one-man state, where citizens are not allowed to speak their minds when they are oppressed. “Nothing will stop us from doing the right thing. We are on a peaceful protest. “Imagine, it is Christmas and the government is demolishing virtually all the markets in the state, subjecting the people to extreme hardship and the governor wants the people to be happy. Look at suffering everywhere and one man and his family is enjoying our collective resources.”

“The Imo Peoples Action for Democracy, IPAD, wishes to inform the world that Imo State has unfortunately become a fascist state where freedom of expression and assembly is no longer guaranteed.” Also speaking, National President of Igbo National Council, Mr. Chilos Godsent said: “INC noted that the Governor of Imo State and the Imo State Commissioner of Police have launched, “Operation Show of Force” which saw over 100 heavily armed military men, 200 heavily armed police men, DSS, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps etc, patrolling major streets of Owerri. “Why the organizers of the rally were discussing with some of the Police, a team of Police men moved against the protesters and forcefully dispossessed us of our banners, placards, Anayo Rochas Okorocha statue, and other protest materials and also physically assaulted some leading members of the protest.

The Operation Show of Force was launched to forcefully disperse and maim members of the Occupy Imo Peaceful Rally. “Consequent upon the above, the Igbo National Council rose from an emergency meeting this afternoon and have resolved as follows: “That INC has passed a vote of no confidence on Governor Anayo Rochas Okorocha and CP Chris Ezike – the Imo State Commissioner of Police. “That INC will launch Operation Rochas Must Go from January 2018. “That the Inspector General of Police, IGP, should immediately demote and redeploy CP Chris Ezike before he causes avoidable anarchy in Imo State.

” No opposition in Imo—Okorocha Reacting, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “We want to inform the general public that Governor Rochas Okorocha or his Rescue Mission Administration does not have any opposition in the state. “The few elites, whose simple and compound interest is 2019 governorship in the state do not constitute any opposition in the proper sense of the word and so, they only operate in the social media.

“We want also to state clearly that no reasonable Imo man or woman can come out in protest against Governor Rochas Okorocha or his Administration because he has done for them what they never knew could be done by a government in the state.” “Why all these? Those who follow postings on the social media must have read what a faceless or non-existent group that called itself Imo Peoples Action for Democracy, with no fixed address had published threatening to occupy Imo from Monday December 18, 2017 to Sunday December 24, 2017 in protest for reasons best known to them.”